Early Alexandria Mint Aureus?

CNG 106, Lot: 802. Estimate $1000. Sold for $2750. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

Carus. AD 282-283. AV Aureus (19mm, 4.45 g, 11h). Uncertain mint in the east (Alexandria?). Struck early AD 283. IMP CAESAR [M A]VR CARVS AVG, laureate and draped bust right / VICTOR CA RINO AVG, Victory advancing right, holding wreath and palm frond. RIC V 132; Pink VI/2, p. 57, b; Calicó 4281 (but same obv. die as illustration of Calicó 4280a); Biaggi –; Consul Weber 2420; S. Laffranchi, “I diversi stili nella monetazione romana. IV. Gli aurei imperiali di conio Alessandrino e le monete del tiranno Saturnino” in RIN 1907, p. 396, pl. XIII, 15–6 var. (rev. legend, same obv. die). Near VF, holed. Extremely rare, perhaps the second known (all references refer to the Consul Weber piece), none in CoinArchives.

The very rare aurei of this eastern style were first studied in depth by S. Laffranchi, who noted stylistic similarities between these coins and contemporary potin issues of Alexandria. P. Webb (in RIC) agreed with Laffranchi’s comparison, but added that there was also stylistic similarities with certain issues of Carus at Cyzicus, and thus left the mint attribution as uncertain. K. Pink later dismissed these gold coins as merely imitations, but without explanation (interestingly, Webb notes that before reading Laffranchi’s paper, he was inclined to call them imitations of issues from Cyzicus). To the present cataloger, though, the organized typology of these coins suggest an official issue that commemorates the campaigns of Carus and Carinus in the east: the aurei are known in the name of both emperors, and each has reverses naming the other (VICTOR CARO AVG and VICTOR CARINO AVG), accompanied by the standard figure of Victory. If not struck at Alexandria, then perhaps these were all struck by a mint that accompanied the emperors on campaign.