Types of Magnentius

 

Coins of Magnentius and Decentius were imitated very often. They are typically of very fine style, closely approaching their prototypes, which many times makes it difficult to distinguish them from their official counterparts. They are, however, typically of a lighter weight.

 

3.21g/20.9mm

 

This coin has a nice green patina and a remarkable portrait with a large profile eye. It imitates a Trier mint prototype as can be deduced from the mint mark THP. This coin illustrates one typicality of Magnentius imitations, namely that the reverse legend is much more garbled than the obverse legend.

 

 

 

2.69g/18.5mm; Ex De Wit Collection

 

An imitation of the same reverse type as the large one, but in a slightly smaller module and in cruder style. It has a superb dark green patina.

 

 

3.45g; 20.6mm

 

The coin on the left imitates a Trier mint Gloria Romanorum prototype. The obverse die is exceptionally well made, but the reverse leaves no doubt that this is the product of an irregular mint. Note for example the horse’s head and the lettering of the legend. Also, the mintmark is atypical as the letters are too far apart and lastly, the mint mark PTR does not exist for this issue. The coin on the right has a prototype from Lyon, of the same reverse type. It is also very well made.

 

3.20g; 20.8mm

 

This coin probably has a Trier mint prototype, as it closely approaches the style of that mint.

 

2.70g; 20.8mm

 

The coin above is one of those enigma’s often encountered when collecting ancient imitations. It is a Crispus ‘Caesarum Nostrorum’ undertype (struck AD 320-324) overstruck with barbarous Magnentius dies. That means a time difference of at least thirty years between undertype and overtype. At first glance, the style seems to ‘official’, especially the part of the obverse that is still visible. The reason for my identifying the overtype as barbarous is firstly because the reverse legend lettering - CLON - seems to be irregular. And secondly, this pairing of obverse and reverse does not occur in Magnentius’ regular coinage. The mint mark is certainly of Lugdunum – URPLG (RIC 117; Bastien 164). This issue belongs to the first year of Magnentius’ reign and was struck in weights of approximately 5 to 6 grams. It is hard to believe that this coin belongs to that ‘official’ issue, and that the Lugdunum mint overstruck the lighter weight Crispus  issue. Moreover, for bronze coinage, the obverse legend and legend break IM CAE MAGN – ENTIVS AVG occurs only at the Trier mint. So ‘barbarous’ obverse and reverse have two seperate mints as prototypes. This is a well-known typicality of ancient imiations, and it happens often in this period of time. In fact, sometimes the attributes of seperate mints are incorporated into one new irregular design. See for example this coin (not part of this collection) that combines a Trier mint mark with Lugdunum emission marks.