Show us your Barbarous coins!

Hi all! Barbarous coins don't nearly get the love they deserve, so I just wanted to share a few of my barbarous coins! Post yours if you've got one

I've got a few, but here are my favourites...

Victorinus INVAPAS (INVICTVS)


Tetricus I FTVAS AVG (Probably Salus?)


Tetricus II PIETAS AVGG


Tetricus I and Tetricus II mule, PIETAS rather than PIETAS AVGG reverse, III in exergue


Carausius Wolf & Twins, blundered RSR

 

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These barbarous imitations of Elagabalus and his mother were likely produced in Sarmatia.

 

Good group! Barbarous also comes in earlier periods.
Tiberius (India)


Antoninus Pius


Faustina I


Commodus


Septimius Severus

Julia Domna


Caracalla

 

Barbarous or official? The RIC II.1 authors couldn't decide about this coin. RIC II p. 8 - 'a recent example seen in trade (Imperial Coins 2004) had the correct legend (and good weight for a denarius, at 3.29g) but a very different, inferior style on both the obverse and reverse. Is such a coin a barbarous imitation, or simply the product of a less able die-engraver employed at the start of a mint's output?'



Vespasian
AR Denarius, 3.29g
Ephesus mint, 69-70 AD
Obv: IMP CAES VESPAS AVG; Head of Vespasian, laureate, r.
Rev: PACI ORB TERR AVG; Turreted and draped female bust, r.
RIC 1397 (R). BMC p. 89,†. RSC 291. RPC 807 (5 spec.). BNC -.
Acquired from NB Numismatics, March 2017. Ex VAuctions 292 (Imperial Coins), 6 December 2012, lot 130.

 

Same question:

Provincial silver denarius (or barbarous copy?)
(Copy of?) Phillipi mint, A.D. 69-70
Obv: IMP CAES VESPAS AVG
Rev: PACI OPB TERR AVG - Turretted female bust
Φ behind bust
RIC (New) 1407
18mm, 2.8g.

RIC lists this type with the mint mark below the female bust rather than behind, as it is on this coin. Also, on this coin the mint mark is clearly a Φ, for Philippi. (RIC lists the mint mark as rotated 90 degrees.)

 

Constantine I
A.D. 332-333
16mm 2.0g
CONSTAN-TINVS AVG; rosette diademed, draped and cuirassed bust right.
GLOR-IA EXERC-ITVS; Two soldiers helmeted, stg. facing one another, reversed spear in outer hands, inner hands on shields resting on the ground; between them two standards.
in ex. TR • P
cf. RIC VII Trier 537






Magnentius
A.D. 350-3
20x21mm 4.0gm
D N MAGNENTIVS P F AV[G]; bare-headed, draped & cuirassed bust right, A behind bust.
SALVS DD NN AVG ET CAES; large Chi-Rho flanked by N-W
In ex. TRP
Cf. RIC VIII Trier 320






Constantine I
Circa A.D. 319
19x21mm 4.0g
IMP CONSTA TINVS ??? AVG; laureate helmet and cuirassed bust right.
IOVI CONSERVATORI AVG; eagle standing on wave line, left wing pointing downward, carrying Jupiter, standing left, thunderbolt in right hand, sceptre across left shoulder.
In ex. TRAO





Constantine I
Circa A.D. 324- 325
18mm 2.1gm
CONSTAN- TINVS AVG; laureate head right.
ALMANNI-A DEVICT; Victory standing right, on bound captive with head turned to the left, holding laurel branch and trophy.
In ex. SIRM





unofficial VLPP
21mm 4.0g
overstruck on Licinius IOVI



another unofficial VLPP
21x22mm 3.0g
also overstruck on Licinius IOVI

 

Victor, are you sure that first coin is barbarous? What are the telltale signs? I can't spot them.

 

I've always been fond of this "Constantine I" (or as the coin calls him, VVVVBVVVVDNVVBTTVVBB:

 

The immediate issue is the obverse legend-- no MAX

then a few small things, diadem is set pretty far back, weirdly slanted S's on obverse, there are some other more nit-picking things, but enough that I can't say it is a for sure official unlisted coin. Trier coins during this period are common enough to expect them.

it's in my category of mediocre style official versus great style unofficial

 

I was always curious if "Barbarous" was just confined to Roman Empire knock-offs, or could that be of other major entities?

In fact, I understand "Barbarian" is a GREEK word, derived from "bar-bar" which was a dog barking sound that they thought languages OUTSIDE Greek sounded like to their ears.

Would these be considered "Barbarous"? These Celts knocking off some Makedon (Greek) coins?


Celtic Imitation of Makedon Philip II 2nd C BCE AR Drachm Kugelwange type- Danube Valley - pecunum auction



Celt Imit Philip II 2nd C BCE AR Drachm Zeus Horse pellet-in-annulet above Kugelwange type- Danube Valley - Kostial 508 OTA 204

 

Here is a Constantine with a retrograde reverse.

 

I believe this to be a Septimius Severus Barbarous. The silver plate appears to have been applied very thick. Some comments are welcome. I haven't tried to improve this because it would cause the removal of some silver.

 

Here is a Probus with very thick Silver plate. I have considered this to be Barbarous and haven't tried to improve it. Again, comments welcome and let me know if I am violating the original intent of the post.

 

Barbarous:

Barbarian:

Roman depictions of barbarians:

 

URBS ROMA barbarous (and next to its official larger sister)




Tetricus I

 

a few of mine..

 

I would have guessed Severus Alexander.

 

Thanks Doug. I need all the help I can get.

 

Doug, I have been following your lead and am getting nowhere. Could you give me a push in the right direction?

 

What makes you believe that the Probus is barbarous? It looks like a straight forward RIC 911 to me where the silvering has separated from the metal beneath due to corrosion which is quite usual.