Interesting little coin from a bulk lot. Post your barbarous imitations! Comments and information encouraged, thanks! Imitation Roman AE antoninianus 0.86 g, 13.2 mm Obv: Nonsensical inscription, radiate bust, right Rev: Nonsensical inscription, female figure standing left, holding uncertain object in right hand and cornucopiae and scepter in left hand.
There is a great variation on how barbarous the barbarous ones are. I'm not sure yours is barbarous as opposed to a much suffering real coin. The portrait and few letters I can see look reasonable for a Tetricus. Barbarous Tetricus I / Pietas: Barbarous Tetricus II / Spes (reverse retrograde) Barbarous Tetricus II / SPES PVBLICA
The size and weight suggest barbarous to me. My barbarous Tetricus displays the classic spaghetti-face portrait style.
It is very difficult to determine which coins of the breakaway Gallic Empire are barbarous and which are official. By the time you get to the Tetrici, the sizes and styles are all over the map.
The spear of this barbaric knight is pulling out from the back to the belly of the fallen horseman. What a pity !
I'm too new here to know whether it's considered "kosher" to post links to - or even to name - auctions in progress, but if anyone finds this contemporary copy of a Licinius folls of interest, write to me [lehmansterms at charter dot net] and I will gladly steer you towards the place it is being sold.
Contemporary copies from unofficial mints are very well known for this era, but usually you see copies of the "VLPP's" which, evidently, were the favorite prototype for the local imitators across a wide swath of the Danube basin during the early 320's A.D. (that's "VICTORIAE LAETAE PRINC PERP" in case you're unfamiliar with the abbreviation) Like this example on which the legend has devolved to the point that it has become a decorative border element with no attempt to even make it look like a Latin legend, except for the copy of a Siscia exergual mint mark. These often have one of the "S's" reversed: S I Ƨ This, presumably, in the interest of symmetry, which evidently was important at the time in that place - and may explain why the VLPP was the more popular prototype while there were several other concurrently issued and circulating billon centenionales and folles they could have copied:
I agree with Glen here - actually, I suspect that the example Zumbly posted is an official mint product, albeit, possibly an official mint traveling with an army which could account for the greater-than-usual crudeness and the irregularity of the flan.
Here two coins that I have pics now: Bronze barbarous AE 3, cf. RIC VII Siscia 47 ff. (official, Siscia mint), 2.433g, 17.9mm, after 318 A.D.; obverse IMP CONSTANTINVS P F AVG (blundered), laureate, helmeted and cuirassed bust left; reverse VICTORIAE LAETAE PRINC PERP (blundered), two Victories holding shield over altar. Bronze barbarous radiate, 2.078g, 17.0mm, c. 271 - 284 A.D.; obverse blundered IMP TETRICVS AVG, radiate head right; reverse blundered legend, figure standing left.
My first Ancient coin, and it just so happens to be one of these barbarous Antoninianus coins. I would love any input on it, other than it is a profile of Tetricus (I or II?) and posthumously made.
The beard suggests that it is patterned after Tetricus I. For comparison, here's a link to a coin of Tetricus I: http://feltemp.com/Emperors/TetricusI.html and Tetricus II:http://feltemp.com/Emperors/TetricusII.html The coin of Tetricus II may well be barbarous, too. Often, it's not possible to kinow for sure with these Romana-Gallic radiates. What makes you assume that it is posthumous? Many of the barbarous coins, especially in this period, were contemporanious with officials. Congratulations on the acquisition of your first ancient coin. May this be the start of a interesting and enjoyable hobby for you. Welcome to the group.
I have this one I posted a couple days back and am still not sure if barbarous or maybe Celtic? I am not even sure which way is up. But this looks up to me...
That is a nice one. Left facers are often reversed copies and your legend includes a backwards C so I would guess the idea was Tetricus I (bearded) but it is a guess. The reverse could be Pietas sacrificing over an altar. As these go, yours is better than average and the sort of thing I would pull out of a junk box. To pay money as an individual, I would want a bit more legend or something wilder. These things come in many levels of departure from the real thing. Some people like them closer to normal and some people go for really wild.
