LEGIONS

There are, I think, eleven legions or military units noted on the coins of Carausius. If all of these were complete legions supporting his revolt then he would have been in a position to threaten Rome. They are, most likely, detachments or vexhillations that either made up his initial force or represented legions that came under his direct control in Britain.

The initial issue of legionary coins seems to have been made towards the beginning of his reign, c.287, honouring his available troops. A secondary issue of legionary coins honouring a more limited range of legions and this may represent the units used in a specific campaign of Carausius.

There was for many years no known coin of the 6th legion extant. This caused some to speculate that this legion did not initially offer their support to Carausius and may even have offered some opposition. However one or two specimens of 6th legion coins have recently come to light, proving that there are still surprises to be had within his coin corpus.

LEGION I MINERVA Lower Rhine Ram		"L" mint RIC 55-6 "C" mint RIC 268
LEGION II PARTHICA Britannia Centaur		"L" mint RIC 60-4 "C" mint RIC 269-71
LEGION II PARTHICA Britannia Boar		"L" Mint RIC 65
LEGION II AVGVSTA Italia Capricorn		"L" mint RIC 57-9
LEGION IIII FLAVIA Dacia Lion		"L" mint RIC 68-9
LEGION IIII FLAVIA Dacia Centaur		"C" mint RIC 272-3
LEGION VI VICTRIX Britannia Boar	Not yet represented in my collection	Not in RIC
LEGION VII CLAVDIA Moesia Bull		"L" mint RIC 74-6 "C" mint RIC 274
LEGION VIII AVGVSTA Upper Rhine Bull		"L" mint RIC 77
LEGION XX VALERIA VICTRIX Britain Boar	Not yet represented in my collection	"L" mint RIC 82-3 "C" mint RIC 275
LEGION XXII PRIMIGENIA Upper Rhine Capricorn		"L" mint RIC 80-1
LEGION XXX VLPIA VICTRIX Lower Rhine Neptune		"L" mint RIC 84-6
PRAETORIAN COHORT Military standards		"L" mint RIC 12

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