Initial coinage of the London Mint re-opened by Constantius

The initial folles c. 297, again issued in the names of Diocletian & Maximian Herculius as Augustus and Constantius & Galerius Maximian as Caesar, closely followed the design, size and weight of the unknown Continental Mint "Invasion" coinage except they now bore a LON mint mark in the reverse exergue.

RIC Volume VI, Londinium, Group I, (i), folles, No. 1-5, c. 297, 11.0-9.5 gm, 28/26 mm. Obverses and Reverses in the style of the unknown Continental Mint invasion coinage. Laureate head, right, with bare neck truncation. NOTE: Class I category descriptor is found in RIC VI, Lugdunum, Group I (page 243).

Exemplar coin No.1a - Diocletian:


IMP C DIOCLETIANVS PF AVG .................... GENIO POPV -- LI ROMANI
LON in exergue

9.1 gm.
As depicted in RIC Volume VI, Plate 1.
Subsequent coinage produced at the London Mint was unmarked (i.e. no LON mint mark in the reverse exergue) until the issue of reduced size/weight folles after the death of Constantius in 306.
.......................................

Intermediate Group folles (Bastien) c. 297 that often feature Lugdunum style laureate heads and London style lettering. Sometimes with laureate busts in fine style with elaborate consular cuirasses (Stewartby).

Exemplar coin: Galerius Maximian as Caesar Intermediate Group (Bastien: a) - laureate truncated bare bust with long ribbon tie lying on neck -- London style lettering.


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

10.1 gm.

 

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The other Intermediate coin style:

Galerius Maximian as Caesar Intermediate Group (Bastien: b) - laureate and cuirassed bust with long ribbon tie lying on neck -- London style lettering.


MAXIMIANVS NOB CAES .............................. GENIO POPV -- LI ROMANI

9.6 gm.

 

• Output of the London Mint: Sutherland (Roman Imperial Coinage [RIC], Volume VI) in his Londinium Introductory Notes indicates that the output of the London Mint, restricted to the production of Aes coinage (and with only one officina), does not appear to be continuous. By inference, production was probably somewhat sporadic and not as copious as other western mints.
• What happened to RIC, Vol. VI, LONDINIUM Group I, (ii) Class I? It was transferred to RIC, Vol. VI, LUGDUNUM, as Group I, (iv), Class I (14a-21) -- the Invasion coinage of Bastien (prior to publication). Sutherland explains all this in his Introductory text to the LONDINIUM section of RIC VI, pages 113-115 (1967 Edition). The bottom line is the quote of Sutherland that ".......... Bastien is to be followed in regarding the unmarked coins of Class I as an issue prepared in advance for Constantius' invasion of Britain in 296.
• LON marked coins: The first folles produced by the re-opened London Mint (RIC volume VI, Group I, Class II) featured Lugdunese style right facing busts with bare neck truncation and laureate heads with the long laurel wreath ribbon laying on the neck. The Genius of the Roman People reverse depictions and inscriptions are standard but with with LON (mint mark) in the exergue. The inscriptional lettering is more compact with smaller and thicker letterforms.
• Genius Reverse depiction: Almost always a representation of the Genius of the Roman People standing, facing left, head surmounted by a modius, naked except for a chlamys over the left shoulder, holding a patera in the right hand and cradling a cornucopia in the left arm. Very rarely, and mostly after 1 May 305, Genius is depicted with loins draped, and wearing a towered head-dress.
• Intermediate Group coins (Bastien): The Intermediate Group folles, coming directly after the LON issues were first proposed by Bastien. In his proposal these coins fall into two groups, those with laureate heads (a) and those with laureate, cuirassed busts (b), both of Lugdunese style and with British style inscriptional lettering.
• Ribbon ties: The Obverse head with the laurel wreath long ribbon end draped on the portrait neck, a recurring feature on the unknown Continental Mint invasion coinage, is also found on Intermediate Group coinage.
• Additional Mints (to London) possibilities: In his introduction to the Londinium section of RIC VI, Sutherland raises the possibility that at least some of the Unmarked Group I, Class II (a & b) folles may have been produced in Britain by a re-opened Carausius/Allectus "C" Mint (or traveling Mint), thereby accounting for the somewhat rough style portraiture - particularly the "small head on a tall neck" busts of Group I, Class IIa coins which are reminiscent of many Carausius/Allectus issues. Sutherland does not seem to pursue this theory, however.

 

You'll have to forgive what may be a very dumb question, but why would London produce Roman coinage?

 

RIC Volume VI, Londinium, Group I, (ii), folles, Class II, (a), No. 6-16, c. 300 onward, 11.0-9.5 gm, 28/26 mm. Laureate bust, right, cuirassed, or cuirassed and draped - small head on a tall neck, reminiscent of some of the Carausius ~ Allectus coinage.

Exemplar coin No. 6b - Maximian Herculius:


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

9.7 gm.

Exemplar coin No. 14a - Constantius as Caesar:


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

9.2 gm.
Influence of Carausius/Allectus die engravers?

 

Not a dumb question at all -- actually a very fair one. I will provide a two -part answer:

Part 1

RIC V (2), London, Carausius, Antoninianus, No. 475


CARAUSIUS

The political and military turmoil of the third century spawned numerous external assaults on the Roman Empire. One of these was the incessant seafaring piracy in the waters surrounding the Roman occupied island outpost of Britain. In 286 Maximian Herculius, in his capacity as Dyarch Augustus of the West, designated a highly regarded military commander named Marcus Aurelius Mausaeus Carausius, of Flemish descent, to head a fleet of ships who's mission was to eliminate, or at least severely curtail, this piracy. Carausius had distinguished himself by outstanding leadership and military prowess, especially as a naval "Admiral", in the Gallic campaigns.

Carausius established his operational base at the coastal city of Boulogne (Gesoriacum) in Roman occupied northern Gaul. Carausius did indeed accomplish his mission, but reports of corruption and extortion led Maximian Herculius to dispatch a fleet of ships in order to remove Carausius from command. However, Carausius proved too strong and he repulsed the attack. Carausius subsequently used his continental base to launch an invasion force to occupy and subjugate Britain. Landing in the north, Carausius secured the support of the native Picts and, advancing south, confronted and defeated the forces of the Roman Governor. Having thus conquered the Island, he proclaimed himself Augustus of a Secessionist Britain, becoming an effective and efficient Administrator using the Roman Imperial governmental framework as a model. He maintained control of Boulogne and coastal northern Gaul.

Carausius established his own mints at London (Londinium) and Colchester (Camulodunum - Clausentum) -- "C" Mint -- and across the Channel in Gaul which began to produce coins of distinctive style in gold, silver and bronze.

Carausius attempted to assert his equality with the legitimate Dyarchal Augusti, Diocletian and Maximian Herculius (not accepted by them), by issuing a series of Antoniniani (some in their names) which included the titulature AVGGG (the three Augusti: Diocletian, Maximian Herculius and Carausius) as part of the reverse legend.

RIC V (2), London, Carausius, Antoninianus, No. 335


IMP C CARAVSIVS P AVG ......................................... PAX AVGGG | S .....P | C

RIC V (2), London, Carausius, Antoninianus. No. 5


IMP C DIOCLETIANVS PF AVG ........................ PAX AVGGG | S .....P | MLXXI

RIC V (2), London, Carausius, Antoninianus, No. 34


IMP C MAXIMIANVS PF AVG ........................ PAX AVGGG | S .....P | MLXXI

 

Part 2:

Britain restored to the Roman Empire by Constantius

In 296 Constantius launched a powerful naval invasion force against Britain in two divisions: one led by himself, which sailed from Boulogne and the other led by the Praetorian Prefect of Maximian Herculius, Asclepiodotus, which sailed from the mouth of the river Seine. The mission of Constantius was to remove Allectus from power and restore Britain to the Empire. This mission was accomplished and although Constantius was in overall command of the operation, some historical sources assert it was the force under Asclepiodotus that did most of the fighting on land and in fact it was they who defeated and killed Allectus during the decisive battle. Constantius subsequently entered the city of London to proclaim his conquest as restorer of the eternal light of the Roman Empire: Redditor Lucis Aeternae.



This is a photograph of the reverse 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, commemorating 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. The inscription REDDITOR LVCIS AETERNAE proclaims Constantius as the restorer of the eternal light (of Rome). The Treveri (Trier) mint mark (PTR) is in the exergue.

Bastien records the original (unique) coin as No. 218 in his book on the Arras Hoard and mentions that galvano copies were made and sold by the Paris coin dealer Bourgey. At a weight of 23.0 grams I think the copy depicted here was cast in bronze from one of those galvano copies. There appears to be numerous other copies in circulation in a variety of metals - brass/bronze, silver, gold, gilded copper, etc. Following are obverse and reverse depictions with attribution information:


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

Constantius re-opened the London Mint now as an official one.

The Mint was deemed necessary in order to provide sufficient commonplace currency (copper/bronze folles) for use by both the civilian British populace and the occupying Roman force.

 

Fascinating stuff @jamesicus thanks for sharing.

 

Thank you @Ajax -- we all share for mutual benefit -- you share much good information yourself -- thank you.

 

Excellent thread!

 

Yes, yes, it is. Good stuff!

 

Thank you for the fascinating and detailed history lesson @jamesicus, that is something that I never knew. Beautiful and interesting coins as well.

 

The London Mint coin engravers soon abandoned the early "small head on a tall neck" portraiture style and returned to more traditional depictions:

RIC Volume VI, Londinium, Group I, (ii), folles, Class II, (b), No. 17-22, c. 300 onward, 10.8-9.0 gm, 27/26 mm. Laureate bust, right, cuirassed, or cuirassed and draped - shorter necks and proportional heads.

Exemplar coin No. 17 - Maximian Herculius:


IMP C MAXIMIANVS P F AVG .............................. GENIO POPV -- LI ROMANI

8.5 gm.

Exemplar coin No. 20 - Constantius as Caesar:


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

 

Thank you for the kind comments @randygeki, @GerardV and @Kirkuleez.

 

Those are two lovely coins. You truly do have a great collection of Britain minted coins @jamesicus. I'm very envious.

 

Thank you Bing -- I envy you for your pleasant and easy going demeanor.

 

Changing of the guard: The old men retire and the younger Caesars take over!
BTW, the last three coin pics (obverse and reverse - total of six) in this post were taken using my Apple IPad camera. Cropped to size using IrfanView -- no other processing. It is the only camera I have at present.

Commemorative Abdication coinage - Seniore Augustus (Senior=retired):

RIC VI, Londinium, No. 77a, Diocletian:

DN DIOCLETIANO FELICISSIMO SEN AVG
PROVIDENTIA DEORVM QVIES AVGG

8.9 gm.
Obverse: Laureate bust of Diocletian in Imperial mantle holding mappa in right hand and olive branch in left hand.
Reverse: Personification of Providentia, standing left, and extending hand to personification of Quies, standing right, holding olive branch and leaning on sceptre.

RIC VI, Londinium, No. 76b, Maximian Herculius:


DN MAXIMIANO BEATISSIMO SEN AVG
PROVIDENTIA DEORVM QVIES AVGG

9.14 gm.
Obverse: Laureate bust of Maximian Herculius in Imperial mantle holding mappa in right hand and olive branch in left hand.
Reverse: Personification of Providentia, standing left, and extending hand to personification of Quies, standing right, holding olive branch and leaning on sceptre.

RIC VI, Londinium, No. 42 - Galerius Maximian as newly elevated Augustus:


IMP C MAXIMIANVS P F AVG ......................... GENIO POPV -- LI ROMANI

9.7 gm.
Identical obverse inscription (2C) to the primary one of Maximian Herculius.

RIC VI, Londinium, No. 47 - Constantius as newly elevated Augustus:


IMP CONSTANTIVS PIVS FEL AVG ....................... GENIO POPV -- LI ROMANI

9.1 gm.
Earliest obverse legend style.

 

Jamesicus, awesome coins and write-ups.

~Doug

 

And the new Caesars were ..........

RIC VI, No. 63a - Severus as new Caesar of the West under Constantius

SEVERVS NOBILISSIMVS CAES ......................... GENIO POPV -- LI ROMANI

10.7 gm.
Earliest obverse legend style.
Draped bust.

RIC VI, No. 59b - Maximinus as new Caesar of the East under Galerius Maximian


MAXIMINVS NOBILISSIMVS NOB C ......................... GENIO POPV -- LI ROMANI

10.8 gm.
Earliest obverse legend style.
Draped bust.

 

Fantastic post @jamesicus !