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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;Tejas, post: 7840951, member: 84905&quot;]True, I think the imitative Siliqua under discussion cannot be attributed to any of the named groups, based on both style and especially historical plausibility.</p><p><br /></p><p>We had several instances in Roman history, when inofficial or auxilliary mints supplemented the coin supply. This usually happened during periods of crisis, e.g. during the crises of the mid 3rd century, the mid-4th century and again the massive crisis of the early 5th century. It is the latter crisis where the coin under discussion belongs.</p><p><br /></p><p>The first two decades of the 5th century saw the invasions of Italy by Goths and other peoples led by Radagais and Alaric. The invasion of Gaul by Vandals, Suevians, Alans, and Burgundians, while Britain was under attack by Saxons, Jutes, Angels and Franks.</p><p><br /></p><p>External unrest sparked ursupations that exacerbated instability, leading to a massive loss of central control. The Roman Empire was at the brink of collapse. In this situation central control over coin production and design disintegrated. Local authorities set up auxiliary mints to supply what central official mints could no longer provide. There imitative silver coins were often the first step towards the complete demonitization of the economy.</p><p><br /></p><p>Almost everywhere the circulation and production of silver coins deminished if it did not seize competely. It was only later, when Germanic kingdoms manifested themselves that some form of silver coin circulation resumed. Coins like the one under discussion belong to the end of silver coin production under the remnants of Roman administration in the first half of the 5th century. They must not be confused with the resumption of silver coin production in some of the Germanic kingdoms at the end of the 5th century.</p><p><br /></p><p>I think the tendency to attribute everything that looks &quot;barbarous&quot; to non-Roman (i.e. barbarians) is a somewhat naive topos. Romans, deprived of adequate resources would produce barbarous-looking coins and Barbarians, equipped with adequate resources would produce coins of fine style. The style of Ostrogothic coins often exceeds that of issues from Constantinople or other eastern Roman mints.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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