Unofficial/Barbarous imitations

I dont want to start a debate about where to draw the line as to whether a coin is barbarous or unofficial.... thats not the reason for me starting this thread. (although if discussion heads that way, feel free)
I was asked by a guy who buys pretty much all of the Barbarous/unofficial coins from me to see what I had lying around, so I took a quick look in the coin store and was suprised how many I had lying around in boxes and tubs etc etc. What I find most amusing about them is their naivety and sometimes cartoon like depictions of emperors and reverse types. It can be hard to work out quite what they are purporting to be sometimes, and other times they can be pretty darn close , but theres just something which isnt right....
post your unnofficial/barbs if you have some .... lets guess what they are trying to be!!
I'll start with this feeble attempt.. commemorating the cities of CONRTIUNS and ROME I think!!

 

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Cool Coin!!!

I'm still missing any barbarous types, although I'm actually pursuing a couple at this very moment---Eastern Celts imitating Greek and Roman Republic devices.

 

I am torn on this subject as to which end of the wild coins I like better. I do like the really wild and crazy barbarous ones but sometimes we see coins that are not official but were cut by real artists whose work might be as good in some ways as the official coins.

Tiberius from India


Commodus


Julia Domna


Gallienus


This Urbs Roma with TRP mintmark strikes me as decent style but it has one little problem that makes it stand out as unofficial....Right?

 

Lol @dougsmit. Maybe the celator was looking in a mirror while cutting the die for the VRBS ROMA. Also, I really like the Commodus.

 

that's a neat coin YOC, the art style is pretty good really...even if they have things mixed up a bit.

 

My money is on imitation. The style is reminiscent of certain imitations struck in East Anglia, but I can't find an exact match.

Cf: http://cngcoins.com/Coin.aspx?CoinID=284608

 

As you can see from my avatar, I'm really into barbaric imitations. Love those Indian Romans, dougsmit! There were some extremely nice gold ones in the last Adams auction, but alack, I missed out on all of these.

 

Here are both sides of my avatar coin. I got it in an auction lot. Apparently, this lot (of 6 coins) was found in Germany, and these coins definitely look different from the better known coins from Britain and Gaul. But it is clearly a free imitation of a 4th century Roman coin.
(Yes, I mirrored the coin to make it more attractive as an avatar).

 

Here's another of my Germans.

 

Wow, that is a wonderfully weird imitation!

 

Pellinore, those two are awesome....
I am guessing a Constantine I vot/altar reverse or Gloria exercitus mix up....
How about this mutant!!

I think the horse is broken!! a fel temp fallen horseman imitation for those who cant spot it...

 

ps. Doug... love the URBS.... right.....left....

 

YOC, that's a nice one. These coins are not rare, but often very expressive, they vary more than official Roman coins.

 

This coin I bought recently, an imitation of a centenionalis of the usurper Magnentius, who reigned basically in Gaul, from 350-353. His homely round face shows clearly. He appears to be wondering about something... on the reverse the two short-skirted Victories have somehow been drawn with fluid lines, and the lettering looks clear enough, but it's as off as his obverse head. 1,84 gr., 16 mm.

 

Here's my barbarian:



Constantine VLPP
Barbarous Imitation
ca 330 A.D.
17 mm, 1.79 gm
Laureate, helmeted, facing right decent style, legend is gibberish
VICTORIAE LAETAE PRINC PERP
Two Victories facing, inscribed shield over altar

 

Aww man, my favorite @dougsmit coin.

 

Very neat. You have just "made" another collector...prices will go up.

 

Nice coin, Joe LeMay. Looks almost like children's drawings!

 

Here are two barbarian pairs. Wish I could make better pics.





I wonder about the lower left reverse. What sort of coin does it imitate? Three horizontal lines of letters.

 

Man, I need some barbarous imitations. These coins are really cool!

Thanks for sharing, everyone!

Erin