AR19 - Carus L Α

Carus ruled for barely fourteen months before dying in Mesopotamia in 283 AD — the ancient sources disagree on whether lightning struck his tent or he was quietly murdered by his own officers. Alexandria's mint continued producing tetradrachms throughout his reign without interruption, the Egyptian coinage machinery indifferent to the chaos of Roman imperial succession. This piece belongs to his only regnal year as recognized by the Alexandrian calendar, year one.