picked up this extremely rare coin with a fascinating bit of history behind it! Maxentius, as Caesar AE Follis, Carthage Mint M AVR MAXENTIVS NOB CAES, Laureate bust right SALVIS AVGG ET CAESS FEL KART, Carthage standing, holding fruits in both hands, H left, Δ in ex. RIC 51a Rare - 4 examples on ACsearch, 1 on Coinarchives (duplicate), 4 on CNG (one is this coin) ex. CNG 337/529 https://www.cNGCoins.com/Coin.aspx?CoinID=270666 The story: Diocletian's vision for the tetrarchy was a permanent system in which Rome would be ruled by two Augusti and two Caesares in a perpetually peaceful and orderly line of succession - Each Augustus was expected to step down and retire after twenty years in office, and the new Augusti would nominate their own caesares. As Diocletian and Maximian prepared for retirement, everyone knew that Galerius and Constantius would succeed them. As both Maximian and Constantius had adult sons--Maxentius and Constantine, respectively--it was assumed that they would become the new Caesares. This was not the case, however, as Galerius conspired with Diocletian and nominated his own allies - Severus and Maximinus. Constantine and Maxentius were indignant, but did not openly challenge this order of succession. Constantine fled to his father in York in 305 and there won favor with his father and thus all the troops in Britain. When Constantius succumbed to his chronic illness in 306, his troops declared loyalty to Constantine and proclaimed him Augustus. After negotiations with Galerius, Constantine agreed to accept a demotion to the office of Caesar under Severus. Maxentius would have none of this. All four tetrarchs were too busy to keep an eye on him, so, using the loyalty that the Western troops held for his father, he declared himself emperor from his seat in Rome in October 306. He soon had the backing of his father Maximian, and Carthage followed suit in declaring loyalty. The rest of course, is history. Enter this coin - Maxentius never once considered himself a Caesar under anyone, so why is he portrayed as such on this coin? The history, if any existed in the first place, was probably destroyed when Constantine took power, but the current scholarly consensus is that Carthage was probably hesitant to be a party to this rebellion, but considered it a safer bet to treat Maximian as the legitimate Augustus, and Maxentius as his Caesar. The rarity of these issues indicates that this discrepancy was quickly set right by agents of Maxentius. Maxentius' coinage "as caesar" comes only from Carthage, probably only in the last months of 306 or very early 307, and is only of three types: 1) This type of follis as NOB CAES / Carthage Standing 2) An even more rare follis as PRINC INVICT / Africa Standing 3) An equally rare Aureus as NOB CAES / Carthage Standing I know there are a few more of these floating about, so let's see them!
This type references the victory of Maximianus over the Quinquegentiani -- a rebellious tribe in North Africa.
Nice coin @Victor_Clark! I have a bunch of these Carthage types (they are cheap and usually high quality) but I had never heard them described as commemorative of a military victory over the Quinquegentiani? I thought they were just generic messages of wishing health and prosperity to the emperors.
An issue featuring Constantine as Caesar" Carthage mint, A.D. 306 RIC 51c Obv: FL VAL CONSTANTINVS NOB CAES Rev: SALVIS AVGG ET CAESS FEL KART - Carthago, in long robe, standing, facing left, holding fruit in both hands Γ in exergue; H in left field 27 mm, 11.0 g.
Enviable find! Here's one of the last issues stuck at Carthage before the rebellion of Domitius Alexander. MAXENTIUS AE Follis. 10.27g, 27.5mm. Carthage mint, 2nd officina, early AD 307. RIC 57; Failmezgar 123 O: IMP MAXENTIVS PF AVG, laureate head right. R: CONSERVATOR AFRICAE SVAE, SE-F in field, Africa standing left, wearing elephant skin headdress and holding signum and tusk, at feet to left a lion with captured bull, B in exergue.
MAXIMIANUS AE Antoninianus OBVERSE: IMP MAXIMIANVS P F AVG, laureate head right REVERSE: FELIX ADVENT AVGG N N, Africa standing facing, looking left, wearing elephant-skin headdress, holding standard and elephant's tusk, lion with captured bull at feet, H in right field, mintmark PKB Struck at Carthage. AD 298 9.1g, 28mm RIC VI 25b
I would point on the easy recognizable Carthago flans. They all have crude edges. In years I always asked around why, but never got a good answer.
Thank you, so flans casted and then minted. If the flan was too crude and the strike wasn’t enough strong we have an aspect similar to your specimen, aren’t you? On some specimens that I saw I thought they were casted and not minted.
