Some Coins of Carausius from Richborough

SOME COINS OF CARAUSIUS FROM RICHBOROUGH By N. SH1Et THE site at Riohborough has produced a great number of coins, most of which have been published in the various excavation reports.l Lack of time and space, especially in the case of the earlier reports, has meant, however, that there is still a great deal of work to be done on these coins. This has been undertaken by Mr. Richard Reece, of the Institute of Archreology, University of London, who intends to comprehensively publish all the Riohborough material; almost sixty thousand coins. I have been allowed to help, in a small way, by working on the coins of Carausius and Allectus, a small, but important group. New varieties were noted in all the reports, but many were missed and not all those published were accurately described. This is made particularly clear by the case of the two BRI coins which were discovered, neither of which had been recognized in the original published accounts. These are by far the most important 'new' discoveries but I have taken this opportunity to describe some other coins which exhibit some variety from those given in RIO."· I. (0) IMPCAR(AVSIVS ...] a oro3 1922 1 (R) CONCO [ ] Ill/I Figure seated left (Concordia), right hand extended and vertical sceptre 21 ·5 mm. )'I in left hand. 2. (0) f ] CARA VSIVS PAV a or c 1922/3 (R) [. . . Ml]LITVM _1 Emperor and Concordia clasping 20 mm. ii' hands. 8. (0) IMP C CARAVSIVS P[FI] AVG a or c ...... (R) [FIDES MILI]TVM S 􀄿 C Four ensigns, cf. RIO, V, pt. 2, pl.x vii, 21 mm. 􀅀./ no. ll. 1 'Excavations at the Site of the Roman Fort at Riohborough, Kent', I-V. 2 Mattingly and Sydenham, .Roman Imperial Ooinage, V, pt. 2. 3 These abbreviations are taken from RIO. a. = bust. right, radiate, draped o = bust l'ight, l'adiate draped and ouirassed f = bust right, l'adiate, cuirassed. It is often impossible to distinguish these on wom coins or those not struck centl'ally on the flan. 115 N. SHIEL 4. (0) IMP CM CARAUSIUS AUG a 19 31 (R) FIDES 􀂼T􀂽 1 Fides seated l. with two standards _ / overstruck. 24 X 22mm. 1c<: 5. (0) IMP CARAUSIVS PF AVG a (R) [l]N[VI]C[TVSAVG] RS􀂾 Sol walking I.: right hand raised 21 20 ✓ ( ) X mm. globe in left hand. Coarse work- manship, cf. RIO, 8 07. 6. (0) IMP CARAUSIVS PAGVI c (R) Ll[T]I [AVG] 1 Pax1 std. 1. with olive branch and 19 mm. vertical sceptre. 7. (0) Illegible. This piece, while certainly irregular, is in no way barbarous. (R) MONE[TAJAVG //// Pax std. I. with4 vertical scept,re. 21 mm. t 8. (0) IMPOARAVSIVSPAVG c (R) PA[X AV] GVS 1 Pax std. I. with vertical sceptre. X 22mm. 9. (0) IMPOC[ARAVSIVJSAVG a or c 1 (R) PAX A[VG] / / / // Pax std. I. with trnnsverse sceptre. 20 X 18 mm. -), 10. (0) IMP C CARAV[ ] c (R) PAX[AVG] _l_ Pax std. 1. with vertical sceptre. 20 X 19 mm. t ll. (0) IMPCCARAVSIVSAVG a or c. (R) PAX AUG -1- Pax std. I. with vertical sceptre. 24 X 23 mm. .j, These last two pieces and possibly no. 9 are exceptions to the chronology proposed for Carausius' coins by R. A. G. Carson.6 It will 4 On subsequent coins Paa, always has an olive branch in her right hand unless otherwise stated. 4 R. A. G. Carson, 'The Sequence-marks on the Coinage of Carausius and Alleotus', in (Ed.) R. A. G. Carson, Mints, Diet, and Ourrency. 116 SOME COINS OF CARAUSIUS FROM RICHBOROUGH take a much more formidable body of evidence, however, t.o challenge that chronology. 12. (0) IMP[ ]SIVS P I AV c 1931 (R) PAX AV[G] .!Pax std. l. with transverse sceptre. 23 mm. IC 13. (0) [ ]AVSIVS PI AV (R) PAXAV[GJ -1 22 X 20 mm. t Pax std.l .w ith vertical sceptre. 14. (0) IMP CARAVSIVS P I AVG c (R) illegible -1- Pax std. ]. with vertical sceptre. 22 mm. ,11 15. (0) IMP CARAVSIVS PFI AVG c (R) PAX AVG SIP ML Pax std. 1.w ith vertical sceptre. 23 mm. t 16. (0) [ ] AVSIVS PFI AVG (R) [PAX A]VG [S] p Pax std. 1. with vertical sceptre. C 25 X 23 mm. IC 17. (0) IMP CARAVSIVS PF AV a 1924 (R) PAX AVG 􀂰 Pax std. l. with vertical sceptre. 22 x 21 mm. IC 18. (0) IMP CARAUSIVS PF AV c (R) PAX AUG _l Pax std. 1. with vertical sceptre. 21 X 18 mm. it' 19. (0) IMP CARAVSIVS PF AV f (R) PAX AVG _l Pax std. 1. with vertical sceptre. 23 X 22 mm. t 20. (0) IMP OARAVSIVS A a (R) PAX AVG _I Pax std. I. with vertical sceptre. 22 x 21 mm. IC 21. (0) [ ]CAR[AVSIVS ...] 1922/3. (R) [PA]X AV [G] 􀂱 Pax std. I., baton in right hand, 20 mm. \,i transverse sceptre in left hand. 117 N. SHIEL 22. (0) IMPCARAUSIVS P A V a or c IV6 24709 (R) :PAX AVG F O Pax std. 1. with vertical sceptre. C 22 x 20 mm. t Of. RIG, V; II, p. 490, no. 305 and note 2, presumably referring to this coin inaccurately described. 23. (0) IMP CARAUSIVS PF AUGG. (R) P.AX AVG [FJ O Pax std. 1. with vertical sceptre. I/ II 22 x 20mm. 2-4. (0) IMP[C]CARAUSIVS PF A VG f. 1924 (R) P.AX AVGGG SIP Pax std. l. with transverse sceptre. 23 X 21 mm. t 25. (0) IMP CARAUSIVS P AVG a 1931 (R) SALVS AVG !Salus std. I. with two ensigns. 21 X 20 mm. ,L' 26. (0) VIRTVS CARAVSI A VG. radiate bust l. with spear and shield. (R) SALV[S]AUG -1- Salus std. l. feeding snake rising from 20 mm. t altar, vertical sceptre in left hand. 27. (0) IMP CARAUSIVS PF AVG a (R) TV TEL]A AVG !Tutela? std. l. holding patera over 20-X 19 mm. ,L' altar, in left hand cornucopiae. That this is a Tutela reverse is not certain but the type, spacing and traces of the first two letters combine to suggest as much. RIG only lists coins from the 'Rouen'7 mint with this reverse and this coin is certainly not at all in the 'Rouen' style or fabric. 28. (0) IMP CARAVSIVS PF A VG c. 1931 (R) VIOTORIA AUGVS[TIJ ):., Victory r., wreath in I. hand, 22 X 21 mm. : palm in right h8,Jld. 29. (0) IMP CARAVSIVS AVG a or c (R) VIR[TVSAVGJ J Mars std. I. with spear and shield. 23 X 21 mm. tL' 􀀍 Richbr>rough IV, coin no. 24709. 1 RIO, nos. 682--90. 118 SOME COINS OF CARAUSIUS FROM RICHBOROUGH 30. (0) IMP CARAVSIVS PF AUG a. {R) VIR[T]VS AUG ¾ Mars seated 1. with wreath and spear, 22mm. "'. / cuirass below seat. 31. (0) IMP CARAVSIVS PF I c (R) No legend . ,􀀂 Salus std. 1., cornucopiae in 1. hand, 24 X 20mm. feeding serpent rising from the ground. wouTldh ish aisv ew belele npr celseearvrleyd vsios ibhlaed. Tthheer er eevveerrs eb etypen ea isr esviemrsilea rl etgoe ntdh aitt on one of the enigmatic base-metal laureate pieces of Carausius.s 32. (0) IMP[ JAVSIVS AVG (R} [ JS AVG -1 21 mm. .7' c IV 24676 oEpmpponereonrt .g alloping r., riding down an of. RTIhOis. , is probably an Adventus type but could be a Virtus Aug, 1036. 33· 􀃗􀃘􀃙 IMP CARAVSIVS PF AVG a or o. obverse Brookage 1931 · 23 x 21 mm. ,/ marBkreodo ksaiggness a.orfe wraeraer aanndd t hciosr irso nsiootn a, uwnellilk per etsheer vveedr yex awmelpl lep rsehsoewrvinedg brockage of Allectus from South Shields. 9 34. (0) IMP C DIOCLETIAN VS PF AUG 1931 (R) CO[NCORD MI]LITVM [S] I iJ Concordia std. between two 23 X 21 mm. ,/ MLX standards. 35. (0)10IMP CARAUSIVS PF AVG. c (R) [SALVS AVG] BI I Salus std. I., altar before, vertical 1 R sceptre behind. /Corroded reverse.) 23 X 19mm. "'3 ·8gm. 36. (0) IMP CARAUSIVS PF AVG 1931 (R) [SALV]S AUG BlR I Sfraolmus aslttda.r , I. vfeeretidcianlg ssceerppterne t inr islienfgt 23 X 22mm. ,/ 4 ·27 gm. hand. 8 See my forthcoming note on these pieces. 9 AA•, n.s., x (1884), 301. 10 Cf. my note in Ooin and Medal Bulletin, no. 643 (1972, no. 3), 101-2. 119 N. SHIEL The first of these was discovered in a box labelled 'miscellaneous salus types'. The second, found on the surface in 1931, was incorrectly described on its packet as having the 􀁠 mint mark. These coins were the fourt,h and fifth specimens of this BR! coinage to come t,o light and as they both share an obverse die with the Corbridge specimen they add greatly to our knowledge of this minority group of Cara.usian coins. 120