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1 Aureus - Imitating an Uncertain Ruler
| Issuer | Uncertain Germanic tribes |
|---|---|
| Year | 250-325 |
| Type | Non-circulating coin |
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| Obverse description | Draped and diademed bust of an uncertain ruler facing left, rendered in a somewhat barbaric imitative style characteristic of Germanic tribal coinages. The portrait features schematically rendered hair and drapery, loosely copying imperial Roman aureus prototypes. A border of dots encircles the design. An irregular legend in debased pseudo-Latin characters runs around the bust. The coin bears a suspension hole near the top edge, indicating use as a personal ornament or pendant. |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Latin |
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| Additional information |
Barbarous gold imitations of Roman aurei proliferated along the Rhine and Danube frontiers during the third and early fourth centuries, produced by Germanic groups who lacked Roman minting infrastructure but understood the coin's transactional weight in cross-border trade and mercenary payment. The prototypes being copied were often already generations out of date by the time the dies were cut, which is why attribution to a specific emperor is frequently impossible — the legends, when present at all, are garbled beyond recovery.
The Jameson collection, which catalogued many such pieces, left numerous imitative aurei unassigned rather than force identifications the evidence wouldn't support.