We had a good showing of Postumus coins. Who want to play Carausius? My new one is pretty typical in some ways and better in others. Many/most of the Carausius ants are 'crude' in some way. Many are poorly struck. Some have poor die work. Preservation is often worse than I might expect from a coin with so many examples on the market. Most commonly seen are Pax reverses. Some coins have clear mintmarks in exergue with ML for London and C for Clausentum. The source of the unmarked ones, including my new one is not clear to me. Most important, the SC is not Senatus Consulto meaning the coin is a bronze. The coin is an antoninianus. There are other reverse letters of which I'll show SP with a C city mark in exergue. I do not understand the field marks. This one is from the series with AVGGG where Carausius attempted to curry favor with Diocletian and Mamiminian by tripling the abbreviation acknowledging them as his brothers. My Pax example from London has MLXXI in exergue but not clear on field letters. It is one of those typical F/G split grade coins. My best Carausius is another GGG but this time PROVID AVGGG also C mint. It is a higher grade coin than most you will see. The other end of the condition scale is this one with Virtus reverse. I hate to pass up coins with reverses other than Pax. I have no idea as to the mint. Finally is a Pax that would be ordinary were it not for being overstruck on a Victorinus Salus type. Please show your Carausius coins and comment on your understanding of the unmarked mints.
Seen before, no idea mint. Something there in-hand but dunno what. Carausius (287 - 293 A.D.) Æ Antoninianus O: IMP C CARAVSIVS P F AVG, Radiate, draped and cuirassed bust right. R: PAX AVG, Pax standing left, holding olive-branch and sceptre; S in left field; P in right field. Camulodunum(?) Mint 4.53g 23mm RIC 475
Nice Carausius examples, Doug/Matt! I still have that guy on my wantlist. I think there are only 23 Aurei known from this usurper Emperor. Wonder how many are still waiting to be found by treasure hunters....
My favourite Carausius (Augustus) Coin: Bronze Antoninianus IMP CARAVSIVS PF AVG - Radiate right, draped and curraised PAX AVG - Pax standing left/olive branch and vertical sceptre Exergue: Mint: Camulodunum (287-293 AD) Wt./Size/Axis: 4.04g / 24mm / - References: RIC V-2, Camulodunum 303 Carausius Coin: Bronze Ant IMP CARAVSIVS PF AVG - Radiate head right PAX AVG - Pax standing left olive branch and vertical sceptre ML L in left field Mint: London (287-293 AD) Wt./Size/Axis: 3.65g / 25mm / - References: RIC 101, L Not sure what this one is Possibly Barbarous Ruler: Carausius Coin: Bronze Ant Barbarous IMP CARAVSIVS P F AVG - Radiate, draped and cuirassed bust right PAX AVG - Pax standing left, holding branch and sceptre Mint: London (286-293 AD) Wt./Size/Axis: 0.00g / - / - References: Copy of RIC 101 Don't know why it has posted 2 reverses of coin No 1, it's not that good.
The coinage of Carausius and Allectus is absolutely fascinating to me. I'm sure I'd be collecting and writing on these if I lived in Britain. Anyone have an RSR or Rotomagus mint example to show?
I have two. One good enough and one, well, not so good. CARAUSIUS Antoninianus OBVERSE: IMP C CARAVSIVS PF I AVG, draped, cuirassed, and radiate bust r REVERSE: PAX AVG, Pax stg. l. holding olive branch & vertical scepter, S P in l. & r. fields Struck at Camulodunum 290-3 AD 3.58g, 23.8 mm RIC 482 CARAUSIUS Antoninianus OBVERSE: IMP C M CARAVSIVS AVG, radiate and draped bust right REVERSE: / PAX AVG (AVGG?), Pax standing left, holding branch and transverse sceptre Struck at Uncertain British or Continental mint 287-293 AD 2.4g, 17/19mm RIC 899
@Ardatirion, here is a Rotomagus mint example from my collection, with Tutela reverse. The portrait style of the the Rotomagus coins is very distinctive.
Here are a few more from my collection, both from London - the second with a rare heroic bust type. I don't have access to measurements etc at the moment, just photos!
Here are a couple more . The second is certainly from the "C" mint. The first may be an unmarked "C", but I don't have access to my information now. The "C" mint had been attributed to Camulodunum by earlier researchers, but that has been challenged by others. Most now refer to it simply as "C" until the issue is settled! The second coin is a scarcer Virtus reverse. As @dougsmit mentioned, Pax is the most commonly encountered Carausius reverse. In fact, I've read an estimate that about half of all extant Carausius coins are Pax reverse, with all other reverse types making up the balance.
Wait, 25 total for Postumus? That seems low to me. I think there's at that many just on Coinarchives.
One of the ugliest coins I own Carausius, Antoninianus. 287-293 AD. IMP C CARAVSIVS PF AVG, radiate, draped, cuirassed bust right / PAX AVG, Pax standing left, holding olive branch and sceptre; [] in left field, [] in right field, ML in ex.
It would be pretty embarrassing if I couldn't present a couple decent and interesting Carausius coins According to Webb (1908), the unmarked coins predate the marked coins. However, Cathy King (1984), suggests that some of the unmarked pieces may have been issued mid-reign, as they have common portrait styles with marked, mid-reign coins. It is tough to reach conclusions on the unmarked coins. As King points out, the styles run the gamut; some are clearly unofficial/barbaric imitations, others are overstruck, and still many are of fine, official style. King mentions that the variety of obverse inscriptions on the official-style unmarked coins is broad, and consistent with the C mint which also used many obverse inscriptions. Nevertheless, the L, C and unmarked coins often share share engraving styles, suggesting that engravers may have been shared or dies centrally produced, or perhaps there was really a single mint using different marks. There you have it, clear as mud.
