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Gold Solidus of Constans II (641–68)

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Gold Solidus of Constans II (641–68)

Date:
654–659
Geography:
Made in Constantinople
Culture:
Early Byzantine
Medium:
Gold
Dimensions:
Overall: 13/16 x 1/16 in. (2 x 0.1 cm)
Classification:
Coins
Credit Line:
Gift of Darius Ogden Mills, 1904
Accession Number:
04.35.3355

This artwork is currently on display in Gallery 301

  • Description

    A cross on steps is thought to represent the great cross that the emperor Theodosius II (r. 408–50) erected on Golgotha, the site of Christ's crucifixion.

    Coins connected an emperor to his subjects. He paid the army in coins, received taxes in coins, and was responsible for maintaining their weight and purity. These coins of early Byzantine emperors conveyed imperial ideals through inscriptions and images.

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    In the Museum
    Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History
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