Hello all. In my continued quest to identify all the roman coins I have just purchased from a auction house I am I bit stuck on this bronze Follis of the Emperor Maximanus. I would say it's a early portrait but cannot seem to find a similar with why looks like. Spear or arrow. Any help with the mint or year would be greatly appreciated.
Very interesting coin! This isn't really my area so I could miss something, but I don't see any in ACSearch. In RIC / OCRE, I think this bust type is described as "holding spear forward" (unlike the usual holding the spear over his shoulder). I searched for "IMP MAXIMIANVS" holding spear forward shield genius and got 8 results (RIC 174b, 184, 280b, 285, 287, 298, 301b, 316b; which can be further narrowed by choosing among "P AVG" "P F AVG" or just "AVG"), all from the Treveri mint (Trier/Treves) -- but none of which are illustrated, so it must be rare! https://numismatics.org/ocre/results?q="imp+maximianvs"+holding+spear+forward+shield+genius If the obverse legend is "IMP MAXIMIANVS AVG," then it doesn't seem to be listed, as the only option has him helmeted as well. RIC VI 316b (Trier, 298/99 CE): https://numismatics.org/ocre/id/ric.6.tri.316b If "... P AVG," then RIC VI Treveri 184 (Trier, 296/7 CE) or RIC VI Treveri 301b (Trier, 298/9 CE). Maybe time to check Lech Stepniewski's "NOT IN RIC"... https://www.notinric.lechstepniewski.info/
Your coin is from Lyon, not Trier. The mintmark is P[L] with the L obscured. Your obverse legend is IMP C MAXIMIANVS AVG and the bust type is laureate and cuirassed right holding forward pointing spear with a shield on the left arm. It is not in RIC or Bastien but should come after RIC VI Lyon 68, struck in A.D. 299. Though not attested for Maximianus, this bust type is listed for Diocletian (RIC VI Lyon 61)
