Possibly the Earliest Germanic Coin

CNG 97, Lot: 815. Estimate $300. Sold for $1000. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

UNCERTAIN GERMANIC TRIBES, Pseudo-Imperial coinage. Early 5th century AD. AR Siliqua (17mm, 1.25 g, 6h). Imitating Lugdunum (Lyon) mint siliqua obverse of Arcadius and reverse of Magnus Maximus. D N ΛRCΛDI VS P ΛVG, pearl-diademed, draped, and cuirassed bust right / VOT/IIII IT/(blundered X) in four lines within wreath; L(blundered V)C. Unpublished, but cf. RIC IX 35.3 (Magnus Maximus; for rev.) and Lyon 196-7 (same). EF, lightly toned.

Ex 2010 Gussage All Saints Hoard (PAS Ref. DOR-A1CCB1; NC 171 [2011], no. 54).

Among the coins contained in the Gussage All Saints Hoard, probably deposited around AD 410, was included this supposed Lugdunum mint siliqua of the emperor Arcadius (AD 383-408). At first glance, this coin appears like any other contemporary imperial issue from that mint. On closer inspection, however, a several anomolies appear that suggest that this coin is not an official issue. The lettering is crude, especially in the reverse, where the MVL in MVLT are simply a series of Is, and the letters X and V are also blundered. The mint signature LVC is unknown for any of Arcadius’ Lugdunum mint siliquae. A further problem is the reverse type itself. Siliquae of Arcadius are known from this mint, but they are all the more common VRBS ROMA type with Roma seated on a cuirass. A very rare argenteus with the reverse legend VOT XV/MVLT XX (RIC IX 42 and Lyon 220) is also known, but it too is the earliest example of this reverse type known from this mint for this emperor.

A Lugdunum mint siliqua with the reverse legend VOT V/MVLT X is known for the usurper Magnus Maximus, who became de facto emperor in Gaul and Britain (AD 383-388). Commander of Britain, where he spent most of his time dealing with the Picts and Scots, he was proclaimed emperor in AD 383 by his British troops. Maximus and his forces then moved through Gaul, where he defeated the emperor Gratian, who was later assassinated at Lugdunum by Maximus’ magister equitum. Moving then into Italy, Maximus was stopped by Theodosius I who, after some negotiations, recognized Maximus as emperor in the West. Establishing his capital at Augusta Treveriorum (Trier), Maximus ruled over Britain, Gaul, and Spain, where he became a stern, yet popular, emperor over a mixed population of Roman and non-Roman. This was also the case with his army for, in addition to his Roman troops, his army included a number of Germanic foederati, such as the Alamanni. In AD 387, Maximus’ luck had changed. Once again, he came into conflict with Theodosius, who invaded from the east and defeated Maximus in AD 388 at the Battle of the Save. At the same time, a group of Franks, under their leaders, Marcomer, Sunno, and Genobaud, invaded northern Gaul. Although they were initially pushed back across the Rhine, they returned shortly thereafter when the Frankish general, Arbogast, – now the magister militum and protector of the new (and weak) emperor in the West, Valentinian II – began installing fellow Franks in positions of administration and influence. Roman Gaul was now largely a Frankish state.