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Question About Genio Caesaris Coins

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bobbyhelmet's Avatar
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 Posted 11/12/2011  7:00 pm Show Profile   Bookmark this topic Add bobbyhelmet to your friends list Get a Link to this Message Number of Subscribers
Does anybody know what the CMH monogram / ligate at the end of the obverse legend means or represents. Been scratching my head for a while now. For these coins it only appears on the coins of Constantine and Maximinus Daia and seems peculiar to the West.


Question-About-Genio-Caesaris-Coins
RIC VI Nicomedia 55


I've not seen it before but have no idea if it is present on other coins from other areas / ages?
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bobbyhelmet's Avatar
United Kingdom
2838 Posts
 Posted 11/12/2011  8:04 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add bobbyhelmet to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
I've just found the following reference 'CMH most likely is a value mark, indicating 48 coins per pound of bronze' but have no idea of the reasoning behind it.

Having done a bit of searching I can also say that it appears on the following GENIO coins:

GENIO CA-ESARIS CMH, for Maximinus II and Constantine.
GENIO AV-GVSTI CMH, for Maximinus II, Constantine, Galerius and Licinius.
GENIO POPV-LI ROMANI CMH for Maximinus II, and Galerius.

It appears between 307 and 315 and only in Nicomedia and Cyzicus.

RIC VI references the coins quite a bit implying its a weight / size issue but never actually says that.
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bobbyhelmet's Avatar
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 Posted 11/12/2011  8:17 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add bobbyhelmet to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
Since I posted the question suddenly the search engine is bearing fruit!


Quote:
In his book Roman Bronze Coins From Paganism to Christianity, 294-364 AD., Failmezger proposes the following definition for CMH:

"At the same time, the weight of the bronze coins dropped and 48 coins are now struck to the pound. The mint of Nicomedia issues coins with CMH added as a suffix to the legend on the reverse. This may be interpreted taht this coin has a value of 100 (C- centum) sestertii struck at a new weight of 48 to the pound (Greek letter M for 40, Greek letter H for. This may further support the 25 DC value of the coin theory (see #'s 191, 192, 199, 200, 211, 213). The continued use of CMH at the mint of Cyzicus in the year 311 AD may mean that even thought the weight of the nummus was reduced again from 48 to 72 to the pound, the value remianed constant at 100 sestertii or 25 DC (#192)."

He does say that this is just speculation and that alternative views may be possible.
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echizento's Avatar
United States
23731 Posts
 Posted 11/12/2011  8:36 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add echizento to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
Did not know that Bobby. I learn something new every day.
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aboarman's Avatar
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132 Posts
 Posted 11/17/2011  01:38 am  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add aboarman to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
bobby - thanks for the info - I always assumed it was some sort of mint office mark or something
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