Here’s a few of my Maximians. The one from Carthage has one of those pointy upturned noses: Carthage Aquileia Ticinum
Some of these mints had very distinctive styles. Aquileia, London, and Ticinum spring to mind for me. I found a comparison between the two Max portraits from Ticinum posted by @Al Kowsky and @Orange Julius and a Diocletian one I have to be interesting. The Max portraits have the characteristic "ski-jump" nose, and the Diocletian a clearly downturned one. Maximianus: Maximianus: Diocletian:
Comparison of London mint Diocletian and Maximian Herculius: RIC VI, Londinium, No. 6a, Diocletian, Augustus of the East: CT (Cloke & Toone), No. 2.01.003 (9), c. AD 296-303, Rarity: C IMP C DIOCLETIANVS PF AVG .............................. GENIO POPV -- LI ROMANI Laureate, cuirassed, bust. From here on the laurel ribbon ties were secured behing the head 10.4 gm. RIC VI, Londinium, No.6b, Maximian Herculius, Augustus of the West: CT (Cloke & Toone), No. 2.01.007 (5), c. AD 296-303, Rarity: C IMP C MAXIMIANVS PF AVG ................. GENIO POPV -- LI ROMANI Laureate, cuirassed, bust.
I have to jump on to @Valentinian 's thread! TETRARCHY: MAXIMIANUS: RI MAXIMIANUS HERCULIUS 286-305 CE antoninianus Antioch 292-295 CE Pre-Reform CONCORDIA MILITVM Jupiter RIC V 621 H-officina 8 DIOCLETIAN: RI Diocletian Ӕ Quinarius 1.46g 16mm Rome AD 284-305 IOVI CONSERVAT AVGG, Jupiter stndng thunderbolt sceptre RIC 193 GALERIUS: RI Galerius 293-308 AE30mm Folles Ticinum mint Moneta 12g CONSTANTIUS CHLORUS: RI Constantius I Chlorus 293-306 CE DIVO AE Quinarius Thesalonika 317-318 Seated RIC VII 25 R5
Orange Julius, the three coins you've posted illustrate the three main styles seen on Diocletian's new bronze reform coinage. 1. the follis from Alexandria represents the Asian style that shows abstraction & elements of cubism. 2. the follis from Trier still maintains elements of classical Roman portraiture & is based on realism. 3. the follis from Cyzicus represents a blending of styles from examples 2 & 3. The coinage from Cyzicus depicts all members of the Tetrarchy as look-alikes; you can no longer identify the man depicted by his portrait. I'd like to add one more portrait style to the three you posted seen on the photo below. 4. this portrait style is the "heroic - warrior" style rarely seen on the new bronze coinage but very common on the coins of Claudius II Gothicus, Aurelian, & Probus. This coin was also struck at the Trier Mint, c. 303-305, weighs 10.61 gm, RIC 587a, & was acquired at an auction long ago.
The Ticinum Mint, which was founded c. 276 CE, produced bronze folli of outstanding quality as can be seen on these three examples along with other coins posted on this thread. Their production staff found stiff competition from the Aquileia Mint that was opened c. 294 CE, & also produced coins of outstanding quality. The Ticinum Mint finally ceased operation in 326 when Constantine I ordered all their personnel & equipment to move to the new capital Constantinople.
Here is my favorite portrait of Maximian: 28 mm. 9.89 grams. London Mint. The common GENIO POPVLI ROMANI reverse RIC VI London 23b, "c. 303 onward". I think this one is realistic enough that we could identify him on the street. It is a bit of a surprise to see such quality from a remote mint like London.
Valentinian, you're right about the accuracy of the portraits on some of these London issues. This celator must have been a Roman import or an unusually gifted artist. Doug Smith & I also posted examples from London, & it looks like the three examples could have been done by the same celator. I paid an embarrassing amount of money for the one in my collection & have no regrets about it either...
And the London mint maintained the quality after the dissolution of the Tetrarchy: RIC VII, London, Licinius, No. 3 Reduced weight follis - 313 to 314 O: Licinius laureate and cuirassed bust right - IMP LICINIVS PF AVG R: Genius with modius on head, chlamys over left shoulder, holding patera (rh) cornucopia (l) -GENIO POP ROM - PLN (exergue) S (l) F (r)
Did it bother no one that the coin in question had no A between the I and N so it could only be a Maximinus II? I wasted my time writing a page no one read. http://www.forumancientcoins.com/dougsmith/max.html The fact remains that you need to read every letter and even then will have to use some care separating several sets of rulers in the Roman set.
Here's one from Carthage mint with a reverse that I haven't seen represented in the thread yet - Africa.