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Message:: [QUOTE="curtislclay, post: 4570640, member: 89514"]Blake, As far as I know yours is the fourth known middle bronze of Albinus, since the BM has two FORTVNAE REDVCI examples, one very fine, acquired from Bourgey's Récamier sale of 1925, and illustrated in both BMC pl. 26.10 and RIC pl. IV.10; and a second, heavily corroded, whose acquisition is recorded in BMC p. 155, 622 note: "A second specimen from the same dies from excavations at Housesteads, presented by Dr. G.M. Trevelyan, 1969". The Victory coin you mention: Lanz Munich 14, 18 April 1978, lot 265, pl. 9. Found in Carnuntum, and from the same obv. die as the BM's two FORTVNAE REDVCI specimens (and so as yours), according to Lanz. The rev. shows Victory advancing right, but is corroded with the legend mostly gone; Lanz read ...AS... at 11 o'clock, perhaps originally [VICTORI]AE - [AVG COS II], Lanz's AS actually being AE. On my new chronology for the years 195-7, Albinus only ruled as Augustus from Nov.-Dec. 195 until 19 Feb. 196, since the Battle of Lugdunum took place on that date 19 Feb. 196, not 19 Feb. 197 as has been wrongly believed for hundreds of years! So all of Albinus' coins as Augustus were struck during that same short period of only 3-4 months. Of course it's impossible to know with certainty for what exact purpose those few asses were struck. One possibility would be for use as New Year's presents on 1 Jan. 196, since asses were a traditional Roman New Year's gift, and were regularly produced along with bronze medallions by the mint of Rome for that purpose in Dec. of each year; and Albinus may have wanted to follow the Roman custom. Maybe Albinus as Augustus produced some bronze medallions too for the same occasion, no specimens of which have yet come to light?[/QUOTE]

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