I am currently shopping for a coin of the Western usurper Johannes, his history and dramatic downfall are interesting to me. It looks like most of what is out there are tiny AE4s. Can you fine folks show me your examples so I have a better idea of what to shop for and where to set my expectations?
JOHANNES Johannes AE nummus 1.4g 10mm Obv: DN IOHANN-ES PF AVG, pearl-diademed, draped bust right Rev: SALVS REI-PVBLICAE, Victory holding trophy and dragging captive, Chi-Rho to left RM in ex, Rome mint (struck 423-425 AD) Ref: RIC X 1913 Ex: @ValiantKnight
Johannes. 423-425 AD. AE 12mm Rome mint. Pearl-diademed, draped and cuirassed bust right / Victory advancing left, holding trophy over shoulder and dragging captive; christogram in left field.
Here is mine: Johannes. Usurper, AD 423-425. Æ (11.5mm, 1.35 g, 6h). Rome mint, 1st officina. Pearl-diademed, draped, and cuirassed bust right / Victory advancing left, holding trophy over shoulder and dragging captive; staurogram to left; P/-//[RM]. RIC X 1916; LRBC 833. Yep, small. Looks like someone gave him a bloody nose.
Here are some of mine. The first 5 (rows 1-2) are all Rome mint, RIC 1916, officinae 1-5 (P, S, T, Q, E). The officina letter is to the left of the standing Victory, below the chrismon ; the first coin in the third row is Rome, RIC 1920, with the officina letter Q to the left of RM in the exergue; the second coin is the scarcer of his 2 types, with VICTORIA AVCC legend instead of SALVS REIPUBLICAE. Mint can not be read; it’s either Rome or Arles. To the left of Victory’s hip may be a letter “S”. If that is so, it is Rome, RIC 1910. If not, it is Arles, RIC 1911.
Interesting nummi, though hardly good portraiture at this stage in the life of the empire. Don't know where the die cutters from the time of Honorius went.
Have you tried https://www.ma-shops.com/ . I tried the search "Johannes" and I didn't find anything similiar to the coins shown here.
I’ve tried Vcoins and MA-Shops, I know not to expect a beauty, but I have found one I love yet either. I have seen a couple past auctions CNG that would have worked, but those are long gone.
Of course, we don't know, but I like to think they all went off to become eremite monks to dwell in the deserts of Egypt!
