This coin is not in nice condition. However, it is rather important
I have photographed it in different lights but it is
still difficult to read
[?
IMP TETRIC]VS
AVG,
Radiate and
cuirassed bust right
CONCORD[IA MI]LITVM,
Concordia standing left holding
patera and
cornucopia, behind her a
standard.
Weight 3.62g
The piece is clearly not irregular, being of the same, rather fleshy,
obverse style as the earliest
portraits of
Tetricus I from
Mint II. These have extended
obverse legends reading
IMP C P ESV TETRICVS
AVG. Some have draped busts. These
portraits appear to contain elements of Domitianus' (Tetricus' predecessor at
Mint II) physiognomy. I supply images below.
Where does this piece fit in? The
obverse legend is not very legible but from what can be read (and from the spacing) would seem to be
IMP TETRICVS
AVG. This
legend occurs on radiates of
Tetricus from
Mint II with
FIDES MILITVM reverses, the longer
IMP C P ESV TETRICVS
AVG legends being earlier in date.
CONCORDIA AVG with a figure of
Concordia holding a
patera and
cornucopia (or sometimes
caduceus) is also used at the start of Tetricus' reign but at
Mint I.
Interestingly, Domitianus' only known
reverse is
CONCORDIA MILITVM as on our coin but without the
standard.
The clear similarities to Domitianus' surviving issue and the
FIDES MILITVM types at
Mint II would suggest that this is an early (though not, with its
IMP TETRICVS
AVG legend, the very earliest) issue from
Mint II, echoing the
reverse typology of the unlucky
Domitianus. Thus we can add a hitherto unknown
reverse type to
Tetricus I's output at
Mint II.
Regards,
Adrianus
