Barbarous Decentius FH3

[dougsmit]

There are many coins of Magnentius and Decentius that are, by style, pretty certainly of unofficial origin.  This one is certain beyond doubt which is certainly a shame since it would be exceeding significant if only......but it is not.

The obverse legend reads DN DECEN  TIVS AVGV.  While some letters are less than perfect, the Decentius reading strikes me as better than Magnentius even if we allow for Decentius not having been Augustus.  The portrait is just a bit outside of normal.  The reverse is falling horseman FH3 'reaching' which is not the type seen on the extremely rare Magnentius falling horseman.  At 18mm and 1.59g, the coin is much too small to be an official Magnentius even if we allow fr the condition.  The mintmark seems to end in an S but TRS, AQS and RS all have details that suggest they are not what we see here.  While some of us do like barbarous things, this one is no more than just that.  Pity.  Please do post your official Magnentius FH3, Decentius as Augustus or anything else that might not exist.  My want list is full of things that do not exist or at least did not until someone found one.  I'd love to see them. 

Anyone with a guess on this mintmark, please share.  The reverse style is not all that bad.  Can it be IDed?

[SC]

Interesting coin.

The horseman reaching back type (FH3 in both LRBC and RIC-VIII) was not that widespread before Magnentius' usurpation, but became a bit more common before Decentius was named caesar (which I date to late May or early June 351, not the traditional date of July/August 350, based on Curtis Clay's re-dating of Nepotian's usurpation as described in his posting on forum in April 2010 - more details in my forthcoming book). 

From mid-349 to the end of 350 the FH3 was only struck at Constantinople, Nicomedia and Antioch.  Through 351 and 352 it was also struck at Siscia, Sirmium, Heraclea, Cyzicus and Alexandria as well as the three original mints. 

Stylistically your's reminds me a bit of the large FH types struck at Siscia and, especially, Constantinople.  Overall pose, plus the way the "skirt" is treated and the ringed edge of the shield.  But maybe others see different parallels.

I think that the mint mark though might be copying something completely different like RS.

Size poses another problem.  The falling horseman does not drop to this size until well after Decentius death in August 353.  I see no reason why someone would make dies for Decentius years after his death. 

It could have been intentionally struck while Decentius was alive as the smallest of the FTR denomination, but I find that unlikely.  Magnentius struck very very few coins of the smallest denomination (1/120 L) - the very rare BEATITVDO PVBLICA and VIRTVS EXERCITVS types at Aquileia (the latter known for Decentius though super rare) and the very rare Two victories with VOT X on shield struck at Rome (which might only be imitative).

So I think that the most likely scenario is that it was struck during Decentius' lifetime, but was just struck as a small imitative, like all the SALVS imitatives, and did not intentionally copy the small denomination size.

Shawn

[dougsmit]

I see no reason why someone would make dies for Decentius years after his death. 

Thanks for the thoughts.  I see no need fo reason or even understanding of what was being copied when making barbarous coins for circulation among people who needed coins but probably thought all those guys looked alike anyway.  I am interested in how we got the AVG legend on a Decentius but we have no idea what coins were available to the copyist and how he chose to piece them together.  This could have been lifetime or a generation later; in the area of the mintmark city or somewhere the coins managed to travel over the years.  Many questions, no certainty.

[Randygeki(h2)]

It's still a fascinating coin.

[maridvnvm]

Indeed a fascinating coin. Great find.