ancients: Maximian follis. Just because.

I'll probably do a writeup of my first coin show experience-- World's Fair of Money, Chicago, August 2014. There's just so much detail though and right now I'm catching up and heading back to the working world.

I picked up more than two dozen coins; mostly Roman Alexandrians, three "major" coins, and a smattering of random things. This is one of the randoms. I don't specifically collect later Roman Imperials but this was just a lovely coin at a good price and I don't have anything in this denomination. It was purchased from a US dealer with lower-end goods. They had a few handfuls of unattributed or minimally attributed ancient coins including some good Roman Alexandrians. I bought seven coins from them.

If my attribution is lacking please fill in the blanks. Wildwinds is down right now and I'm not good with Roman Imperial attributions.

As usual, feel free to post your Maximians or something relevant



Maximianus, 286-305 AD
AE follis, 9.9 gm, 27 mm
Obv: IMP C M A MAXIMIANVS PF AVG, laureate head right
Rev: GENIO POPVLI ROMANI, Genius standing left holding cornucopia and pouring from a patera; XXI in left field, E in right field, ALE in exergue
Mint: Alexandria
Ref: RIC VI 30b

What does the XXI mean, his 21st year of reign? Does the E mean 5th officina?

Edited: Since he reigned less than 21 years that was an embarrassing guess

 

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XXI is not a mint mark but a ratio of sorts that says 20 parts bronze (base metal) 1 part silver. Usually the XXI is in exergue. I see you are uncertain as to it's attribution. I can check it if you like.

 

Very nice coin, btw.

 

Interesting, I didn't know these coins stated the metal content right on the coin! And yes, if you can check the RIC number I'd be appreciative, thanks!

 

I believe the coin to be RIC VI 30b

IMP C M A MAXIMIANVS PF AVG, Laureate head right.

GENIO POPV-L-I ROMANI, Genius standing left, modius on head, naked except for chlamys over left shoulder, holding patera and cornucopiae. Left field: XXI. Right field: epsilon, EX: ALE

RIC VI 30b

 

I don't thin RIC VI 30b is correct. Like TIF suggested, RIC VI 32b is most probably correct

 

Lovely coin! It's got that style that's just a little bit different and stands out as Alexandria. I have a couple similar folles of Galerius and Maximianus, but I can't get good pics of them. They've got very dark olive-green patinas, but they've been waxed. The surfaces are extremely glossy and light reflects off of them like a mirror. By the time I lower the light levels and make them diffuse enough to eliminate the glare, there just isn't enough light to take a decent pic at all. Here's one. Love the coin, hate the pic...

 

I don't know why 30b would be incorrect. If you would give me a reason. Thanks.

 

Sweet => that's a very sweet coin, Coin-Sis ...


*A tribute to Bing* => I have a $25 example (my second cheapest coin) ...

Maximianus (still kinda silvered)

 

...and thanks for the milestone Like, Steve. That makes 3000

 

30b is correct. 32b has a different mark scheme. XXI is split between the right and left fields.

 

Thanks, guys! Duly corrected.

 

I'm sorry I was slow to see this one since it is a pet subject of mine. I would be honored if anyone would check my pages on the subject:
http://www.forumancientcoins.com/dougsmith/feac73xxi.html

These large, post reform folles were made from the same metal stock as the pre reform antoniniani. After years of having the ratio of 20 parts copper to one part silver on antoniniani only a few of the big folles bore the ratio mark. Part of that is because it was not long before debasement made the amount of silver less than this so we wouldn't want to advertise it.

I have two related coins to show:
First is the equivalent Diocletian. Mine is RIC 30a page 665 volume VI. Yours is RIC 30b. Why RIC used the a-b letters to separate these rather than whole numbers is wholly beyond me. These things were silvered when issued and a few still have some silver.

My second coin is the Galerius Caesar of the following series. It is RIC 33b. The difference between the two series (30a through 31b and 32a through 33b) is the second group dated 301 has the I from XXI under the officina letter while the first group has the entire XXI on the left side. Therefore your coin is from the first group and RIC 30b.


There have been a lot of people put a lot of effort into denying the meaning of the alloy mark. I used to try to be easy to get along with and allow them their view but no more. There is just too much evidence that XXI (and KA - the Greek equivalent) means the coin is a 20 to 1 alloy. Let me point out that we would say that this is 1/21st silver since we count the whole weight as the denominator. The Romans gave the recipe (take one part silver and 20 parts copper and mix well). Valentinian has shown his coins of Tacitus here where the alloy was double rich and the mark XI.

Another Galerius retaining no silver is RIC 31b and part of the series with my Diocletian (XXI all on left).


Finally here is a Constantius I Caesar coin that could be called RIC 33a since it has the I on right but it is an ancient cast fake as can be seen from the porous surfaces and edge marks where it was cast on a stack of coins. I do not own but have seen several clay molds offered for sale used to make coins like this. The disks were stacked into a column, metal poured in and broken apart. My coin shows no effort to hide the edge scar. I don't know who made it but I suspect there was a major counterfeiting ring operating at the time judging from the survivors in both cast coin and clay mold form.

 

Speaking of Maximian, I have this DIVO MAXIMIANVS AE4 on the way, struck by Constantine. I'll post my own pic at some point in the future, with a handful of other mildly interesting LRB's that are also on the way. We see plenty of the Constantine memorial coins minted by his sons, but these are somewhat more scarce. There were two other types as well. I'm wondering if anyone's got any - probably Doug does.

Divo Maximianus AE 4; Issued by Constantine I 317-318 AD.
OBV.: Veiled and laureate Maximianus right, DIVO MAXIMIANO SEN FORT IMP.
REV.: Eagle standing right, looking left, wings spread, MEMORIAE AETERNAE, . Mintmark RT.
1.86 g, 15.8 x 16.7 mm.

 

JA,
I owned one that sounds much like that one but parted with it a little time back when times were tough.

 

I don't have the lion. The common coin of this commemorative series is the seated figure which was issued for Maximianus, Constantius and the distant relative Claudius II.

 

Thanks for that interesting page, Doug.

 

Great lookin' coin TIF, very nice...

 

If this is a 'just because' coin I can't wait to see the others.

I am such a sucker for these late Roman folles even more so the ones from Alexandria. I think it is the eyes.

Can't wait to read about the show!