Nummus - Magnus Maximus SPES ROMANORVM, Arelate

Magnus Maximus seized power in Britain in 383 by having his troops proclaim him Augustus, then crossed into Gaul and forced Gratian's assassination at Lyon within months. His control of the western mints, including Arelate, was a practical necessity — coinage legitimized usurpation faster than military force alone. The SPES ROMANORVM type was a deliberate propaganda choice, projecting Roman continuity from a man the eastern court under Theodosius refused to recognize as anything but a rebel until a negotiated settlement in 384.

Maximus was eventually defeated and executed in 388, making the entire reign a five-year window for this type. Arelate (modern Arles) was one of his most productive western mints.