Honorius Roman AE (AD 393-423) NGC

Own a certified Roman bronze AE of Honorius (AD 393–423), authenticated and slabbed by NGC. This coin marks the reign of an emperor who presided over the slow fragmentation of the Western Roman Empire.

Honorius was the younger son of Theodosius the Great, the last ruler to govern both halves of the Roman world. After Theodosius' death in 395 AD, the empire was permanently divided: Honorius ruled the West while his brother Arcadius governed the East.

Much of Honorius’ reign depended heavily on the skill and loyalty of his principal general, Stilicho. Acting first as his guardian and later as his father-in-law, Stilicho defended the crumbling Western Empire against a wave of invasions, most famously repelling early advances by the Visigoths.

However, after Stilicho’s fall and execution in 408 AD, the empire’s defenses collapsed rapidly. Honorius ruled during the sack of Rome by Alaric in 410 AD — the first time the Eternal City had fallen to a foreign enemy in nearly 800 years — a traumatic symbol of Rome’s irreversible decline.

Bronze AE coins of Honorius typically feature his diademed bust on the obverse, while reverses celebrate imperial victories, divine favor, or the strength of the Roman army — themes increasingly disconnected from the empire’s political and military realities.

Certified by NGC, this AE coin offers collectors a poignant artifact from the final chapters of the Western Roman Empire’s long and dramatic history.