Roma Numismatics Ltd
Auction XIX 26-27 Mar 2020
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Allectus BI Radiate. Londinium, AD 293-295. VIRTVS ALLECTI AVG, helmeted and cuirassed bust left, holding spear over left shoulder and shield on right arm / PAX AVG, Pax standing left, holding olive branch and vertical sceptre; S-A across fields, ML in exergue. RIC 31, pl. 19, 8 (this coin) = 'A Find of Coins of Carausius and Allectus in the Colchester Hoard; NC 1930, 41 (this coin) = A. Burnett, 'The Coinage of Allectus: Chronology and Interpretation', in BNJ 54 (1984), 56 (this coin); 4.80g, 25mm, 6h.
Near Mint State; traces of original silvering. Unique, and one of the most impressive antoniniani of Allectus in existence.
From the Brian Henry Grover Collection;
This coin published in P. H. Webb, The Roman Imperial Coinage, Volume V, Part 2 (London, 1933);
This coin published in A. H. F. Baldwin, A Find of Coins of Carausius and Allectus in the Colchester Hoard (Numismatic Chronicle 10.39, 1930);
This coin published in A. Burnett, The Coinage of Allectus: Chronology and Interpretation, British Numismatic Journal 54 (London, 1984);
Ex Fred Baldwin Collection, Glendining & Co., 20-21 November 1969, lot 336;
Found at Colchester, July 1927.
From a numismatic point of view the reigns of Carausius and his torturous treasurer Allectus are important for establishing the not inconsiderable logistical task of a mint at Londinium in early in AD 287, issuing an immense coinage on the prevailing imperial denominational standard of his time. The 4th century historian Eutropius in his 'Summary of Roman History' informs us that during the reign of Aurelian (270-278) an extraordinary event occurred, the monetarii at at the mints Rome and Antioch rebelled after being accused of 'corroding' the coinage, which in the case of Rome ended with heavy loss of life. This gave Aurelian a chance to enact a fundamental reform of the now discredited standard coinage by introducing a new denomination, the name of which has not survived. The new silver washed billon denomination is characterised as bearing marks of value XXI or Greek KA (= 21), sometimes combined with mint marks in the exergue, thought to represented a tariff ratio 20:1 (i.e. 1 part of silver to 20 parts of bronze) indicating a silver content of about 5%. Some modern numismatists now refer to these new coins as an 'aureliani', or more correctly but awkwardly 'aurelianiani'. All these terms have been avoided in this catalogue in favour of 'billon radiates' since they always bear the radiate head of an emperor, but have such a small silver content that it is uncertain how many denarii they officially represent, which by this time had become merely a unit of account.
Near Mint State; traces of original silvering. Unique, and one of the most impressive antoniniani of Allectus in existence.
From the Brian Henry Grover Collection;
This coin published in P. H. Webb, The Roman Imperial Coinage, Volume V, Part 2 (London, 1933);
This coin published in A. H. F. Baldwin, A Find of Coins of Carausius and Allectus in the Colchester Hoard (Numismatic Chronicle 10.39, 1930);
This coin published in A. Burnett, The Coinage of Allectus: Chronology and Interpretation, British Numismatic Journal 54 (London, 1984);
Ex Fred Baldwin Collection, Glendining & Co., 20-21 November 1969, lot 336;
Found at Colchester, July 1927.
From a numismatic point of view the reigns of Carausius and his torturous treasurer Allectus are important for establishing the not inconsiderable logistical task of a mint at Londinium in early in AD 287, issuing an immense coinage on the prevailing imperial denominational standard of his time. The 4th century historian Eutropius in his 'Summary of Roman History' informs us that during the reign of Aurelian (270-278) an extraordinary event occurred, the monetarii at at the mints Rome and Antioch rebelled after being accused of 'corroding' the coinage, which in the case of Rome ended with heavy loss of life. This gave Aurelian a chance to enact a fundamental reform of the now discredited standard coinage by introducing a new denomination, the name of which has not survived. The new silver washed billon denomination is characterised as bearing marks of value XXI or Greek KA (= 21), sometimes combined with mint marks in the exergue, thought to represented a tariff ratio 20:1 (i.e. 1 part of silver to 20 parts of bronze) indicating a silver content of about 5%. Some modern numismatists now refer to these new coins as an 'aureliani', or more correctly but awkwardly 'aurelianiani'. All these terms have been avoided in this catalogue in favour of 'billon radiates' since they always bear the radiate head of an emperor, but have such a small silver content that it is uncertain how many denarii they officially represent, which by this time had become merely a unit of account.