Not the first Campgate, but close...

This hobby can get costly when you start off wanting just one example of a certain type, and soon find a few convincing reasons to buy a second, then a third...

Anyway, please say 'Hi' to one of my two wins from CNG 106 - a lovely, toned, tack-sharp argenteus of Maximianus with a great, high-relief portrait of the emperor. When I acquired my second argenteus last year, I mentioned that a four-turreted early campgate type with open doors was on my list, and this one fit the bill to a tee. I might have better liked an example of the earliest type to depict a campgate (the issue just preceding this one), but I settled seeing as I'm really no specialist in this area. Either that, or I now have a reason to look for a fourth argenteus?

Please share anything you feel might be appropriate!


MAXIMIANUS
AR Argenteus. 3.11g, 17.9mm. Nicomedia mint, circa AD 295-296. RIC VI Nicomedia 25b; RSC 553c. O: MAXIMIANVS AVG, laureate head right. R: VICTORIAE SARMATICAE, campgate with four turrets, doors open, and star above archway; SMNΓ in exergue.

 

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Absolutely gorgeous. I would love one half as good.

 

ABSOLUTELY!!! What a fantastic example!!!

 

That is a campgate anyone could fall in love with, even those who don't normally care much for late Roman coins.

Congrats on such an outstanding purchase.

 

WOW @zumbly ! Every detail is CRISP! Me: this would be the end-all to an Argenteus collection! Nice!

 

I figure they'll let me know when they want me to stop buying them?

Thanks for the all the kind comments, guys.

 

What an awesome coin! An argenteus campgate is high on my want list.

 

speechless

 

Ditto. Fantastic detail

 

I opened this post expecting to see a bronze coin and was surprised to see this magnificent piece of art. Great catch.

 

Hi coin!

And I love turrets like that - I've seen them called something else, but I forget the term.

WOW! That coin is really something! So sharp!

Edited to say: I found what was bothering me about the term turret. Perhaps I should not read so much, but I was on Beast Coins one day looking at camp gates and I read the following which is an excerpt from a book in which there is a discussion about whether the structures we see on top of camp gates are turrets or beacon towers. Beast Coins has this at:

https://www.beastcoins.com/Topical/Architecture/Campgate.htm

Campgate Theory Discussion - Victor Failmezger, 07/30/2003

Author of "Roman Bronze Coins", Ross & Perry Inc., 2002

"As you know, I believe that they are signal/watchtowers. We need to break off the obvious city gates (four Emperors sacrificing and those earlier ones) from these common Constantinian (Licinian) bronze coins and review what we have left.

Remember that, during this time, there was a complete reorganization of the army and the idea was that the standing army would be a mobile force, with auxiliary troops, stationed on the frontiers (Limes). The only thing that would make this work would be the ability to rapidly communicate threats across the empire to send in the mobile troops, hence the need for rapid and quick communications. The most common legend, foresight of the augustus (caesar) is a nice bit of propaganda to say that these signal towers allow the Emperor to respond to these attacks.

As you might have guessed, in more than 16 years of living in Europe, I have visited many of the remains of forts, limes and roman watchtowers and am impressed how, in some locations, almost every hill has the remains of these towers. So, for me there is no question that they are signal towers. Don't forget the literary evidence I cited in my book on the ability of the Romans to send signals and the drawing I did for the Celator article from Trajan's Column showing the burning signal torch."


There is a great deal to learn and think about with this coin stuff.

 

Delightful coin @zumbly - it must have commanded a pretty penny. Great detail and well-struck. I'm going to have to pick up an argenteus one of these days.

 

My very first ancient was a campgate so I especially like them - yours has to be one of the most fantastic examples I've seen. Stunning!

 

Now that's how you buy a campgate!

 

@zumbly How many pretty pennies??

 

One of the best campgates I've ever seen, even though the two I already have aren't bad either


Diocletian, Argenteus Nicomedia mint, 3rd officina, AD 295-296
DIOCLETI ANVS AVG, Laureate head of Diocletian right
VICTORIAE SARMATICAE, The tetrarchs sacrifying before a campgate. SMNΓat exergue
3.3 gr
Ref : RCV # 12615 (1000), Cohen #491 var,



Constantius, Argenteus Antioch mint, 8th officina, c. AD 296-297
CONSTANTIVS CAESAR, Laureate head of Constantius right
VIRTVS MILITVM, Campgate, *ANTH* at exergue
3.40 gr
Ref : Cohen #318, RCV # 13966 (1100)

Q

 

that coin is HOT!

 

Spectacular, congrats!!!

 

Beautiful, I don't have anything as nice!!!

 

Beautiful coin zumbly, love the fancy doors.