Theodosius II — Cross within Wreath

Obverse: D N THEODOSIVS P F AVG, pearl-diademed, draped bust of Theodosius II right

Reverse: Latin cross within wreath

Mass: 1.00 g

Diameter: 10.5 mm

The reverse features a Latin cross enclosed within a wreath, combining a central symbol of Christianity with the traditional Roman imagery of victory and honor represented by the wreath. The design reflects the increasingly prominent role of Christian symbolism in the coinage of the late Roman Empire, while the compact type is characteristic of the small bronze denominations of the fifth century.

Theodosius II ruled the Eastern Roman Empire from AD 408 to 450, succeeding his father Arcadius as a child and presiding over one of the longest reigns in the history of the Eastern Roman Empire. His reign was marked by the strengthening of Constantinople, including the construction of the Theodosian Walls, and by the continued development of the Christian Roman state. By this period, bronze coinage had become dramatically smaller than the large folles of earlier centuries, reflecting the changing monetary conditions of the late Roman world.