RIC VI, ROMA 77b, MAXIMIAN HERCULIUS, ENGRAVER'S ERROR OR UNLISTED ISSUE

OBVERSE	IMPCMAMAXIMIANVSPFAVG [IMP C M A MAXIMIANVS P F AVG]; bust r., rad., dr., with or without cuir., seen from rear.
REVERSE	VOT/XX in two lines in wreath.
NOT IN RIC	UNLISTED ISSUE. RIC does not list such fraction issue without officina letter. The most similar is ROMA 74-89b (p. 359-360). Footnote 2 on p. 359 about this issue reads as follows: "These common coins have been studied and recorded with insufficient care. It appears that there were examples (of which Vienna contains a number) without any officina-letter—a separate issue, or result of error in engraving ?". See also note on p. 126: "Voetter-Gerin ascribes to London, as Maximian Herculius no. 6, a small radiate issue of the 3 gm. group with rev. VOT XX in wreath, no mint-mark. The attribution seems to be without foundation". This group probably belongs to the same issue as the specimen shown here.

NOTES

Fraction. Weight 2.32 g; diameter 20.5 mm. Coin sold on Compagnie Générale de Bourse auction in JUne 2007 for EUR 145. Other specimens: - specimen offered on ANCIENT IMPORTS site in August 2007 for $287; weight 2.9 g; diameter 20.67 mm [click for picture]; - specimen sold on eBay in October 2007 for $22.50; weight 2.85 g [click for picture]; - specimen sold on Thesaurus "Idra" auction in December 2008 for EUR 80; weight 3.20 g [click for picture].