Absolutely barbaric!

I've seen a few barbarous coins come up; got me inspired to kick off a theme thread!

One of my first passions in ancients was barbarous coins, which I still keep whenever I come across in lots, although I don't seek them out specifically anymore. Unlike the mass-produced coins, there is something a bit more personal about a coin engraved by an untrained hand and struck by the local village blacksmith. So let's see yours!

I'll get us started with a favorite; I am not certain what it imitates, although I suspect it is after a Gallienus Zoo coin.


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Hello,

I like the idea of a reverse imitating a Gallienus zoo coin. Never saw one before. Maybe the one with the Capricorn?

Here are two I got. The reverse of the first one ( IMP C TETRVCVS P F) is maybe a degenerate Victoria. I have no idea about the second one, maybe a standing figure, the second pic being upside down.

 

Your barbazoo out barbs my barbazoo:


I always like an excuse to show my Indian tribute penny. I enjoy the fact that you can tell it was copied from one coin that was off center so the copyist had no idea what to put there.



My other favorite is a Faustina II sestertius. Barbarous large bronzes are not common.

 

Excepting Claudius II, barbarous coins of the central emperors are much less common than of the Tetricii.

One of my favorite examples is this almost literate Gallienus with a gibberish reverse

Also less common are Gallic types for earlier emperors, her is Victorinus with a badly rendered, but literate legend with the S's all sideways
C VICTORINV~ AUC
~ALV~ AVGG~ (SALVS AVGG S)
The reverse isn't Salus, though. Unless maybe the last S is supposed to be a snake?

 

I have a few of those lying about....

 

Finn235, Good choice for a thread. Your barbarous radiate looks like it was made by the local blacksmith . Attached are photos of a gold solidus in imitation of a solidus of Zeno, made by a German barbarian tribe (probably the Ostrogoths), late 5th - early 6th century, 20 mm, 4.48 gm. I scored this coin from the Triton XXI auction. The coin is remarkably close to a genuine coin accept for the face. For comparison a genuine solidus is below it.

 

Barbarous coins are also fun to collect from the Constantine period and beyond

Constantine?


Magnentius


Some barbarous horsemen

Also horsemen, but these are tiny, at 6-8mm!

 

Another early passion was the anepigraphic "cross in wreath" coins of Theodosius II. They are less common, but barbs exist of those too


This one is especially intriguing; I spent a couple years researching before I finally accepted it as "just barbarous"

 

Wow. All of you guys' coins are so bad they're good! Keep em coming!

 

This imitation of a Constantine with two Victories reverse is still pretty recognizable in the designs, but the legend gives it away:

 

Two rare falling horsemen:

Decentius does not exist as a falling horseman and Magnentius is very rare.


Many emperors had a problem with ego but none more so than the great Iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii.

 

I like that IIIIIIIIIIIIII haha. They didn't even try on that one.

 

Barbarous coins can give us some interesting things, as Doug pointed out. Of particular interest, at least to me:

- All coins of Tetricus II as Augustus may be barbarous.
- Barbarous consecration issues evidently exist for Quintillus. Perhaps minted by his few loyal soldiers?
- Barbarous consecration issues exist for Valerian I, who was never deified because the Romans never found out what happened to him.
- I've seen mention of barbarous consecration types for Tetricus I and II, neither of whom died while in power, nor were they deified.

Does anyone have any "original" reverse types on a barbarous coin? I know they are out there, but I've never seen one.

 

Great call @Finn235! I LOVE barbarous coinage and have the perfect song for the sitch.
Remember The Darkness and a thing called love? They still come out with rocking stuff:

 

I only saw them once when I lived in London. This was before they got big and everyone was quite confused
Great coins btw

 

I have a barbarous imitation of Jar Jar Binks:

Sol with whip reverse?

 

Some nice & wacky ones

 

Two spiky barbs:



Tetricus type (more or less), 13 mm, 0.98 gr.



So spiky as to be almost unrecognizable. But there's a nose to the left and a radiant crown at 2 o'clock.
10 mm, 0.84 gr.

 

One of the coins of the great king IIIIIII:



And a rather more sophisticated cousin of Constantius II from comic strip land:



Constantinus II as caesar, ca. 320-325 (prototype). AE follis. Local imitation. Stylized laureated bust t.r./Wreath with VOT XX. Both sides with mumble script. 2.18 gr.

 

This was my very first ancient coin, acquired at around age 8 and never ID'd
I just dug it out of a box at my parents' place.
To these eyes it sure looks like a barbaric imitation but I am not well versed in Roman coins let alone barbaric imitations of Roman coins =)
Its clearly a Tetricus issue from the obverse and thats about all I've got