ANCIENTS: Settling for a Maximianus

I have been wanting one of these for a long time but finding one in my price bracket has not been easy. This one has just about all the faults I dislike but I couldn't let it go. Maybe buying it will cause another show up. While the rough surfaces are not pleasing, the coin's worst fault is the reverse centering losing the important legend at the right. It is a Pax reverse but I would have taken any of several others. Who sees why this struck me as more than a $5 junk box coin? It is special to me. Does anyone agree that this is a premium item or would you prefer something like the other one shown here (a common Jupiter and Hercules reverse that cost me 1/8 for the new coin)? BTW, I had to pay for this one; I did NOT find it in a junk box.

 

Log in or Sign up to hide this ad.

Of course I have no idea why this is special, my only thing if I saw this coin I would wonder about would be the nature of the SP on the reverse, and what mint is this. The SP does not look like control marks, but a special designation on the coin.

Other than that I have nothing, but will love to read why its special.

 

Usually your little quizzes are on things in which I have little or no interest. But in this case, I would have snapped up as many of these as I could find. Not necessarily valuable, but very historically important.

I will refrain from posting the answer until more people comment.

 

All I've got is the Pax reverse being far less common than Jupiter/Victory, but that would have been enough for me.

 

In looking for other coins like this one, I found that coins with the "MLXXI" in exerque are much harder to find. I have no idea if this has anything to do with your question. Could this also be from his first reign?

BTW, I like this coin much better than the more common Concordia reverse.

 

A hint - the full reverse legend is PAX [AVGGG] / S/P/MLXX[...]

 

Peace amongst all of the Augusti 1070 years? 1070 years from the founding of the empire, and peaceful relations amongst the Augusti is what its celebrating?

I have no idea what the SP is.

 

And who were the Augusti at the time?

 

Gratian, Valentinian II and Theodosius? He was a usurper who was allowed to rule, right?

 

You're thinking of Magnus Maximus.

 

It's legend states that there are three Augustus'...

More interesting reverse...

It's an interesting type!

 

Very warm!

 

I ran out of time to post:

Pax is peace...

Peace between the three Augustii

 

And who were the three? This is the interesting part!

 

Would it be Diocletian, Maximian, and Constantius? Or do you relinquish the title Augustus if you retire?

 

Constantius and Galerius were not yet elevated to the status of Caesar when this was struck. So who is the third Augustus?

 

ML is not a Roman numeral here and XXI is the standard 20:1 ration mark used starting with Aurelian and ending around 300. Those who recall my thread on my favorite coins have seen another in this series. I am a bit shocked that ML fooled people, especially English speaking people.

 

It leaves Carausius and Alectus, but neither of those make sense in the context of Pax.

 

This coin is the London mint version (ML) from a series I have shown before in the name of Carausius that was struck in Colchester.


Carausius was a social climber. Unlike most usurpers he did not claim to replace the regular Roman Emperors (Diocletian and Maximianus) but he wanted to join them as a third Augustus taking his place in the North but recognizing them in the West and East. This is shown by the use of the triple G on the reverse AVGGG. As far as Carausius was concerned, he was one of three equal brothers in power. The other two did not agree. The coins that would replace this one in my favorites list include matching issues with GGG but bearing obverses for Diocletian or Maximianus. I had hoped to find one as a sleeper. Not all dealers and collectors know this story so there is hope. Now I have one but its condition is not exactly what will replace the GGG Carausius in my heart.

Unfortunately, the coin that would really knock this one off the list is a very special issue showing Carausius, Diocletian and Maximianus heads jugate all on the obverse of one coin. Everyone seeing that coin would see that it is special so the chance of finding a 'sleeper' is very, very low. They exist but they are not cheap.
http://www.wildwinds.com/coins/sear/s3571.html

 

PS: I still want the Diocletian.