Numismatica Ars Classica
Auction 135 21 Nov 2022
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The Roman Empire. Constantius I Chlorus caesar, 293 – 305.
Aureus, Treveri 305, AV 5.87 g. CONSTAN – TIVS NOB C Laureate head r. Rev. HERCVLI CONSER – AVGG ET CAESS NN Hercules standing facing, head l., leaning with r. hand on club and holding bow in l.; lion's skin over l. shoulder and quiver behind r. shoulder. In exergue, TR. C –. RIC 45. Depeyrot 10B/7. Biaggi 1821 (this coin). Calicó 4836 (this coin illustrated).
A wonderful portrait of fine style and a superb reddish tone. An almost invisible
edge mark at three o'clock on obverse, otherwise about extremely fine
Ex NAC 34, 2006, 79 and NAC 127, 2021, 347 sales. From the Leo Biaggi de Blasys collection and possibly from theBeaurains (Arras) hoard of 1922. This coin is illustrated in The Roman Aurei by X. E. Calicó.
Remembered as 'Chlorus', meaning pale or of poor health, by Byzantine writers, Constantius I was the senior of the two Caesars of the First Tetrarchy, and subsequently the senior Augustus from A.D. 305 until his untimely death in 306. The division of the Roman Empire into a tetrarchy – i.e., the rule by four – was instituted by Diocletian in 293 in order to combat the many threats facing the regime. Having already elevated Maximianus to rule alongside him jointly in 286, Diocletian saw the need to expand their diarchy and therefore appointed each a Caesar to serve as deputy: Galerius, who became the junior Caesar, was adopted by Diocletian and assisted him in ruling the eastern provinces, while Constantius was made the senior Caesar under Maximianus with responsibilities for the western provinces. Along with these adoptions each also chose a patron deity to lend legitimacy to their rule. In the case of Diocletian and Galerius, the god was Jove, and they adopted the name Jovius. Maximianus and Constantius took the name Herculius as their patron was Hercules. Both gods received special recognition on the coinage of their respective tetrarchs, such as on this aureus of Constantius where the reverse depicts Hercules in order to celebrate Constantius' membership in the Herculian house. Constantius' reign as Caesar saw the return to Roman hands of the break-away Romano-British Empire of Carausius and Allectus, and later the defeat of a horde of marauding Alemanni from across the Rhine. He established his capital at Trier, and secured his territories from further unrest. After the abdication of Diocletian and Maximianus in A.D. 305 and his and Galerius' elevations, Constantius inflicted a resounding defeat on the Picts of northern Britain. However, while he was involved in this campaign he fell gravely ill, and subsequently died at Eboracum in A.D. 306. On the Trier mint, see the article by Sylviane Estiot and Pierre Zanchi, « De Lyon à Trèves. L'ouverture de l'atelier de Trèves à l'époque tétrarchique et ses premières émissions : monnaie radiée et monnaie d'or (293-295 apr. J.-C.) », in Revue numismatique, vol. 171 (2014), pp. 247-296.
Aureus, Treveri 305, AV 5.87 g. CONSTAN – TIVS NOB C Laureate head r. Rev. HERCVLI CONSER – AVGG ET CAESS NN Hercules standing facing, head l., leaning with r. hand on club and holding bow in l.; lion's skin over l. shoulder and quiver behind r. shoulder. In exergue, TR. C –. RIC 45. Depeyrot 10B/7. Biaggi 1821 (this coin). Calicó 4836 (this coin illustrated).
A wonderful portrait of fine style and a superb reddish tone. An almost invisible
edge mark at three o'clock on obverse, otherwise about extremely fine
Ex NAC 34, 2006, 79 and NAC 127, 2021, 347 sales. From the Leo Biaggi de Blasys collection and possibly from theBeaurains (Arras) hoard of 1922. This coin is illustrated in The Roman Aurei by X. E. Calicó.
Remembered as 'Chlorus', meaning pale or of poor health, by Byzantine writers, Constantius I was the senior of the two Caesars of the First Tetrarchy, and subsequently the senior Augustus from A.D. 305 until his untimely death in 306. The division of the Roman Empire into a tetrarchy – i.e., the rule by four – was instituted by Diocletian in 293 in order to combat the many threats facing the regime. Having already elevated Maximianus to rule alongside him jointly in 286, Diocletian saw the need to expand their diarchy and therefore appointed each a Caesar to serve as deputy: Galerius, who became the junior Caesar, was adopted by Diocletian and assisted him in ruling the eastern provinces, while Constantius was made the senior Caesar under Maximianus with responsibilities for the western provinces. Along with these adoptions each also chose a patron deity to lend legitimacy to their rule. In the case of Diocletian and Galerius, the god was Jove, and they adopted the name Jovius. Maximianus and Constantius took the name Herculius as their patron was Hercules. Both gods received special recognition on the coinage of their respective tetrarchs, such as on this aureus of Constantius where the reverse depicts Hercules in order to celebrate Constantius' membership in the Herculian house. Constantius' reign as Caesar saw the return to Roman hands of the break-away Romano-British Empire of Carausius and Allectus, and later the defeat of a horde of marauding Alemanni from across the Rhine. He established his capital at Trier, and secured his territories from further unrest. After the abdication of Diocletian and Maximianus in A.D. 305 and his and Galerius' elevations, Constantius inflicted a resounding defeat on the Picts of northern Britain. However, while he was involved in this campaign he fell gravely ill, and subsequently died at Eboracum in A.D. 306. On the Trier mint, see the article by Sylviane Estiot and Pierre Zanchi, « De Lyon à Trèves. L'ouverture de l'atelier de Trèves à l'époque tétrarchique et ses premières émissions : monnaie radiée et monnaie d'or (293-295 apr. J.-C.) », in Revue numismatique, vol. 171 (2014), pp. 247-296.