Detailed Information and Notes RIC Volume VI, Lugdunum, No. 17a: FL VAL CONSTANTIVS NOB C .............................. GENIO POPV -- LI ROMANI Fully silvered Nicely centered with clear inscriptions Hard to find coins of this series in about EF condition like this 10.5 gm In 293 Diocletian finalized the Institution of a Tetrarchy -- government of the Empire by four interacting rulers -- two Augusti assisted by two subordinate Caesars, which each Augustus would personally select. The two Caesars, chosen because of their proven leadership abilities, assisted the Augusti with civil administration and command of the armies. Caius Galerius Valerius Maximianus was chosen by Diocletian to be his Caesar of the East and Flavius Valerius Constantius was chosen by Maximian Herculius be his Caesar of the West. The first assignment given Constantius by Maximian Herculius was to remove Carausius, the usurper Augustus of secessionist Britain, and restore that former possession to the Empire. Constantius thereupon beseiged and captured Boulogne and then wrested coastal Gaul from Carausius. Constantius now set about planning the invasion, occupation and restoration of secessionist Britain to the Empire. One of the first orders of business for Constantius in 294 was to insure that a supply of reformed aes coinage (folles) - now the commonplace legal tender of the Roman Empire - was available for use not only by his occupying force, but also by the British civilian populace. To that end Constantius established a Mint in Gaul (exact location usually listed as unknown, although some French sources list it as Boulogne), manned by Lugdunese workers, to produce this invasion coinage - unmarked (i.e. without a mint mark) issued in the names of Diocletian & Maximian Herculius as Augusti and Constantius & Galerius Maximian as Caesars. Notes In his introductory notes to RIC VI, Londinium, Sutherland states that "Bastien is to be followed in regarding the umarked coins of Class I as an issue prepared in advance for Constantius' invasion of Britain in 296". Coin obverses depict right facing busts with bare neck truncation and laureate heads with the long laurel wreath ribbon laying on the neck. The Genius of the Roman People reverse depiction and inscription is standard with no mint mark. The inscriptional lettering is relatively large with delicate letterforms. Reverse axis is 6 or 12 o'clock. Weight range is 10.5 to 8.75 gm. Invasion Coinage produced at (unknown) Mint in Gaul RIC Volume VI, Lugdunum, Group I, (iv), folles, Class I, No. 14-21, c. 296, 10.5-8.75 gm. No. 14a - Diocletian: IMP C DIOCLETIANVS PF AVG ............................. GENIO POPV -- LI ROMANI 9.8 gm No. 14b - Maximian Herculius: IMP C MAXIMIANVS PF AVG ................................. GENIO POP -- VLI ROMANI 8.9 gm No. 17a - Constantius: FL VAL CONSTANTIVS NOB C .............................. GENIO POPV -- LI ROMANI 10.1 gm Partially silvered No. 17b - Galerius Maximian: C VAL MAXIMIANVS NOB C .............................. GENIO POPV -- LI ROMANI 10.3 gm. As depicted in RIC Volume VI, Plate 3.
More magnificent coins of Britannia @jamesicus. You have the best collection of these types I know. Also, another great history lesson to go along with it.
I wonder how they were able to determine that the coins without the mintmark were the invasion coinage?
Your collection is. just. plain. WOW! And, I really do not specialize/focus in the Empire Era, rather the Republic. However, @jamesicus , it is really fun to watch your posts. Well laid out, informative, and yes, I DO open / follow your Links.
The style and design of this coinage was determined by Constantius in conjunction with the Mint supervisors after he was assigned the mission of restoring secessionist Britain to the Empire.
Ah what I meant to say...How did numismatists figure the coins missing a mint mark were part of the invasion coinage?
Well numismatists really didn't figure it. It is probably best to read Dr. Sutherland's introductory notes to both the Londinium and Lugdunum sections of RIC, Volume VI, (with the annotations by Bastien) to gain an understanding of the evolution of the reformed aes coinage (folles) issued by the Diocletian Tetrarchy. The unmarked Invasion coinage of Constantius was designed that way and continued in essence (except for the small, and very rare, LON marked initial post-invasion issue) by Constantius' re-opened (formerly Carausius/Allectus) London Mint. BTW, you can distinguish the unmarked Invasion coinage produced in Gaul from the unmarked London Mint coinage due to the invasion coins having laureate, bare neck truncated, obverse busts with the long ribbon tie laying on the neck -- the unmarked London Mint coins have laureate, cuirassed (sometimes draped), bust obverse portraits with equal length ribbon ties.
RIC Volume VI, LUGDUNUM, Group I, (ii) Examples of early (294) and rare reformed folles (marked LA and LB) referred to by Sutherland in his introductory text to the Londinium section of RIC Volume VI. These were some of the earliest reformed folles coin issues. Diocletian, No. 3a IMP C DIOCLETIANVS P F AVG ............ GENIO POPV-LI ROMANI -- L A (exergue) Constantius, No. 6 CONSTANTIVS NOB CAES ....................... GENIO POPV-LI ROMANI -- L B (exergue)
