Honorius Vandalic VIRTVS EXERCITI Seeking Reference Number

[v-drome]

Hi all.  Here is a neat little coin from Caesarea Maritima.  I found one example on Acsearch.info, and a couple of overstruck ones in the Forum discussion board, but no reference numbers.  It does not appear to be listed in BMC Vandals.  Any other information or links to papers about this coin, and/or confirmation of my reading would be appreciated.  Vandalic coins from Carthage were frequently found along side early Byzantine coins in excavations at Caesarea, as was North African pottery, indicating a lively trade between these areas (ref: J. Evans, The Joint Expedition to Caesarea Maritima Excavation Reports Vol. VI c. 2006, American Schools of Oriental Research ASOR).  Thanks, Jimi.

BCC LR86
Late Roman-Pseudo Imperial
Vandals, Carthage ca. 440-490 CE
Contemporary copy of a Late Roman
Centenionalis of Honorius, (cf. RIC X 61). 
Obv: DN HON?[ORIVS PF AVG]  Diad., draped
bust right, crudely struck on severely undersize
flan.  Rev:[VIRTVS] EXE[RCITI] or similar, mostly
off-flan.  Victory flying to left, crowning Honorius,
standing to right.  AE 12.4mm 1.04gm. Axis:30
Surface find, Caesarea Maritima, 1970's

https://www.acsearch.info/search.html?id=5833442

[SC]

I do not know of any other good reference on Vandalic coinage.  I wish there was one.  I don't find the very old BMC to be a great reference.

I have a few Vandalic coins that bought as such and I also have some clearly Vandalic coins that came from uncleaned lots from Israel and Jordan in the "old days"(early 2000s). 

More importantly, those lots yielded a lot of late AE4s with features such as small flans, off-set strikes, poor lettering etc. that could well be Vandalic imitative issues if I knew better what to look for.

Overall 5th century bronze coinage remains a bit of a mystery to me.....

SC

[v-drome]

Thank you. Shawn.  Yes, I also have a bunch of tiny LR's under 10mm.  I don't know what to do with them, how to ID them, if they are imitative, or even which box to put them in, Late Romans or Caesarea Minimas.  (I recall in one post a while ago, I wondered if they might have been intended as play money!)

Best regards, Jimi

[SC]

Not play money.  This is the size of the smallest bronze denomination by the end of the 4th century, and the only bronze denomination during much of the fifth century.

In your grouping I see a late 4th century AE4 from Thessalonica (top left), and early 5th century AE4 from Antioch (bottom left).  Both normal issues.  But there are others that are either imitatives or regular issues from the 5th century when the few operating mints, especially Rome, were producing poor quality coins.  There is also at least one vandalic with the think odd-looking wreath.

SC

[v-drome]

  Much appreciated!