Monogrammed AE4 of Athalaric, Ostrogothic Prince in Italy
This tiny bronze AE4 type bears the monogram of the Gothic prince Athalaric. As far as we know, Amalasuntha did not strike any coins in her own name. She probably looked and dressed like most Sixth Century Roman noblewomen, when large, ornate earrings and wearing several strings of pearls both in the hair and about the neck was in fashion. The coin is a typical example of the aspirin tablet sized, crudely struck bronze coins of later Roman and Gothic kingdoms in the West sometimes known as minimi. The coin is only about 12mm in diameter, and the image is an 8X magnification. Most of these coins are found in extremely worn or corroded condition and cannot be identified at all. The letters A, T, H, L, R, and C in the monogram can be clearly seen in this puzzle - like figure. This little coin is in extremely nice condition for the type and period, and is also quite rare.
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