Carausian aurei

CARAUSIAN AUREI

The gold coins of Carausius are extremely rare with only little over a couple of dozen genuine examples being recorded. The recent appearance of a fake aureus and the discovery of two more genuine coins has persuaded me to put together this page illustrating all the examples known to me. Where weights are known for the illustrated specimens these too are noted.

Also where fakes have been encountered these too are identified and published here.

H numbers, next to the recorded weight, refer to H Huvelin, 'Monnayage d'or de Carausius', Revue Numismatique 1985, pp. 109-119.

RIC	Obverse	Reverse	Photograph
1 London mint	CARAVSIVS PF AVG Laureate, cuirassed bust right	CONSERVAT AVG -/-//ML Jupiter standing left holding thunderbolt & sceptre; eagle at foot 4.31 grammes (H 16) British Museum collection, acquired 1799.
2 London mint	CARAVSIVS PF AVG Laureate, cuirassed bust right	CONSERVATORI AVGGG -/-//ML Hercules standing right in lion's skin, holding a bow and resting on club a. 4.27 grammes (H 18) British Museum collection, acquired 1864, ex Wigan bequest. Found at Newbury. b. 4.56 grammes (H 17) Hunterian museum, Glasgow.	a. b.
- London mint	VIRTVS CARAVSI Helmeted, cuirassed bust left	ORIES AVG (sic) Sol standing left holding globe and whip; captive at feet 4.29 grammes (H 11) Ex Bunker Hunt sale, 4th December 1990, lot 98; NFA IV 1979, lot 911; B A Seaby February 1978; found in France before 1915.
- London mint	VIRTVS CARAVSI Helmeted, cuirassed bust left	PAX AVG Pax standing left holding olive branch and vertical sceptre 4.65 grammes (H -) British Museum collection, acquired 2009, ex Ashbourne (Derbyshire) find 2007.
3 corr. London mint	IMP CARAVSIVS PF AVG Laureate, draped and cuirassed bust right	PAX AVG -/-//VOT V Pax standing left holding olive branch and vertical or transverse sceptre 4.14 grammes (H 14) Ex Cripps collection; found at Cirencester before 1901. Original mishapen and the illustration is from a flattened electrotype.
4 corr. London mint	IMP C CARAVSIVS PF AVG Laureate, draped and cuirassed bust right	PAX AVG -/-//MVLT X Pax standing left holding olive branch and vertical sceptre 4.52 grammes (H 15) Ex Evans collection, found near Neath Abbey, according to NC 1886, p 273, many years previously.
5 London mint	IMP CARAVSIVS PF AVG Laureate, draped or draped and cuirassed bust right	PAX CARAVSI AVG Pax standing left holding olive branch and vertical or transverse sceptre a. 4.33 grammes (H 12) Ex Evans and Lockett collections; found at Silchester in 1896. b. 4.20 grammes (H 13) Ex Numismatica Ars Classica 46, 4th Feb 2008, lot 684; Seaby list December 1976, 459. Found in Portswood in 1975.	a. b.
6 London mint	CARAVSIVS PF AVG Laureate, cuirassed bust right	SALVS AVGG (sic) Salus standing left feeding serpent in arms	Do not have an image of this coin, does it really exist?
- London mint	CARAVSIVS PF AVG Laureate, cuirassed bust right	SALVS AVGGG -/-//ML Salus standing right feeding serpent in arms 4.33 grammes (H 19) ANS collection; ex Arras hoard, 1922
533 London mint	IMP C CARAVSIVS PF AVG Laureate, draped bust right	LEG IIII FEL -/-//RSR Lion walking right with thunderbolt in mouth	Do not have an image of this coin, does it really exist?
534 London mint	VIRTVS CARAVSI Radiate, helmeted, cuirassed bust left holding spear and shield	ROMANO RENOVA -/-//RSR She wolf standing right suckling Romulus and Remus 4.33 grammes (H 10) Bibliotheque Nationale, Paris; ex Rollin & Feuardent, 1847; ex Pembroke collection; foud prior to 1718.
621 corr. Rouen mint	IMP CARAVSIVS AVG Laureate, draped and cuirassed bust right	CONCORDIA MILITV Concordia standing left holding two standards a. 4.80 grammes (H 1) Ex Bourgey December 1978, no. 163 b. 4.25 grammes (H 2) Ex Trau sale, 1935, no.3482	a. b.
622 Rouen mint	IMP C CARAVSIVS PF AVG Laureate, cuirassed bust right	CONCORDIA MILITVM Emperor standing right clasping hand of Concordia standing left	Do not have an image of this coin, does it really exist?
623 Rouen mint	IMP C CARAVSIVS PF AVG Laureate, cuirassed bust left in imperial mantle	CONCORDIA MILITVM Emperor standing right clasping hand of Concordia standing left a. 3.61 grammes (H 6) Bibliotheque Nationale, Paris; ex Rollin & Feuardent, December 1846; possibly found in the UK. b. 4.77 grammes (H 7) Ex Baldwins; found at Wroxeter	a. b.
624 corr. Rouen mint	IMP CARAVSIVS AVG Laureate, draped and cuirassed bust right	CONCORDIA MILITVM Emperor standing right clasping hand of Concordia standing left a. 4.54 grammes (H 3) British Museum collection, acquired 1963 b. 4.58 grammes (H 4) Berlin collection, described by Stukeley in 1759 c. 4.70 grammes (H -) 2007 find, along with the gold helmeted PAX AVG. d. 4.86 grammes (H 5) Ex Evans sale, 1934, lot 1836; current location not known	a. b. c. d.
- Rouen mint	IMP C CARAVSIVS AV Laureate, draped and cuirassed bust right	LAETITIA IVI AVG NOS C Galley right 4.61 grammes (H 8)
- Rouen mint	IMP C CARAVSIVS AV Laureate, draped and cuirassed bust right	OPES IVI AVG Figure (Abundantia?) standing left holding bunch of grapes(?) and cornucopia 4.55 grammes (H 9) Ashmolean Museum, Oxford; ex Trau sale, 1935, lot 3483; found at Chester
- London mint	MAXIMIANVS PF AVG Laureate bust left	COMES AVGGG -/-//ML Virtus standing right holding vertical spear and shield 5.60 grammes (H20) ANS collection; ex Arras hoard, 1922
three emperors 32 London mint	MAXIMIANVS PF AVG Laureate, cuirassed bust right	SALVS AVGGG -/-//ML Salus standing right feeding serpent in arms a. 4.31 grammes (H 21) British Museum b. 4.27 grammes (H 22) British Museum collection c. 3.95 grammes (H 23) Current location not known	a. b. c.
FAKES
	CARAVSIVS PF AVG Laureate, cuirassed bust right	CONSERVAT AVG -/-//ML Jupiter standing left holding thunderbolt & sceptre; eagle at foot This was offered for sale on Ebay in February 2009. It is light weight at 2.3 grammes and is clearly copied/cast from RIC 1
IBSCC BOCS vol 17 (1992), no.1, fig 24a	CARAVSIVS PF AVG Laureate, cuirassed bust right	CONSERVATORI AVGGG -/-//ML Jupiter standing left holding thunderbolt & sceptre 4.49 grammes
IBSCC BOCS vol 23 (1998), no.1/2, fig 1a	VIRTVS CARAVSI Radiate, helmeted, cuirassed bust left	ORIES AVG (sic) Sol standing left holding globe and whip; captive at feet 4.13 grammes
IBSCC BOCS vol 17 (1992), no.1, fig 25a	IMP C CARAVSIVS PF AVG Laureate, draped and cuirassed bust right	PAX AVG -/-//MVLT X Pax standing left holding olive branch and vertical sceptre 4.53 grammes
	IMP C CARAVSIVS PF AVG Laureate, draped and cuirassed bust right	PAX AVG -/-//MVLT X Pax standing left holding olive branch and vertical sceptre 4.49 grammes