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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;jamesicus, post: 2741484, member: 14873&quot;]In 293 Diocletian instituted the Tetrarchy: government of the geographically divided Empire by four interacting rulers - two Augusti assisted by two subordinate Caesars which each Augustus would personally select. <i>Diocletian</i>, Augustus of the east, selected <i>Galerius Maximian</i> as his Caesar and <i>Maximian Herculius</i>, Augustus of the west, selected <i>Constantius</i> as his Caesar. The first assignment given Constantius by Maximian was to remove Carausius, the usurper Augustus of secessionist Britain, and restore that former possession to the Empire. Constantius thereupon beseiged and captured Boulogne and then wrested coastal Gaul from Carausius. Constantius now set about planning the invasion, occupation and restoration of secessionist Britain to the Empire.</p><p><br /></p><p>One of the first orders of business for Constantius was to insure that a supply of reformed aes coinage - now the commonplace legal tender of the Roman Empire - was available for use not only by his occupying force, but also by the British civilian populace. To that end Constantius established a Continental Mint (exact location unknown), manned by Lugdunese workers, to produce this invasion coinage - unmarked (i.e. without a mint mark) <i>folles</i> issued in the names of Diocletian &amp; <b>Maximian Herculius</b> as <i>Augustus</i> and <b>Constantius</b> &amp; <b>Galerius Maximian</b> as <i>Caesar</i>.</p><p><br /></p><p>Notes relating to unknown Continental Mint invasion coinage</p><p><br /></p><ul> <li>In his introductory notes to RIC VI, Londinium, Sutherland states that &quot;Bastien is to be followed in regarding the umarked coins of Class I as an issue prepared in advance for Constantius&#039; invasion of Britain in 296&quot;.</li> <li>This coinage is characterized by right facing laureate and bare truncated busts with the long laurel wreath ribbon laying on the neck. The Genius of the Roman People reverse with the legend GENIO POPVLI ROMANI is standard with no mint mark. Genius is depicted standing, head surmounted by modius, naked except for chlamys over left shoulder, holding a patera in the right hand and cradling cornucopia in the left arm. Peripheral legends read clockwise. The inscriptional lettering is relatively large with delicate letterforms.</li> <li>Reverse axis is 6 or 12 o&#039;clock.</li> <li>Weight range is 10.5 to 8.75 gm.</li> </ul><p>Examplars of unknown Continental Mint invasion coinage</p><p><br /></p><p><b>RIC Volume VI, Lugdunum, Group I, (iv), folles, Class I, No. 14-21, c. 296, 10.5-8.75 gm, reverse axis 6 or 12 o&#039;clock</b>. Laureate head, right, with bare neck truncation.</p><p><br /></p><p><b>RIC VI, Lugdunum, Follis, No. 14a - Diocletian:</b></p><p><br /></p><p><img src="http://jp29.org/lug14ao1.jpg" class="bbCodeImage wysiwygImage" alt="" unselectable="on" /> <img src="http://jp29.org/lug14ar1.jpg" class="bbCodeImage wysiwygImage" alt="" unselectable="on" /></p><p><br /></p><p><b>RIC VI, Lugdunum, Follis, No. 14b - Maximianus:</b></p><p><br /></p><p><img src="http://jp29.org/lug14bo1.jpg" class="bbCodeImage wysiwygImage" alt="" unselectable="on" /> <img src="http://jp29.org/lug14br1.jpg" class="bbCodeImage wysiwygImage" alt="" unselectable="on" /></p><p><br /></p><p><b>RIC VI, Lugdunum, Follis, No. 17a - Constantius:</b></p><p><br /></p><p><img src="http://jp29.org/lug17ao1.jpg" class="bbCodeImage wysiwygImage" alt="" unselectable="on" /> <img src="http://jp29.org/lug17ar1.jpg" class="bbCodeImage wysiwygImage" alt="" unselectable="on" /></p><p><br /></p><p><b>RIC VI, Lugdunum, No. 17b, Follis - Galerius:</b></p><p><br /></p><p><img src="http://jp29.org/lug17bo1.jpg" class="bbCodeImage wysiwygImage" alt="" unselectable="on" /> <img src="http://jp29.org/lug17br1.jpg" class="bbCodeImage wysiwygImage" alt="" unselectable="on" />[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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