A new silver coin of the Gothic kingdom in Italy

Authors

  • Dirk Faltin

Abstract

This article discusses an extremely rare and historically significant series of coins minted during the last years of the Gothic kingdom in Italy. The coins, known as quarter-siliquae, were struck during the reign of king Totila/Baduila (541–552). Unlike the rest of the Gothic silver coinage, these coins show variants of the legend “INVICTISSIMVS AVTOR” (sc. AVCTOR), which can be translated as “the most invincible founder”. Totila/Baduila’s Invictissimus quarter-siliquae are exceptionally rare. Demo (2009) knew of only four specimens in three different variants. The aim of this article is to present a fifth specimen to the literature, which constitutes a new fourth variant, and to discuss the series in its historical and numismatic context. 

References

Demo, Z. 1994. Ostrogothic Coinage from collections in Coratia, Slovenia and Bosnia & Herzegovina, Situla Dissertationes Musei Nationales Labacensis 32, Ljubljana: Narodni muzej.

Demo, Z. 2009. INICTISSIMVS AVTOR – an unusual Series of Baduila (Totila): A new example from Croatia, in M. Woloszyn (ed.), Byzantine Coins in Central Europe between 5th and 10th Century, MORAVIA MAGNA. Seria Polona, Vol. III, Krakow 2009. 37-46.

Kraus, F. F. 1928. Die Münzen Odovacars und der Ostgoten in Italien. Riechmann & Co., Halle.

Metlich, M. 2004. The Coinage of Ostrogothic Italy. Spink, London.

Published

19/12/2024

How to Cite

Faltin, D. (2024). A new silver coin of the Gothic kingdom in Italy . KOINON: The International Journal of Classical Numismatic Studies, 7, 195–205. Retrieved from https://archaeopresspublishing.com/ojs/index.php/koinon/article/view/2798

Issue

Section

Medieval and Early Modern Coinage