Carausius - Legend, Mintmark, and Portrait Type Sequences, Rarity, and Dating

[Joe Sermarini]

I am working on an update to the legend, mintmark, and portrait type sequences, rarity and dating for the coinage of Carausius. My effort is based on the sequence and dating first established by P.H. Webb in "The Linchmere Hoard" in NC 1925, pp. 173 - 235, updated by him in The Roman Imperial Coinage, Volume V, Part 2 in 1933 and refined by R.A.G. Carson in "The Sequence-marks on the Coinage of Carausius and Allectus" in Essays Baldwin (1971), pp. 57 - 65. Changes to Carson's dating are primarily based on recognizing Carausius' three portrait types and their sequence, identified by C.E. King in "The Unmarked Coins of Carausius" in BNJ 54 (1984), pp. 1 - 9. An adaption of the relevant portion of King's article is also provided.

Please visit the NumisWiki Carausius page to see the effort so far. It is still a work in progress. Please comment, discuss and advice corrections or additional information here. Please advise if you know of any work that has been done on this since Carson's article. There are some unsolved issues noted and I hope we can discuss them too. Thanks.  

https://www.forumancientcoins.com/numiswiki/view.asp?key=Carausius

I suggest scrolling down and reading about the portrait types first.

[mauseus]

Hi,

There are some problems with the King article used as the main source but it is generaly a sound paper, given its date/age. I will endeavour next week to add Rouen portraits to Wiki article, they are very distinct. I will also try to distill the other portraits, the SP and SC unmarked are often quite distinct long necked. I would also use this as a reminder of my FORVM gallery of Carausius by RIC number.

Regards,

Mauseus

[Joe Sermarini]

I did notice that the second, middle reign, portrait types may get more long necked and tetrarchic over time. I thought about splitting them into two sub types, but I decided it was not necessary for dating the coins, which is my main goal.  Same applies to the Rouen portrait types.  I thought about adding a section on them too, and it is a good idea (thanks in advance for doing it), but my main intent is sequence and dating. 

Please also look at the sequences, rarity, and dates, and my questions and share your expertise.

Thanks Mauses!

[Callimachus]

A simple spelling error that probably would not be caught by a spell-check:

"The middle reign portrait is accompanied by legends begging IMP CARAVSIVS "

[Joe Sermarini]

Thanks. I fixed the spelling. BTW it is a wiki so you could click edit and make changes too. 

I also did my first revision - already.

[Joe Sermarini]

...I would also use this as a reminder of my FORVM gallery of Carausius by RIC number.

Regards,

Mauseus

I added a link to your Carausius gallery on the NumisWiki page.

[Joe Sermarini]

I had another look at the portraits and it seems the really long neck portraits are all S-P / -.  I think that suggests they were not struck alongside the S-P / C but more likely at a different mint. 

[mauseus]

Hi,

Several years ago I started a paper cataloguing the SP and SC coins without a mintmark in the exergue. I think that they are from a peripatetic mint located with the court of Carausius and not at the L or C location.

Regards,

Mauseus

[Joe Sermarini]

Interesting. Thanks.

[Joe Sermarini]

Updated again.