Bastille Day (Roman Mints in France)

I almost forgot that today is BastilleDay. Best wishes to you on the French National Holiday @Cucumbor ! I don't have any French coins but I do have a Tiberius denarius from the Lugdunum Mint which is near what is now Lyon France. Feel free to post your Roman coins from ancient mints located in what is now France.

 

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Nice Tribute Denarius @Deacon Ray !

I believe these were minted not too far from @Cucumbor 's home. I was hoping he could stop by the bank there and pick up a roll each of these for me...

All from France, I hope you have a wonderful Holiday!


RImp Marc Antony 43 BCE AR Quinarius 13mm 1.67g Lugdunum Winged bust Victory-probly Fulvia Lion DVNI LVGV Cr 489-5 Syd 1160



RI GALBA 68-69 BCE AR Quinarius Lugdunum mint laureate r Victory globe stdng left 15mm 1.5g RIC 131 scarce



RI ROMA CE 330-331Commem AE Follis 2.6g 20x16mm Lugdunum VRBS ROMA She-wolf Twins Stars RIC VII 247

 

Here is my Parisii stater minted, as the name would suggest, in ancient Paris copying the design of Philip II/Alexander staters:

 

Mon Dieu D Ray! i've several coins of French origin(been shopping round for Louis XVl). But, in keeping it ancient, here's a Nero copper As from Lugdunum

 

Nice tribute penny @Deacon Ray

I have 4 coins minted at Lugdunum

Tiberius, 14-37 Denarius Lugdunum circa 15-16, AR (18.55 mm., 3.85 g).
Obv: TI CAESAR DIVI - AVG F AVGVSTVS Laureate head r.
Rev: TR POT XVII IMP VII Tiberius holding branch and eagle-tipped scepter in triumphal quadriga r.
RIC 4. C 48. SRCV I (2000) 1762
Ex: Naville Numismatics Auction #25 Lot #407 September 25, 2016



Nero. A.D. 61. AR denarius
(18.40 mm, 3.37 g, 7 h).
Lugdunum (Lyon) mint.
Obv: NERO CAESAR AVG IMP, bare head right
Rev: PONTIF MAX TR P VIII COS IIII P P, EX S C across field, Roma standing right, holding and inscribing shield supported on knee, foot on helmet; dagger and bow at feet to right.
RIC 34 (R3); RSC 231. aVF, toned. Rare. From the D. Thomas Collection;
Ex Hohn Leipziger Munzhandlung. Auction 85 June 2-4 2016 Lot 1382
Ex: Agora Auctons sale 68 Lot 195 August 15 2017.



Caligula and Agrippina AR Denarius, aF, toned, bumps and marks,
(17.84mm, 2.680g) 180o
Lugdunum (Lyon, France) mint, end of 37 - early 38 A.D.;
Obv: C CAESAR AVG GERM P M TR POT (counterclockwise), laureate head of Gaius right;
Rev: AGRIPPINA MAT C CAES AVG GERM (counterclockwise), draped bust of Agrippina Senior (his mother), her hair in a queue behind, one curly lock falls loose on the side of her neck,
RIC I 14 (R) (Rome), RSC II 2; BMCRE I 15 (Rome), BnF II 24, Hunter I 7 (Rome), SRCV I (2000) 1825 RSC 2
Ex: the Jyrki Muona Collection, Ex: Forvm Ancient Coins.
Purchased September 24, 2015 Forvm Ancient Coins.




Gaius, Silver denarius, RIC I 16 (R2, Rome), RSC I 2, Lyon 167, BnF II 21, BMCRE I 17, cf. SRCV I 1807 (aureus), VF, toned, attractive portraits, bumps and marks, some pitting, lamination defects, ex jewelry, Lugdunum (Lyon, France) mint, weight 3.443g, maximum diameter 18.2mm, die axis 180o, 2nd emission, 37 - 38 A.D.; obverse C CAESAR AVG GERM P M TR POT (counterclockwise from lower right), laureate head of Caligula right; reverse DIVVS AVG PATER PATRIAE (counterclockwise from lower right), radiate head of Divus Augustus right; ex Classical Numismatic Group, e-auction 69 (23 July 2003), lot 90Ex: Forum Ancient coins, March 2, 2018.

 

Arles, at that moment known and Constantina, Constantius II siliqua:


Amiens, Magnentius AE1

 

The Britannic Invasion coinage of Constantius minted in Gaul

One of the earliest issues of the reformed Ae coinage resulted from the the first assignment given Constantius by Maximian Herculius in 294 which was to restore secessionist Britain to the Roman Empire. The first order of business for Constantius was to insure that a supply of these coins - now the commonplace legal tender of the Roman Empire - was available for use not only by his occupying force, but also by the British civilian populace. To that end Constantius established a Mint in Gaul (location usually listed as unknown, although some French sources list it as Boulogne), manned by Lugdunese mint workers, to produce this invasion coinage - unmarked (i.e. without a mint mark) issued in the names of Diocletian & Maximian Herculius as Augusti and Constantius & Galerius Maximian as Caesars, which constituted the First Tetrarchy.

This coinage is cataloged in RIC Volume VI, Lugdunum Mint

RIC Volume VI, Lugdunum, No. 14a, Diocletian, Augustus of the East


IMP C DIOCLETIANVS PF AVG ............................. GENIO POPV -- LI ROMANI

9.8 gm.

RIC Volume VI, Lugdunum, No. 14b, Maximian Herculius, Augustus of the West


IMP C MAXIMIANVS PF AVG ................................. GENIO POP -- VLI ROMANI

8.9 gm.

RIC Volume VI, Lugdunum, No. 17a, Constantius, Caesar of the West


FL VAL CONSTANTIVS NOB C .............................. GENIO POPV -- LI ROMANI

10.1 gm.

RIC Volume VI, Lugdunum, No. 17b, Galerius Maximian, Caesar of the East


C VAL MAXIMIANVS NOB C .............................. GENIO POPV -- LI ROMANI

10.3 gm.

 

Wooohoo happy Bastille Day France!


Roman Empire
Julian II, AD 360-363
AR Siliqua, Lugdunum mint, struck ca. AD 360-361
Wt.: 2.23 g
Dia.: 18 mm
Obv.: FL CL IVLIA NVS P P AVG, pearl-diademed, draped, and cuirassed bust right
Rev.: VICTORIA DD NN AVG, Victory advancing left, holding wreath and palm frond
Ref.: LVG. RIC VIII 212; Lyon 259; RSC 58†c, IRBCH 1424


Roman Empire
Diocletian, AD 284-305
AE Follis, Lugdunum Mint, 1st officina, struck ca. AD 295
Dia.: 28 mm
Wt.: 8.5 g
Obv.: IMP C DIOCLETIANVS P F AVG; Laureate bust right
Rev.: GENIO POP-VLI ROMANI: Genius standing left holding patera and cornucopia /LA in exergue
Ref.: RIC VI 2a, Lugdunum Group I, Class II
Ex Jamesicus Collection
Write up:
Diocletian: One of the Earliest Post Reform Coins of Lugdunum


Roman Empire
Augustus & Agrippa
AE Dupondius, Nemausus mint, struck ca. AD 10-14
Dia.: 26 mm
Wt.: 12.3 g
Obv.: IMP: Augustus, laureate bust right; Agrippa, bust left wearing rostral crown
Rev.: COL - NEM: Crocodile chained to palm tree
Ref.: RPC I 525
Ex JAZ Numismatics

 

O i dig your crocagator coin! ^^

 

Augustus As struck in Lugdunum. The reverse features the famous Altar of Lugdunum.



Lugdunum itself:



A couple medieval Grosses struck in Metz:



A Roman bathhouse in Metz:



A medieval denar struck in Strasbourg:



A very early Roman artifact from Strasbourg:

 

The following photograph of a bronze copy of the famous ten aurei multiple (RIC VOLUME VI, TREVERI, No. 34), the original of which presently resides in the museum at Arras (as a unique French national treasure) commemorates the restoration of Britain to the Roman Empire by Constantius in 296. It depicts the personification of Londinium (LON) kneeling and supplicating to Constantius (on horseback) outside of the City Fortification while a galley with Roman soldiers waits on the river Thames(?).


FL VAL CONSTANTIVS NOBIL CAES ............. REDDITOR LVCIS AETERNAE
LON (reverse right) PTR (reverse exergue)

 

Two more hours of the Quatorze Juillet ... Would a teaser from a movie about the silver mines and mint in Melle, Poitou do?



Another one (in French) about the same site. They do a lot of experimental archeology, metallurgy and minting there.



(Usually we have our local (Düsseldorf, NW, DE) festival for the French national holiday - the Grande Fête Française - around the 14th too. This time it was on 6-8 July.) And now let's see whether Les Bleus will provide another reason to party tomorrow.

Christian

 

A Louis the Pious obol minted at Melle, France from 819-822 AD. My one and only auction win and ex Cederlind. One day I’ll get a corresponding denier.

 

Nice coins all and great tribute penny @Deacon Ray !

 

This is a very cool coin!

What's the history? Were the Greeks occupying Paris at the time, or did the local tribes just mint Greek-like coins as currency before the Romans took over ancient Gaul?

 

Great looking trib @Deacon Ray! My tribute penny is also from Lugdunum. Though not as beau as yours


Tiberius
AD 14-37 CE. AR Denarius
minted at Lugdunum.
Laureate head right of
Tiberius. Reverse: Female
figure (Livia?) seated right.
RIC 26; BMC 34. Appealing
portrait; Choice Very Fine.
The "Tribute Penny" of
Biblical fame.

I'll throw in my Lug Augustus as well.

Augustus
Silver Denarius, 27 BC-CE 14. Lugdunum, 2 BC-AD
12. CAESAR AVGVSTVS DIVI F PATER
PATRIAE, laureate head of Augustus right. Reverse:
AVGVSTI F COS DESIG PRINC IVVENT around,
CL CAESARES in exergue, Gaius and Lucius
Caesars standing facing, each togate and resting a
hand on one of two shields set on ground between
them; behind shields, two crossed spears; above, on
left, simpulum right, and on right, lituus left. RIC 207
Ex-St. Paul Auction, UK

 

I did not even think of this coin being minted in France... just forgot



RI Augustus oak crown Agrippa rostral crown L AE Dupondius 26mm 12.6g 10-14CE Nemausus chained Croc snake wreaths RIC I 158

 

Thanks! It's from the Gallic tribe - the Parisii - based in Lutetia. Lutetia was renamed Parisii in 52BC after the takeover by Rome. It was minted in ~70-60BC, right before the Gallic wars.

 

What I find most curious about this coin is that a basically tribal group (the Parisii) would have enough commerce that they minted gold coins.

I could understand bronze and silver coins being used in daily commerce, but gold coins were worth a fortune and it makes me wonder what goods and service were available that would have been transacted in denominations this high.

P.S. I especially like the reverse's rendition of the horse -- it reminds me of modern art (Dali?) rather than primitive art.

 

I can offer up this Judaea Capta type struck in Lyon (Lugdunum).

Vespasian
AR Denarius, 3.10g
Lyon mint, 71 AD
RIC 1120 (C). BMC 388. RSC 243.
Obv: IMP CAESAR VESPASIANVS AVG TR P; Head of Vespasian, laureate, r.
Rev: IVDAEA DEVICTA; Palm tree; to l., Judaea stg. l., hands bound in front

A Judaea Capta type unique to the mint of Lyon. Minted in 71 AD, more specimens of this type are plated than not. This coin is an example of the solid variant. The evidence that this type was well know as a fourrée in ancient times can be seen from the test marks behind the neck and below the chin of the portrait. I'm not entirely convinced the plated coins are the work of forgers.