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1 Quinarius - Imitating an Uncertain Ruler
| Issuer | Uncertain Germanic tribes |
|---|---|
| Year | 290-325 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 1 Quinarius = 1/2 Aureus |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Diameter | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Bare-headed male bust facing right, rendered in a barbarous imitative style with stylized curling hair. The effigy occupies the central field, surrounded by a degenerate Latin legend reading ZO - NOAO, the letters irregularly spaced and partially retrograde, reflecting non-literate copying of a Roman prototype. The portrait exhibits the simplified, almost schematic facial features characteristic of Germanic tribal imitations of late Roman imperial coinage. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | A standing figure facing right, holding a spear in the right hand and a shield in the left, rendered in the crude, abstracted style typical of barbarous Roman imitations. The figure is positioned centrally within the field, surrounded by a degenerate Latin legend reading OZ SA, with letters irregularly formed and spaced. The overall composition reflects a barbarous interpretation of a Roman reverse type, likely derived from a Victory or martial deity prototype. |
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| Additional information |
Barbarous gold quinarii imitating late Roman imperial types were produced by Germanic groups operating along the Rhine and Danube frontiers during a period of intense military contact with Rome — often by tribes serving as foederati or mercenaries who had direct exposure to Roman coin but no access to official mints. The prototype being imitated here remains unidentified, which places this piece among the more analytically frustrating specimens in the series.
The Arslan corpus, the standard reference for these imitative issues, records no matching type — a gap that may reflect genuine rarity or simply incomplete die documentation.