Magnentius Maiorina Compton Dundon Hoard

Gratian was the son of the emperor Valentinian I and in A.D. 367 was made Augustus at only seven years old. His father died in A.D. 375 and his uncle Valens in A.D. 378 leaving him sole ruler of the whole Roman Empire at 19! Realising he could not rule alone Gratian promoted the successful general Theodosius to Augustus in the East. They fought off multiple barbarian invasions until in A.D. 383 Magnus Maximus, the commander in Britain, thought he could do better and rebelled. The unfortunate Gratian was deserted by his troops and murdered at Lugdunum (Lyon), just 24 years old. Gratian had a turbulent reign of constant border warfare and was a fervent Christian, famously removing the ancient Altar of Victory from the Senate in Rome! The coins of Gratian are a bit harder to fi nd than those of his father and uncle, likely from the instability at the time. We can off er bronze coins of Gratian in Very Fine and Fine condition with various reverses.

‘Limes Denarius’ is an intriguing mystery! They are a base metal or very low silver content Denarius mostly found in the border areas of the empire, especially in Europe. They are generally well made and would have fooled people at the time using plating or a silver wash. But no one knows who made them! One theory is that the state made them pay soldiers on the ‘Limes’ (border forts) of the empire so that if they were raided the enemy would not get lots of silver. Another is that the state could not afford the soldier's pay to go up over successive emperors so it ignored the people making counterfeits, especially on the fringes of the empire. Sadly, until someone studies this in more depth we will not know. We have just bought a small group of theses Limes Denarius showing multiple emperors from the 2nd Century A.D. on the obverse (mostly Marcus Aurelius) with various reverses. They grade Fine, showing a clear portrait and making a most interesting addition to any collection. Were they state-made or by the people who needed them? It is your mystery too now!

Gallienus ruled as sole emperor from A.D. 260-268 during one of the most difficult times in the history of the empire. Not only was the empire facing natural disasters and invasions on all sides but he had to face at least 8 rebellions from his own governors and generals! He issued a fantastic group of bronze Antoniniani coins to honour the Gods, asking for their protection against these troubles. We have sold out of these coins before but we managed to buy a small group of the Centaur holding a globe and rudder. These are designed to honour Apollo, likely in response to plagues and disease, with the rudder and globe usually associated with Fortuna for luck. The coins are Good Very Fine. We only have a few at this price, it is very difficult to source these now!