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1 Aureus - Imitating an Uncertain Ruler
| Issuer | Uncertain Germanic tribes |
|---|---|
| Year | 290-325 |
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| Currency | Aureus (circa 150-325) |
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| Obverse description | Draped and laureate bust of an uncertain ruler facing left, rendered in a barbarous style characteristic of Germanic imitative coinage. The effigy is depicted frontally with schematic facial features and stylized hair treatment. The bust is surrounded by a garbled pseudo-legend composed of degenerate letterforms imitating Roman imperial inscriptions. The overall workmanship reflects a non-Roman die-cutter's interpretation of a standard late Roman aureus obverse type. A suspension hole is visible near the upper rim, indicating the piece was mounted and worn as a pendant or personal ornament. |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Latin (degenerate/barbarous imitation) |
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| Additional information |
Barbarous imitations of Roman aurei produced in the late third and early fourth centuries present consistent attribution headaches — the prototypes being copied were often themselves recent issues, meaning the imitating tribes had access to fresh Roman coinage through payment, trade, or plunder. Roman frontier policy under Diocletian and Constantine included substantial cash disbursements to Germanic leaders as both subsidy and tribute, which flooded the Rhine and Danube periphery with official gold and gave local craftsmen ready models to copy.
The weight here is close enough to official standards to suggest the issuer understood or cared about gold content — not all barbarous imitations do.