Gold Solidus Emperor Heraclius (610-664 AD | Eastern Roman Empire)

Solidus of Emperor Heraclius – 1,400 Years of World History in Your Hand

• Design: The obverse shows the striking double portrait: Emperor Heraclius with a long, full beard, beside him his younger co-ruler Heraclius Constantine (Constantine III), both crowned, with a cross between their heads. The reverse bears the cross potent on three steps, the victory formula VICTORIA AVGU and below it the famous abbreviation CONOB. Hand-struck – each specimen shows its own minting characteristics, slight off-centring and individual flan shapes.

• Material and fineness: Gold of late antique top quality. Solidi of this era were minted consistently over centuries at around 955 to 980 parts per thousand, i.e. approximately 23 to 23.5 karat. Gross weight 4.5 g, fine weight approx. 4.41 g – the fineness varies depending on the minting.

• Producer: Various imperial mints of the Eastern Roman Empire. The largest minting volume was produced in Constantinople; workshops also operated in Alexandria, Carthage and Ravenna, among others.

• Further details: Diameter 20 mm, face value Solidus, various years of issue, country of origin Eastern Roman Empire (Byzantium).

• Condition: Circulated coin, bank-standard quality – delivered with a certificate of authenticity.

This coin was money when Europe still consisted of ruins and upheavals. It passed through the hands of merchants, soldiers and tax collectors, outlasted empires, sieges and dynasties – and today it lies in your hand. This is precisely its appeal: a gold Solidus from Byzantium is not a modern collector's product but an original means of payment from the 7th century.

The Solidus: the Hardest Currency of Late Antiquity

The Solidus was introduced in 309 by Constantine the Great, initially in Trier, as a replacement for the debased Aureus. Its weight corresponded to 1/72 of a Roman pound, i.e. around 4.5 grams; the diameter was about 20 mm. What followed is unparalleled in monetary history: for over a thousand years this denomination – later as Histamenon and Hyperpyron – remained in circulation. Historians are not wrong to call the Solidus the "euro of the Middle Ages".

• CONOB: not merely a mint mark, but a guarantee of quality – "the right standard of Constantinople", with OB standing for obryzon, i.e. gold refined by fire assay.

• Word history: The words sold (pay), mercenary (Söldner) and soldier (Soldat) derive from this coin. Those who served in the Byzantine army were paid in Solidi.

• Purchasing power: The annual pay of a Roman soldier in the 5th and 6th centuries was around four to five Solidi – a single gold piece held enormous value.

• Value ratio: One Solidus corresponded to 24 Siliquae, the silver coins of late antiquity – the basis of our modern concept of "karat".

• Condition: These pieces are circulated means of payment and bear corresponding traces: darker patina, individual centring, nicks, wear and sometimes weaker legend areas. This is precisely what makes them appealing. Since the year of issue, mint and reverse variant vary, the delivered specimen will differ from the image shown – you receive an original, not a mass-produced item. Please understand that the image in the shop serves as an example and the delivered item may individually differ in appearance and condition due to historical circumstances.

Emperor Heraclius – the Last Ruler of Antiquity

Flavius Heraclius, in Greek Herakleios, reigned from 610 to 641 AD. He took over a Byzantine Empire on the brink of collapse: Persians in the east, Avars and Slavs in the north, empty coffers in Constantinople. Heraclius reformed the administration and the army, led an exhausting Persian war to victory, and returned the relic of the True Cross to Jerusalem. Under his rule, Greek became the official language of the empire – historians regard him both as the last emperor of late antiquity and as the first ruler of the middle Byzantine Empire. The double portrait with his son Heraclius Constantine on the obverse is political communication in its purest form: dynastic continuity, struck in gold.

Silver in the Shadow of Gold

Interesting for connoisseurs: it was precisely under Heraclius that the white metal also experienced a renaissance. Around 615, he had the silver hexagram minted, bearing the invocation Deus adiuta Romanis – "God, help the Romans". For millennia, silver served as coinage metal, as a medium of exchange in everyday small transactions, and as a symbol of wealth. It has intrinsic value, is in strong industrial demand in electronics, solar and medical technology, and, given limited supply, is durable, liquid and tradable worldwide. Both metals complement each other excellently within a portfolio – especially as a hedge against currency instability. For tax purposes, physical precious metals held as private assets are generally exempt from capital gains tax after a holding period of at least one year (not tax advice).

For Collectors and Investors: Substance with History

Ancient coinage appeals to two kinds of collectors' hearts. Numismatists appreciate design variants, mint letters and stylistic differences between Constantinople and the provincial mints. Those who focus on substance, on the other hand, receive nearly 4.41 grams of fine gold in a form that will never exist again – for the minting dies of this era have been lost for over a millennium. Compared to modern gold coins such as the Krugerrand or Maple Leaf, the premium is higher because historical rarity is added into the mix; in return, the supply is definitively limited and will never grow again. Contemporary bullion coins score with tight spreads, while the Solidus offers aura and numismatic depth. Many buyers combine both.

Gold is humanity's oldest currency – it has outlived every paper currency that ever competed against it. The Solidus is living proof: its metal is worth today exactly what metal is worth.

As an inflation hedge and as tangible crisis protection, physical precious metal has proven its role over the centuries. A Solidus combines this preservation of value with a piece of cultural history that can be passed down – from generation to generation, entirely without counterparty risk.

Delivery and Condition

• Original ancient circulated coin: signs of circulation, scratches and edge irregularities are typical and part of its authenticity.

• Design, year of issue, mint and exact fineness vary – you will receive a specimen from the type range of Emperor Heraclius.

• Includes certificate of authenticity, shipped as insured value shipment.