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Valentinian II
Valentinian II. AV Solidus, 4.51g., 21mm. Antioch. Obv. DN VALENTINIANUS IVN PF AVG Draped bust facing right with pear diadem. Rev. VICTORIA AUGUSTORUM Victory seated facing right holding shield inscribe VOT V. ANOBS in exergue. Struck 9 Aug AD 378 – Aug. 383. RIC IX 39a 1. Deperot 42/1. Biaggi 2296. Ex: MDC Monaco 7, lot 57, 06/12/2021. Ex. Ed Waddell, inv. 56763.
Valentinian II, the son of Emperor Valentinian I, became ruler at the tender age of four in 375 CE, following his father’s unexpected death. His reign, lasting until 392 CE, was a tumultuous period marked by internal strife, external threats, and the influence of powerful figures vying for control.
Born in 371 CE, Valentinian II was proclaimed emperor by troops stationed in Pannonia, even though his half-brother Gratian already ruled the Western Roman Empire. This dual rule, initiated to appease military factions, set the stage for tensions between Valentinian’s court and Gratian’s authority. Valentinian’s youth left him reliant on advisors, notably his mother, Justina, and later the powerful general and usurper Magnus Maximus.
Religious conflict defined much of Valentinian II’s reign. His mother, Justina, supported Arian Christianity, a belief considered heretical by Nicene Christians. This led to clashes with prominent figures such as Ambrose, the Bishop of Milan, who championed Nicene orthodoxy. Ambrose’s defiance in refusing imperial orders highlighted the increasing power of the Church and foreshadowed the waning authority of emperors over religious matters.
Externally, Valentinian faced challenges from barbarian incursions and the ambitions of Magnus Maximus, who declared himself emperor in 383 CE. Forced to flee to the Eastern Roman Empire under Theodosius I, Valentinian regained his position with Theodosius’s military support in 388 CE.
Tragically, Valentinian II’s life ended abruptly in 392 CE under mysterious circumstances. Found hanged in his palace in Gaul, his death is widely believed to have been orchestrated by his own general, Arbogast, amidst political intrigue.
Valentinian II’s reign, though short and dominated by external influences, reflects the challenges faced by a fractured Roman Empire, where the young emperor became a symbol of the complex interplay between political, military, and religious forces of the late 4th century.
This coin suggests that the soldi of Valentinian II were produced with the same attention to quality as those of his father, Valentinian I. It is a wonderful example with excellent strike, centering, and surfaces. The wonderful portrait style does not attempt to hide the youthfulness of the child-emperor.