Galerius GENIO from Trier with H under bust

[Victor]

I just got this coin from Trier has an H under the bust for the family members of Hercules-- Maximianus and Constantius. RIC says it was issued when "Constantius' British campaign was successfully concluded" This is his campaign against Carausius and Allectus. It also commemorates the beginning of the campaign of Maximianus against the Quinquegentiani in North Africa.



Galerius
circa A.D. 295
Ӕ follis   26mm   9.6g
MAXIMIANVS NOB CAES; laureate head right, H under bust.
GENIO POPVLI ROMANI; Genius standing left, modius on head, naked but for chlamys over left shoulder, right holding patera, left cornucopiae; B in left.
In ex. TR
cf. RIC VI Trier 158


This coin is not in RIC for this series with nothing in the right field. The next series has something in both left and right fields. According to RIC, this issue was struck circa 295. This date is fine for commemorating the victory of Constantius over Carausius and then Allectus as the invasion of England was finished in A.D. 296, so this coin fits nicely into that timeline. The campaign of Maximianus against the Quinquegentiani did not start until 296 though.

Maybe this issue originally only commemorated the campaign of Constantius, but the H under bust types continued into the beginning of the Carthage campaign. Maybe the issue with the mark only in left was actually struck a bit later than RIC has; as the date was listed as "circa 295" and even states that "Chronology in this section is difficult."

Anyway. just some musings about this coin; which completes my set of H under bust for each ruler. Below are coins from the next series with field marks in the left and right.




Diocletian
A.D. 296- 297
Ӕ follis 26mm 10.3g
IMP DIOCLETIANVS P F AVG; laureate head right, H under bust.
GENIO POPVLI ROMANI; Genius standing left, modius on head, naked but for chlamys over left shoulder, right holding patera, left cornucopiae; B in left, Γ in right.
In ex. TR
RIC VI Trier 171a




Maximianus
A.D. 296- 297
Ӕ follis 27mm 10g
IMP MAXIMIANVS P F AVG; laureate head right, H under bust.
GENIO POPVLI ROMANI; Genius standing left, modius on head, naked but for chlamys over left shoulder, right holding patera, left cornucopiae; B in left, Γ in right.
In ex. TR
RIC VI Trier 171b

 


Constantius I
A.D. 296- 297
Ӕ follis   24x27mm     7.1g
CONSTANTIVS NOB CAES; laureate head right, H under bust.
GENIO POPVLI ROMANI; Genius standing left, modius on head, naked but for chlamys over left shoulder, right holding patera, left cornucopiae; B in left, Γ in right.
In ex. TR
RIC VI Trier 214a