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Triton XXIII – Session Three – Roman Imperial Coinage Part II through World Coinage Part I

Lot nuber 854

Maximianus. First reign, AD 286-305. AV Aureus (19mm, 5.42 g, 12h). Uncertain (Cyzicus or Antioch) mint. Special issue, struck AD 293.


Triton XXIII – Session Three – Roman Imperial Coinage Part II through World Coinage Part I
Lot: 854.
 Estimated: $ 12 500

Roman Imperial, Gold

Sold For $ 25 000. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

Go to Live

Maximianus. First reign, AD 286-305. AV Aureus (19mm, 5.42 g, 12h). Uncertain (Cyzicus or Antioch) mint. Special issue, struck AD 293. MAXIMIANVS AVGVSTVS, laureate head right / CONCORDI AE AVGG NN, Diocletian and Maximian seated left on curule chairs, each holding globe in right hand and parazonium with left, being crowned by Victory above. RIC V 601 (Cyzicus) & 615 (Antioch); Pink, Goldprägung, p. 43 (Cyzicus); Depeyrot 13/3 (Cyzicus); Calicó 4612; Biaggi 1771. Lustrous with prooflike fields, thin die break on reverse. Superb EF. Well executed dies.

Ex Pierre Bastien Collection (Numismatica Ars Classica 111, 24 September 2018), lot 214; Collection of Madame Valette (Rollin & Feuardent, 16 June 1924), lot 272.

Aurei with the CONCORDIAE AVGG NN reverse are known for Diocletian, Maximianus, Constantius, and Galerius, thus placing this issue in AD 293, the year the First Tetrarchy was fully established with two junior rulers (Constantius I and Galerius as Caesars), and when Diocletian (for the fifth time) and Maximianus (for the fourth time) held the joint-consulship.

Which mint struck these unsigned issues has long been debated. Pink, in laying out the gold issues of the First Tetrarchy, assigned the unsigned aurei to Cyzicus, including the CONCORDIAE AVGG NN reverse issue. Webb, however, assigned the coin to Antioch. Although he gave no specific reason for doing so, he did note in his discussion of the Cyzicus mint (p. 215) a close association between the two mints. He also noted the existence of Pink’s article, but did not incorporate its findings (p. 219). Since then, attributions for these unsigned issues have varied among numismatists and catalogers. One can see obverse stylistic affinities between these aurei and later marked issues of Antioch (Lukanc 5 [p. 175, 3]). Unfortunately, as Sutherland (RIC VI, p. 597 [Antioch]) points out in his discussion of the mint, these early issues have been studied out of context, and only a more detailed study of this early coinage (preferably a die-study) will provide a more satisfactory answer.

The final winners of all Triton XXIII lots will be determined at the live public sale that will be held on 14-15 January 2020. Triton XXIII – Session Three – Roman Imperial Coinage Part II through World Coinage Part II will be held Wednesday morning, 15 January 2020 beginning at 9:00 AM ET.

Winning bids are subject to a 20% buyer's fee for bids placed on this website and in person at the public auction, 22.50% for all others.