Roman Coin - Aurelian ID

[davidg88]

Hey Everyone,

I was hoping for some assistance on this coin.

The details I have are as follows
AURELIAN AE ANTONINIANUS
23MM , 3.53GM

However, when inspecting the coin I can't find any similar Obverse

Observe
IMP C M AVR _ _ VS AVG

[Christopher H2]

Hi,

When taking a screenshot of the website you had your mouse over the image, so there is a text box that obscures part of the coin. Could you fix the image?

Seems like IMP C M AVRELIANVS AVG

Reverse is pretty worn but looks like FIDES MILITVM, Fides standing left, holding standard and scepter.

[davidg88]

Thank you very much

The back appears as you mentioned. The detail in  person is much better.

[Pekka K]

I read IMP C M AVR CARINVS AVG.

Pekka K

[Christopher H2]

Hmm, you are right. But there is a missing vertical stroke. IMP CM AVR CARIIVS AVG

[davidg88]

The extra I throws me off. I can't seem to find any rulers that match this.

The closest I found was the following

Thanks for the help.

[Christopher H2]

Yes looking at Helvetica's excel sheets I see that KA is the only exergue listed for FIDES MILITVM of Carinus with the IMP CM AVR CARINVS AVG obverse legend. Looking other examples of these issues the legend seems to usually have the correct amount of vertical strokes. Quite puzzled by this as well. Maybe it is an error by the die maker?

[davidg88]

Interesting..Were these type of errors common?

I can't seem to find any other explaination for this one. I'm surprised as this was sold to me as a basic Aurelian ID.

[davidg88]

CARINUS - Minted 283 – 285AD
Obverse:  IMP CM AVR CARIINVS AVG
Reverse:  FIDES MILITVM – KA Epsilon
Minted Rome -

Potential Die-Maker Error? or Could this be an ancient counterfeit?

[curtislclay]

You read CHRIIVS.

I would say that the first upright of your H is actually the final downwards sloping stroke of an A, and the second upright of your H is actually the upright of the R following the A.

The normal reading then follows easily: CARINVS.

[AndyJones]

You read CHRIIVS.

I would actually say the first upright of your H is actually the final downwards sloping stroke of an A, and the second upright of your H is actually the upright of the R following the A.

The normal reading then follows easily: CARINVS.

I agree with you, it seems to say CARINVS.

[Christopher H2]

You read CHRIIVS.

I would say that the first upright of your H is actually the final downwards sloping stroke of an A, and the second upright of your H is actually the upright of the R following the A.

The normal reading then follows easily: CARINVS.

Sorry, my MSPaint handwriting isn't too good - I mean to spell out CARIIVS on my earlier image.

I'm not really seeing CARINVS. Are you suggesting that the CA is perhaps written as a sort of ligature, something like this?