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Antoninianus - Diocletian struck under Carausius, 'C' Mint, Virtus
| Issuer | Carausian Mint (Britannic Empire) |
|---|---|
| Year | 292-293 |
| Type | Standard circulation coin |
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| Obverse description | Radiate, draped, and cuirassed bust of Diocletian facing right, portrayed with a short beard, the radiate crown prominently rendered above the laureate brow. The emperor is depicted in military attire, with detailed scale armour and a paludamentum fastened at the shoulder visible below the bust. The encircling Latin legend reads IMP C DIOCLETIANVS P AVG, contained within a beaded border. The portrait style is consistent with the robust, vigorous treatment characteristic of coins produced at Carausius's Clausentum mint, reflecting the usurper's propagandistic intent to associate his regime with the legitimate Tetrarchic emperors. |
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| Edge | Plain |
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Carausius — the Menapian naval commander who seized Britain and northwestern Gaul in 286 and declared himself Augustus — used coins like this one as explicit propaganda tools, minting Diocletian's name and image without Diocletian's consent in a calculated bid for legitimacy. By presenting himself as a colleague of the ruling tetrarchs rather than a usurper, he spent years forcing a de facto recognition that Rome was reluctant to grant. Maximian's seaborne invasion to retake Britain in 289 failed badly, and Carausius briefly achieved something like official tolerance.
The 'C' mint attribution is contested among scholars — Camulodunum (Colchester) and Clausentum (Bitterne) have both been proposed. Carausius was assassinated by his finance minister Allectus in 293, abruptly ending this mint's output.