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Message:: [QUOTE="Curtisimo, post: 3267358, member: 83845"]A big thanks on all the kind comments and votes on my top 10!  It's a great group we have here <img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie1" alt=":)" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" /> As promised in the OP here is the first of a handful of "Bonus" posts that will highlight some coins that are special additions to my collection this year.  It seems I have a lot of CT posting to catch up on in my year end thread! ..................................................... Curtisimo's coinsFrom the James Pickering Collection of Britannic CoinageI was extremely excited to add several coins from this amazing collection in 2018.  Most of you know James as [USER=14873]@jamesicus[/USER] here on CT.  He has been a wonderful mentor and an irreplaceable source of information on the coins of Britain (particularly during the tetrarchy) and maintains a must read website for anyone interest in this collecting area. Linked below: <a href="http://jp29.org/romanimp.htm" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://jp29.org/romanimp.htm" rel="nofollow">Britannic coinage and the Tetrarchy</a> Constantius' Invasion Coinage [ATTACH=full]860920[/ATTACH]Roman EmpireConstantius Chlorus (AD 293-306)AE Follis, silvered, Lugdunum/traveling mint, struck ca. AD 296Obv.: FL VAL CONSTANTIVS NOB C; Laureate bust rightRev.: GENIO POPVLI ROMANI; genius standing left holding patera and cornucopia Ref.: RIC VI 17aEx James Pickering Collection of Britannic Coinage This coin would have easily made my top 10 list in the OP but I thought it would be more appropriate to showcase it together with the other pieces that I acquired from the JPCOBC. Constantius is well known to have made careful and meticulous preparations in advance of his campaign to invade Britain and overthrow the usurper Allectus in AD 296. Part of that was striking enough coins to pay his troops while on campaign. Constantius seems to have used the mint workers at Lugdunum as a flexible means to fill his monetary needs. He reassigned 2 of the 4 officinae to the Trier mint and then used workers from at least 1 of the remaining officinae to strike his "invasion coinage".  Early researchers were puzzled as to why these unmarked coins showed strong stylistic resemblance to Lugdunum issues and yet were to be found overwhelmingly in Britain. The answer (as discovered by Bastien) is that the coins were struck by Lugdunese workers, possibly at a traveling mint in Gaul, and were paid to the troops while on campaign in Britain! You can't get a much better historical connection than that! We actually know when, roughly where, and why this coin was struck.  Great stuff in my opinion. All Hail Diocletian [ATTACH=full]860921[/ATTACH]Roman EmpireDiocletian, AD 284-305AE Follis, Lugdunum Mint, 1st officina, struck ca. AD 295Dia.: 28 mmWt.: 8.5 gObv.: IMP C DIOCLETIANVS P F AVG; Laureate bust rightRev.: GENIO POP-VLI ROMANI: Genius standing left holding patera and cornucopia /LA in exergueRef.: RIC VI 2a, Lugdunum Group I, Class IIEx James Pickering Collection of Britannic Coinage Write up:<a href="https://www.cointalk.com/threads/diocletian-one-of-the-earliest-post-reform-coins-from-lugdunum.311422/" class="internalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://www.cointalk.com/threads/diocletian-one-of-the-earliest-post-reform-coins-from-lugdunum.311422/">Diocletian: One of the Earliest Post Reform Coins from Lugdunum</a> Much to my embarrassment this is the only of the 3 coins I obtained from the Jamesicus Collection that I have finished my research and write up on (I need to get my act together, huh?).  This is a Lugdunum issued coin and is a precursor to the above invasion coinage.  You can read more about this interesting piece in my above linked write up and on James's site. Below is a diagram from my write up that shows how this issue fits into the sequence leading up to the invasion coinage. [ATTACH=full]860945[/ATTACH] Commodus Celebrates Victory in Britain [ATTACH=full]860922[/ATTACH]Roman EmpireCommodus (AD 177-192)AR Denarius, Rome mint, struck ca. AD 187Dia.: 18 mmWt.: 2.77 gObv.: M COMM ANT P FEL AVG BRIT; Laureate bust rightRev.: AVCT PIET P M TR P XII IMP VIII COS V P P; Pietas standing left, sacrificing over altar with incense and patera, holding box.Ref.: RIC III 146, scarceEx James Pickering Collection of Britannic Coinage This is a scarce coin with great eye appeal. I had to have this coin for two reasons:<ol> <li>It showcases Commodus' connection with Britain through the BRIT clearly shown in the obverse titulature (and was therefore included in the JPCOBC).</li> <li>It fits neatly into my collection of Nerva-Antonine dynasty figures (such as my coins 1, 2, 3 and 8 in the OP).</li> </ol>This coin was struck in AD 187.  In this year Commodus survived a plot to assassinate him that was carried out by a group of brigands who travelled in disguise from Gaul.  The BRIT  refers to the title Britannicus which was assumed by Commodus after his general <a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ulpius_Marcellus" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ulpius_Marcellus" rel="nofollow">Ulpius Marcellus</a> quelled a major uprising that developed after hostile tribes breached Hadrian's Wall. This pietas type was issued by Commodus from AD 183 onward when Commodus added the PIET and ANT to his titles. At the time this seems to have been driven by his desire to deflect blame from himself for exiling (and executing) his sister in connection with a plot against him. The ANT reinforced his connection to his revered grandfather, Antoninus Pius, while the PIET was to suggests that it was Lucilla, and not Commodus, who had acted impiously toward the family. ..................................................... Please feel free to post any relavent coins or comments.[/QUOTE]

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