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Follis - Decentius VICTORIAE DD NN AVG ET CAES; Lugdunum
| Issuer | Roman Imperial Mint, Lugdunum (Lyon) |
|---|---|
| Year | 351-353 |
| Type | Standard circulation coin |
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| Obverse description | Bare-headed, cuirassed bust of the usurper Decentius facing right, portrayed in a vigorous late Roman imperial style. The hair is rendered in close-cropped, striated locks swept forward across the brow. The cuirass is visible at the truncation of the shoulder, indicating military dress befitting a Caesar. The encircling Latin legend reads DN DECENTIVS NOB CAES, identifying him as Noble Caesar under the Augustan authority of Magnentius. |
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| Reverse description | Two Victories stand facing one another in the field, each winged and draped in classical fashion, jointly supporting between them a shield or wreath inscribed VOT V MVLT X set upon a column or altar. The control marks S and V appear divided across the left and right fields respectively. The Latin legend VICTORIAE DD NN AVG ET CAE encircles the design, invoking the Victories of the two lords, Augustus and Caesar. The mintmark RSLG appears in the exergue, identifying the fourth officina of the Lugdunum (Lyon) mint. |
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Decentius was the brother — possibly the younger brother — of the usurper Magnentius, elevated to Caesar in 351 to govern the western provinces while Magnentius confronted Constantius II in the east. The arrangement collapsed at the Battle of Mons Seleucus in 353, where Magnentius was defeated. Decentius, stranded in Gaul with no viable escape, hanged himself shortly after. The Lugdunum mint, one of the most productive western mints under the usurpation, ceased striking in his name immediately.
RIC VIII 124 is a chi-rho reverse type — its presence on a usurper's coinage reflects Magnentius's calculated bid for Christian support against Constantius.