A new "AVGGG" variety of Carausius

[Mauseus]

Hi,

I recently was able to acquire the following coin:

Carausius 287-93AD
Antoninianus
Obv "IMP C CARAVSIVS AVG"
Radiate, draped & cuirassed bust right
Rev "PROVID AVGGG"
Providentia standing left holding globe and transverse sceptre
Camulodunum mint
S/P//MC
RIC - (cf371ff), Carson -

The coin is reasonably well silvered, but for a few breaks, and obviously did not see a lot of circulation.

The combination of obverse legend, and mintmark is not listed in RIC nor in Carson's catalogue of the "AVGGG" coins in the Naster festschrift which is the most comprehensive listing of such coins available to date. I am in the process of updating this work and would welcome seeing images of any of the three emperors coins.

The mintmark also deserves comment. It is only in recent years that the S/P//MC mark has been noted for this series and is rare, the bulk of the "C" mint output being marked S/P//C.

Regards,

Mauseus

[Jotapian]

Hi Mauseus,

See page 2 of my Photogallery for an example of a Carausian AVGGG coin with C mintmark. It also has an unusual feature in the right field lettering - possible letter C erased & replaced with P.

Cheers - Jotapian

[Mauseus]

Hi,

That is an interesting coin. I have seen an overstruck coin with two different reverses from the same issue so maybe that is an explanation, rather than re-entry on the die.

The S/C//C mark isn't known, as you say, for the three emperors coinage. I would like to store the image in my database and possibly use it in my paper, duly credited of course, with your permission.

Regards,

Mauseus

[BeastCoins]

Speaking of Carausius and AVGGG coins, has anyone tackled the ones with more than AVG on the obverse? Here's one I picked up that was in the Vogelaar Collection:



Carausius, Antoninianus, 286-293, Uncertain Mint
IMP C CARAVSIVS AVGG
Radiate, draped, cuirassed bust right
FIDES-M_I_LITVM
Fides standing facing, head left, ensign in each hand
23mm, 4.54g
RIC V, Part II, -- (cf. RIC 781-783 for reverse type)
Ex Gert Boersema, VCoins, February 2009; Ex Vogelaar Collection of Roman Britain

Note: The obverse legend ending with AVGG is unrecorded in RIC for this reverse type, but is recorded with P F AVGG (MONITA AVG, RIC 867). I have to question if the intention was to link with the types where the reverse legend ends in AVGGG to promote legitimizing his reign with Diocletian and Maximianus.

--Beast

[Mauseus]

Hi,

The obverse AVGG coins are earlier than the AVGGG reverse coins and are not, as far as I'm concerned, associated. Malcolm Lyne in a paper five years back proposed an alliance with Maximianus to combat barbarian naval raids but his argument was not convincing.

The AVGG coins are possibly just errors in die cutting at best and irregular coins at worst.

I have a couple of such coins, one that die links in to a Vogelaar specimen:

Carausius 287-93AD
Antoninianus
Obv "IMP CARAVSIVS PF AVGG"
Radiate, draped & cuirassed bust right
Rev uncertain
RIC ?
This coin shares the same obverse die as a coin in the Vogelaar collection which has the reverse MONITA AVG (sic)

plus this coin that is, given the backwards C in the field on the reverse, an irregular specimen:

Carausius 287-93
Antoninianus
Obv "IMP CARAVSIVS PF AVGG" sic
Radiate, draped and cuirassed bust right
Rev "PAX AVG"
Pax standing left holding vertical sceptre
Unattributed Mint
S/C (reversed)//-
RIC - (cf 475-83)

Regards,

Mauseus

[jamesicus]

Here are three of mine:


IMP C CARAVSIVS P AVG .................................................. ....... PAX A -- VGGG


IMP C DIOCLETIANVS PF AVG .................................................. .. PAX A -- VGGG
(struck by Carausius in the name of Diocletian)


IMP C MAXIMIANVS PF AVG .................................................. .... PAX -- [AVGGG]
(struck by Carausius in the name of Maximian Herculius)

James

[BeastCoins]

Originally Posted by Mauseus

Hi,

The obverse AVGG coins are earlier than the AVGGG reverse coins and are not, as far as I'm concerned, associated. Malcolm Lyne in a paper five years back proposed an alliance with Maximianus to combat barbarian naval raids but his argument was not convincing.

The AVGG coins are possibly just errors in die cutting at best and irregular coins at worst.

I have a couple of such coins, one that die links in to a Vogelaar specimen:

Regards,

Mauseus

Cool. Thanks Mauseus. I figured someone by now had to have done some work on the AVGG pieces. Something odd like that just begs for research.

--Beast