Coins depicting Caesars & Augusti who campaigned in Britain

COINS DEPICTING CAESARS & AUGUSTI WHO CAMPAIGNED IN BRITAIN

Four Augusti died in Britain:

SEPTIMIUS SEVERUS - at Eboracum (York), AD 211, while on campaign in the north.
CARAUSIUS - in southern Britain, AD 293, assassinated by his Chief Minister, Allectus.
ALLECTUS - in southern Britain, AD 296, killed in battle with invading force of Constantius.
CONSTANTIUS (Chlorus) - at Eboracum (York), AD 306, while on campaign in the north.

Julius Caesar

In 55 BC Julius Caesar became the first Roman Imperator to set foot in Britain. He fought skirmishes with local Chieftans in the south east of the country eventually departing Britain later that year. He returned in early 54 BC and successfully subjugated the Britannic forces only to abandon the campaign and return to Rome later in the year.


Denarius, Crawford, Roman Republican Coins (RRC), No. 480/8 (March 44 BC - Alfoldi)
Coin obverse depiction: Julius Caesar laureate bust facing right
Inscription clockwise from right: CAESAR DICT PERPETVO (Dictator in Perpetuity)
Coin reverse depiction: Venus Victrix standing, facing left, holding statuette of victory on palm of right hand and supporting vertical scepter with left hand
Inscription vertical to right: L BVCA (L. Aemilius Buca, Moneyer)
Weight: 3.5g

Claudius

In AD 43 Claudius landed in Britain and assumed command of an army consisting of four legions which quickly subjugated the Britons. Claudius thereupon returned to Rome to celebrate his Triumph


RIC Vol. I, CLAUDIUS, SESTERTIUS, Rome, No. 109, 42-43AD (38mm, 28.0gm)
(Photo credit: Marti Numismatics)
Obverse depiction: Nero Claudius Drusus, bare head facing left
Inscription: NERO CLAVDIVS DRVSVS GERMANICVS IMP
Reverse depiction: Claudius seated left on curule chair holding olive branch,
weapons and armor beneath
Inscription: TI CLAVDIVS CAESAR AVG PM TRP IMP PP - S C (exergue)
Nero Claudius Drusus was the father of Claudius


RIC Vol. I, CLAUDIUS, SESTERTIUS, Rome, No. 112, 50-54AD (36mm, 28.2gm)
(Photo credit: Praefectus Coins)
Obverse depiction: Claudius, laureate head facing right
Inscription: TI CLAVDIVS CAESAR AVG PM TRP IMP PP
Reverse depiction: Civic Oak Wreath
Inscription in four lines:
EX SC
P P
OB CIVES
SERVATOS
(within wreath)


RIC Vol. II, TITUS, SESTERTIUS - CLAUDIUS RESTITUTION ISSUE, Rome, No. 234
80-81 AD, (34.5mm, 24.3gm)
(Photo credit: Praefectus Coins)
Obverse depiction: Claudius, laureate head facing right
Inscription: TI CLAVDIVS CAESAR AVG PM TRP IMP PP
Reverse depiction: Personification of Spes
holding flower in right hand and raising skirt with left hand
Inscription: IMP T VESP AVG REST - S C (left and right)
Titus was a Military Tribune in Britain AD 60-63

Septimius Severus and his sons Caracalla & Geta

Campaigning in northern Britain and Proclaiming Victory over Britannia in AD 211. Septimius Severus died at Eboracum (York) later that year


RIC Vol. IV, SEPTIMIUS SEVERUS, Denarius, No. 335

Obverse: Septimius Severus,, Laureate head facing right
Inscription clockwise from bottom: SEVERVS PIVS AVG BRIT
Reverse: Victory (Britannia?) seated left writing on shield
Inscription: VICTORIAE BRIT


RIC Vol. IV, CARACALLA, Denarius, No. 231a

Obverse: Caracalla, Laureate head facing right
Inscription clockwise from bottom: ANTONINVS PIVS AVG BRIT
Reverse: winged Victory advancing right holding trophy
Inscription: VICTORIAE BRIT


RIC Vol. IV, GETA, Denarius, No. 91

Obverse: Geta, Laureate head facing right
Inscription clockwise from bottom: P SEPT GETA PIVS AVG BRIT
Reverse: Victory standing left holding wreath and palm branch
Inscription: VICTORIAE BRIT

The usurper Augusti - Carausius & Allectus

The coins depicted here were minted in Britain at the London (Londinium) mint which had been established by Carausius

RIC V (2), Carausius, Antoninianus, No. 475:


IMP C CARAVSIVS PF AVG ......................................... PA - X - AVG | S .....P

Draped, radiate, bust
London Mint.
3.9 gm.

Allectus, the chief minister of Carausius, assassinated him (or orchestrated his assassination) in AD 293. He continued operation of the London and "C" mints and coins were issued in his name and bearing his portrait

RIC V (2), Allectus, Antoninianus, No. 33:


IMP C ALLECTVS P F AVG ............................. PA - X - AVG ..... S (Pax standing left) A
M L in reverse exergue.

Cuirassed, radiate, bust
London mint
5.1 gm.
Allectus died in battle with the invading force of Constantius in southern Britain AD 296

Constantius and his son Constantine

Initially Constantius invaded Britain as Caesar and restored it to the Empire by direction of Maximian Herculius, Augustus of the West, in AD 296

RIC Volume VI, Lugdunum, No. 17a, Constantius, Caesar of the West:


FL VAL CONSTANTIVS NOB C .............................. GENIO POPV -- LI ROMANI

Earliest obverse legend
Fully silvered.
10.1 gm.
Invasion coinage produced in Gaul at unknown Mint


RIC VI, Londinium, No. 89b, Constantine, Caesar of the West:
CT (Cloke & Toone), No. 5.03.004, c. November - December AD 307, Rarity: R


FL VAL CONSTANTINIVS NOB C ........................... GENIO - POP ROM
PLN in reverse exergue

Invested with Imperium by Constantius on his deathbed
Draped, laureate, bust
Genius with head towered and loins draped
Issued shortly after the death of Constantius following recognition as Caesar by Galerius
9.3 gm .

 

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Great coins James. I really like these themed collections.This is part of the mystique that comes with the history associated with these coins.

 

Sweet coins @jamesicus . That is one fine set of Emperors linked to Britain.

I have some of those dudes too. Not all, but some:


JC


Augustus


Claudius


S. Severus


Caracala


Geta


Carausius

 

Excellent coins @jamesicus

 

Thank you @Orfew. I do like to do that. Actually, I screwed up the posting. It should have ended up like this:

RIC VI, Londinium, No. 47, Constantius, Augustus of the West:
CT (Cloke & Toone), No. 4.02.003, 1 May 305 - 26 July 306, Rarity: S


IMP CONSTANTIVS PIVS FEL AVG ....................... GENIO POPV -- LI ROMANI

Elevated to Augustus after Abdication of Diocletian and Maximian Herculius
Earliest obverse legend style
Laureate, cuirassed, bust
Died at Eboracum (York) in Britain during a campaign against the warlike tribes of the North in AD 306
9.9 gm

RIC VI, Londinium, No. 89b, Constantine, Caesar of the West:
CT (Cloke & Toone), No. 5.03.004, c. November - December AD 307, Rarity: R


FL VAL CONSTANTINIVS NOB C ........................... GENIO - POP ROM
PLN in reverse exergue

Invested with Imperium by Constantius on his deathbed
Draped, laureate, bust
Genius with head towered and loins draped
Issued shortly after the death of Constantius following recognition as Caesar by Galerius
9.3 gm .

 

Darn it! I cannot it right! If you would like to see it as it should appear, please use this link:

http://jp29.org/000favorites.htm

 

Thanks @Sallent

 

Thank you, Bing.

 

Yet another well designed and executed website James. Nicely done!

 

Wonderful coins @jamesicus

 

Thank you @Orfew for those kind words.

 

Thanks Randy.

 

Wonderful set, @jamesicus. Hmm, apparently I have not a single coin struck in ancient Britain.

 

Thank you TIF.

 

Beautiful coins @jamesicus - I have this Septimius Severus which may have been struck to commemorate his voyage to Britain, as the reverse features Neptune.

 

Thank you @ancient coin hunter - thanks for posting your beautiful historic coin.

 

That looks familiar. Beautiful coin, isn't it? That portrait of S. Severus is one of the best.

 

Yes it does look familiar

 

That Claudius sestertius that depicts a seated Claudius on the reverse is remarkable. You can even see the facial details of the small seated figure. Quite a coin.

 

Thank you for that insightful observation Gavin. It illustrates how each of us sees Ancient coin features in different ways - with a different sense of appreciation if you will. The greatest feature of this coin for me as a calligrapher is the magnificent inscriptional lettering - some of the finest letter forms I have encountered on a Roman Imperial coin. Of course, high quality inscriptional lettering is the norm on Julio-Claudian sestertii, but this one is really exceptional.

Illustrated Roman Capitalis Monumentalis lettering reference: http://jp29.org/capmon.htm

And in passing ....... in general, the clarity and completeness of the legends and the historical association of a coin are of the greatest importance to me - the condition of the coin surfaces is of secondary importance.