Late Roman Bronze Coins

Coin talk => Late Roman Bronze coins => Topic started by: Victor on September 04, 2017, 01:19:05 PM

Title: Magnentius GLORIA ROMANORVM from Aquileia
Post by: Victor on September 04, 2017, 01:19:05 PM
Someone posted this coin on FORVM. It is a rare type from Aquileia for Magnentius. Despite the scarcity, RIC merely rated it as scarce; but it is much harder to find than that rarity would indicate. RIC also describes the reverse as a soldier holding a spear and bow, but it must surely be a spear and shield. There is another coin, RIC VIII Aquileia 122, which is the same reverse, but the captive on this type has hands bound behind back. This coin was struck in gold with a legend of VIRTVS AVGVSTI NOSTRI and RIC has correctly described #122 as "holding spear and shield"

Bastien in Le monnayage de Magnence has this type (# 312- 314) and only notes two examples from workshop S. For the reverse description, he does not describe what the soldier is holding.

Paolucci and Zub in The Roman Imperial Coinage of Aquileia have this coin (#556) as an r2 from workshop P and S. They carry on the mistake of RIC by describing the soldier with a bow and spear- “con arco y lancio” The second picture below is the illustrated example.



Magnentius
A.D. 350
21mm   3.1gm
DN MAGNEN-TIVS P F AVG; bare-headed, draped and cuirassed bust right, A behind bust.
GLORIA RO-MANORVM; Soldier, helmeted, walking right, head turned left, shield and spear in left hand and with right dragging captive, who holds out hands in supplication; N in right field.
In ex. AQP•
RIC VIII Aquileia 150