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1 Quinarius - Imitating Lucius Verus, 161-169
| Issuer | Uncertain Germanic tribes |
|---|---|
| Year | 250-325 |
| Type | Standard circulation coin |
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| Obverse description | Bare or lightly draped bust of a male figure facing left, rendered in a barbarous imitative style derived from Roman imperial prototypes, specifically imitating the portrait coinage of Lucius Verus. The effigy displays a simplified profile with schematically rendered hair, lacking the fine engraving detail of official Roman issues. A fragmentary and garbled Latin legend surrounds the bust within a beaded border, reflecting the limited literacy of the issuing Germanic craftsmen. The overall style is characteristic of late third- to early fourth-century barbarian imitative gold coinage. |
|---|---|
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| Mintage | ND (250-325) |
| Additional information |
Germanic imitations of Roman gold coinage proliferated during the third and fourth centuries as tribal elites acquired Roman currency through trade, tribute, and military service, then reproduced it — sometimes with considerable fidelity, sometimes with striking abstraction — for use in gift exchange and status display rather than market transactions. The quinarius, Rome's half-aureus denomination, was an odd model to copy; it circulated rarely even within the empire. Its selection here likely reflects whatever prototype happened to be available rather than any deliberate denominational choice.
The BMC Vandal reference returns blank, leaving attribution to the "uncertain Germanic tribes" catchall that covers a frustratingly broad geography and chronology.