Arcadius was born in A.D. 377 to Theodosius I who became the emperor of the eastern half of the Empire in A.D. 383. Arcadius was immediately made joint emperor in the east and when Theodosius died in A.D. 395 he left his other son, Honorius, emperor in the west, creating a family dynasty. Sadly, both weak rulers were dominated by others; but, this weakness had an advantage. They were so weak no one ever deposed them, meaning they survived those who dominated them as most killed each other in the bid for sole control of the emperor. Arcadius died of natural causes in A.D. 408 and was succeeded by his son, Theodosius II. The coins of Arcadius are becoming increasingly hard to find, this is the first group we have been able to offer in a long time. The coins are an intriguing, small denomination called a Half-Centenionalis. They are about 1cm across and weighing roughly 1 gram, they are some of the smallest Roman coins ever struck! They are in Good Fine grade, show the emperor’s bust and name on the obverse with various reverses. This will be a gap for many collectors, don’t miss out on one of the smallest Roman coins…
