Nummus — Theodosius I, Arcadius, or Honorius — Victory with Captive

Obverse: Pearl-diademed bust of emperor right; legend not visible

Reverse: Victory dragging captive left, holding trophy over shoulder

Mass: 1.17 g

Diameter: 11.2 mm

The reverse depicts Victory leading a captive while carrying a trophy, a traditional Roman image of military triumph and imperial success. The scene presents victory as the result of Roman military power and communicates the emperor's ability to defeat and subdue enemies of the state. Its continued use on small late Roman bronzes demonstrates the persistence of traditional triumphal imagery even as Christian symbolism became increasingly prominent in imperial coinage.

The attribution is uncertain between Theodosius I, Arcadius, and Honorius, as the obverse legend is not visible and the small size of the coin limits identification from the portrait alone. Theodosius I ruled from AD 379 to 395 and was the last emperor to rule both eastern and western halves of the Roman Empire; his sons Arcadius and Honorius subsequently governed the eastern and western empires respectively. The nummus was a small bronze denomination of the late Roman period, reflecting the continuing reduction in the size and weight of bronze coinage during the fourth and fifth centuries.