A Few New Barbs And An Interesting Style Genio

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Author	Replies: 7 / Views: 1,250
bobbyhelmet Pillar of the Community United Kingdom 2838 Posts	Posted 03/17/2012 2:35 pm Well, I said I wasn't going to buy for a while and on the whole I stuck to it - usually I fail miserably and quickly I have recently picked these up: This coin isn't pretty, it has BD but still cost more than many would expect. IMP C MAXIMIANVS PF AVG - Bust right, laureate, cuirassed, from front.GENIO POPV-LI ROMANI - Genius naked standing left, tower on head, holding patera and cornucopiae, chlamys over left shoulder.PL - PECVNIA LVGDVNVM, Minted 298AD in Lyon. A in left field, workshop No 1. RIC VI Lyons 43 (p245). Its often stated, correctly, that London (and the other UK) mint coins made under Carausius and Alectus and even for a number of years after Constantius' Invasion have specific traits that make them stylistically different to the rest of the Empire. The most prominent of these is the 'long neck small head' peculiarity. The above coin, stylistically, most would place in this area (my pics could have been better) and had the mintmark not been visible most would place it as being made in London shortly after the invasion. The mintmark is 'PL' meaning it was not made in London but in Lyon in 298AD, just before the invasion. What does all this mean? I have no idea but it caught my eye and I bought it . Some have theorised that these 'PL' coins have been mis-attributed to Lyon and 'PL' actually stands for 'PECUNIA LONDINIUM' rather than 'PECUNIA LUGDUNUM' and were made early after the invasion in London. I don't think I believe this and sadly we may never know the truth for certain but there is certainly more to be understood in this area! I also added a few Barbs courtesy of Warren Esty. I tried to buy these coins a few months ago having somehow found my way through Google to a web page that I shouldn't really have been able to access. I think the page was 'dead' but somehow I landed on it. I emailed Warren and he tried to find the coins but couldn't, I thought that would be the end of it but he Emailed me today saying he had found them so I jumped at the chance to buy them. They look an interesting bunch, the first coin looks to be a CONSECRATIO Eagle type. I'm hoping coin 5 is a match for a barb I already own (see below) and on the last coin the Emperor seems to be wearing a crown rather than a radiate! 10mm 0.65 grams Minim. Believed to be from Northern Britain. Warren has a number of interesting pages on the web and is the author of this page posted by Doug yesterday: https://goccf.com/t/114108 Report this Post to the Staff

Bing Pillar of the Community United States 4253 Posts	Posted 03/17/2012 2:52 pm Welcome back buddy. Looks like you picked up some very interesting coins. Report this Post to the Staff
echizento Moderator United States 23731 Posts	Posted 03/17/2012 3:34 pm Welcome back, I was wondering where you got off too. Anyway glad you are back always look forward to your posts. Nice coins, I really like the Barbs, I'm going to have to pick up some of these. Report this Post to the Staff
DVCollector Bedrock of the Community United States 10045 Posts	Posted 03/17/2012 5:53 pm These are an interesting group! That's the first barb I've seen with a crown like that. Report this Post to the Staff
Doucet Pillar of the Community United States 1315 Posts	Posted 03/17/2012 8:19 pm Interesting bunch. Glad your pickin em up. I still do a double take on every London mint coin and every Genio that I run across and wonder if it's something bobbyhelmet would be interested in or something I should pick up. Still not much knowledge about these though. Report this Post to the Staff
bobbyhelmet Pillar of the Community United Kingdom 2838 Posts	Posted 03/18/2012 5:39 pm Thanks guys, Jessvc1 sent me some barbs a few months ago and its got me interested in them again so I'm looking forward to receiving these ones from Warren Esty, who incidentally seems like a great guy to deal with. I've not been posting much lately but enjoyed seeing what other people have been picking up. Quote: I still do a double take on every London mint coin and every Genio that I run across and wonder if it's something bobbyhelmet would be interested in Haha - nice to know, these coins have turned into a full-blow obsession of mine now, difficult when your trying to cut back on spending! Report this Post to the Staff
Bing Pillar of the Community United States 4253 Posts	Posted 03/18/2012 5:57 pm Bobbyhelmet: what do you think of the bust style of this CONSTANTIUS GALLUS: http://www.ebay.com/itm/22097560929..._2446wt_1396 Report this Post to the Staff
bobbyhelmet Pillar of the Community United Kingdom 2838 Posts	Posted 03/18/2012 6:30 pm Thats a nice coin, big too. It certainly has an odd style, at least in my limited experience in Con Gall coins. The 'small head long neck' look is certainly not exclusive to London post Contsantius invasion. Some earlier Probus coins have very un-realistic depictions in this area. As you've illustrated above it also re-occurs elsewhere later. Britain's isolation and its subsequent impact on its coinage aesthetics after Carausius is something I find interesting. More from a culture and lifestyle point of view than a numismatic one. I guess If I had the ability to collect a few thousand coins in this area and lay them out together it would reveal some interesting oddities and trends. I wonder how exactly the Brittanic Empire functioned and how its citizens and culture either developed or was stunted by its isolation from the rest of the Roman world? Was it even that Isolated? Just as today wars can be waged but trade continues and citizens can often travel freely between warring parties un-hindered. The English Channel was a busy trading route, its unlikely trade stopped between the English and the French just because a bunch of Romans were beating each other over the head. Would they perhaps have exchanged coins or were they only trading items? I guess this is why barbs interest me - same sort of thing but a hundred years later. Sometimes I really wish I had a time machine! Report this Post to the Staff
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