THE BRITANNIC COINAGE OF CONSTANTIUS Gaul and Londinium Production (294-306) Coinage Characteristics The coinage: unreduced folles produced in Gaul and at London under the auspices of Constantius (Caesar, and subsequently Augustus, of the west) from c. 294 until his death on 25 July 306 and as catalogued in ROMAN IMPERIAL COINAGE (RIC) Edited by C. H. V. Sutherland and R. A. G. Carson, Volume VI, (Londinium & Lugdunum). I employ the Imperial name forms used in the headers by Sutherland here. The following depiction includes the alternate name forms frequently used by collectors, dealers and authors of historical texts and and reference documents: DIOCLETIAN ........................ (no other names commonly used) MAXIMIAN HERCULIUS ... Maximianus, Herculius CONSTANTIUS .................... Constantius I, Constantius Chlorus GALERIUS MAXIMIAN ..... Galerius SEVERUS ............................... Severus II, MAXIMINUS .......................... Maximinus II, Maximinus Daia, Daza CONSTANTINE ..................... Constantine I, Constantinus MAXENTIUS .......................... (no other names commonly used) LICINIUS ................................ Licinius I, Licinius Licinianus Note: Caution should be exercised when attributing the coins of Galerius Maximian & Maximian Herculius due to the similarity of their titulature. Galerius Maximian was both Caesar and Augustus during this time period whereas Maximian Herculius was always only Augustus. Therefor, coins bearing the titulature MAXIMIANVS and NOBIL CAES, NOB CAES, NOBIL C, etc.can only be those of Galerius Maximian. There is a special problem with Galerius as Augustus coins: The titulature is exactly the same as that of Maximian Herculius and frequently the only way to differentiate between the two is by the portraiture on the coin obverse. Composition -- bronze with a silver wash. Weight range -- Typically 11.0 to 8.5 gm. Mints -- A quantity of Constantius "Invasion coinage" was produced at a Mint in Gaul (exact location unknown, although some French researchers and collectors list it as Boulogne), manned by Lugdunese workers. All other issues were produced at the London mint formerly operated by the usurper Emperors Carausius/Allectus now re-opened (most likely consisting of just one officina) by Constantius. Obverse depictions -- Almost always (exception: Abdication coinage - see below) cuirassed (sometimes draped) right facing busts (but occasionally bare neck truncated) with a laureate head. Cuirassed bust with laureate head .............. Bare neck truncated bust with laureate head Obverse inscription (legend) -- Around periphery -- names and titulature reading clockwise Following is a key for name and titulature abbreviations: IMP - Imperator, the Augustus as supreme Commander. C - Caius as a praenomen. P - Pius, dutiful. PF - Pius Felix, dutiful and blessed. AVG, AV - Augustus, unique title of a ruling Emperor. FL - Flavius as a praenomen. VAL - Valerius, familial name. NOB, NOBIL - Noble, associated with Caesar. CAES, C - Caesar, heir to, and protege of, an Augustus. Reverse depiction -- Almost always (exception: Abdication coinage - see below) 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. Reference: A transitional issue from the Roman Mint at London - a PDF by Hubert J. Cloke Depiction of Genius of the Roman people Reverse inscription (legend) -- around periphery, reading clockwise GENIO POPVLI ROMANI without a mint mark (often referred to as unmarked) except for the very early Group I coins (RIC numbers 1a through 5) that have LON in the exergue (exception: Abdication coinage - see below). Reverse axis -- 6 or 12 o'clock Primary reference for coin information and attribution here: THE ROMAN IMPERIAL COINAGE (RIC), Spink & Son Ltd., London, Volume VI On 1 May 305, Diocletian and Maximian Herculius abdicated to become Seniore (retired) Augusti as planned. Constantius succeeded Maximian Herculius as Augustus of the West and Galerius Maximian succeeded Diocletian as Augustus of the East. Flavius Valerius Severus (Severus) was appointed Caesar of the West by Constantius and Galerius Valerius Maximinus Daia (Maximinus) was appointed Caesar of the East by Galerius. Abdication coinage Titulature: DN = Dominus Noster (Our Lord) .......... SEN AVG = Seniore Augustus (Senior: retired) ) RIC VI, Londinium, No. 77a, Diocletian: DN DIOCLETIANO FELICISSIMO SEN AVG PROVIDENTIA DEORVM QVIES AVGG 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 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. Constantius died at Eboracum (York) in Britain during a campaign against the warlike tribes of the North on 25 July 306. Just before he died, Constantius conferred Imperium on his son, Flavius Valerius Constantinus (later Constantine the Great). The army commanded by Constantius wanted Constantine proclaimed Augustus, however, Galerius Maximian, the now de-facto senior Augustus, instead proclaimed him Caesar of the West and elevated Severus to Augustus of the West in accordance with the rules for succession. The London Mint continued to operate until AD 325, mostly under the auspices of Constantine.
Thank you @Orfew -- BTW, I was trying to be a little tricky by not interpreting the reverse inscriptions on the Abdication coins, hoping readers would have the foresight to quietly google any unfamiliar words.
Very nice coins and informative post. I would like to save all your pages you have posted here so I can use them for my own research. I'm just not sure how to go about it.
In your web browser select print. When the print box opens change the printer to PDF and it will create a PDF if the page. This is what I do for pages that have good info I'm trying to save. You can never tell when a website is going to go down and be unavailable. I've never seen the last two coins you posted @jamesicus Interesting reverses.
