Pearl-diademed and draped bust right / Monogram of Theodoric. Metlich 51c; MEC 1, 121 (for silver siliqua).

Extremely rare bronze AE4 with a monogram of Theodoric the Great.

Theodoric the Great (r. 493–526 CE) was the king of the Ostrogoths who established a powerful kingdom in Italy after the fall of the Western Roman Empire. Educated in Constantinople as a hostage, he combined Roman administrative traditions with Gothic military leadership. In 493 CE, he defeated and killed Odoacer, taking control of Italy and ruling from Ravenna while preserving Roman institutions and collaborating with the Roman Senate. His reign brought relative stability to Italy and is often seen as a successful example of Roman-barbarian coexistence in the post-imperial West.