Classical Numismatic Group, LLC
Electronic Auction 351 20 May 2015
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Maximianus. As Senior Augustus (1st reign), AD 305-307. Æ Follis (28mm, 10.59 g, 12h). Cyzicus mint, 4th officina. Struck AD 305-306. Laureate and mantled bust right, holding olive branch and mappa / Providentia standing right, extending hand to Quies standing left, holding branch and leaning on scepter; S-F/KΔ//PTR. RIC VI 672 (Trier) corr. (mint of issue). Good VF, silvering.
This issue is nearly always attributed to Trier (Treveri), but a comparison of portrait styles and an examination of follis hoards reveals that it was struck in Cyzicus. Two officinae struck this issue, Δ and ς, and the K in the field between the two figures is the actual mark of the mint, not the PTR. A look at the coins of Cyzicus (RIC 22-23) shows that the same two officina also struck this issue without the PTR.
So why the apparent double mintmark on this issue? It appears that the first coins of this type were prepared at Trier and examples were sent to the various mints for the for the purpose of copying. At Cyzicus, the die engravers copied everything, including the Trier mintmark, and placed their own mintmark in the field. Eventually someone realized the mistake and new dies were prepared with the mintmark in its proper location. (See J.P.C. Kent, "The President's Address" in NC 147 [1987], pp. v–vii.)
This issue is nearly always attributed to Trier (Treveri), but a comparison of portrait styles and an examination of follis hoards reveals that it was struck in Cyzicus. Two officinae struck this issue, Δ and ς, and the K in the field between the two figures is the actual mark of the mint, not the PTR. A look at the coins of Cyzicus (RIC 22-23) shows that the same two officina also struck this issue without the PTR.
So why the apparent double mintmark on this issue? It appears that the first coins of this type were prepared at Trier and examples were sent to the various mints for the for the purpose of copying. At Cyzicus, the die engravers copied everything, including the Trier mintmark, and placed their own mintmark in the field. Eventually someone realized the mistake and new dies were prepared with the mintmark in its proper location. (See J.P.C. Kent, "The President's Address" in NC 147 [1987], pp. v–vii.)