Julian II, 360-363. Solidus (Gold, 22 mm, 4.44 g, 12 h), Constantinopolis, after 3 November-11 December 361. FL CL IVLIA-NVS P P AVG Pearl-diademed, draped and cuirassed bust of Julian II with very short beard to right.
Rev. VIRTVS EXERCI-TVS ROMANORVM / CONS Roman soldier advancing right, head to left, holding trophy over his left shoulder and dragging bound captive with long beard with his right. Depeyrot 6/1 note = RIC 156. Extremely rare and of great interest. Good extremely fine.
From the collections of a retired senior air force officer and that of Andre Constantine Dimitriadis, Heritage 3032, 10 April 2014, 23680, from the Dr. Anton C. R. Dreesmann Collection, Spink, 13 April 2000, 213 and ex Baldwin's, 4 May 1995, 78.
This extremely rare solidus is Julian's earliest issue from Constantinopolis: it must have been struck in the very short period of time between the news of Constantius' demise near Tarsos on 3 November 361 reaching the capital of the eastern empire and the
adventvs of Julian on 11 December of the same year. Clearly the mint officials had heard about Julian's famous facial hair (see the note on lot 1782 below), but they had not yet seen an actual image of the emperor, so the artist simply modified a standard idealized Constantinian portrait by adding a short military beard to the cheeks, as opposed to the barbarian captive on the reverse, who is shown with very long facial hair. When the emperor arrived in Constantinopolis a few weeks later, the sight of his disheveled and rampant philosopher's beard must have been a shock to the cultivated eastern imperial court, and it became clear that the numismatic iconography had to be quickly adapted.
