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DOI article:Dymowski, Arkadiusz: More Roman coins found in Kuyavia: the coinage of the Imperium Galliarum in Poland
DOI Page / Citation link:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.31072#0161
MORĘ ROMAN COINS FOUND IN KUYAY1A...
Empire, most iikely in Gaul or Britain2 The obverse shows a bust of a bearded
ruler, in a coro77G orG/G/G, to right, and the foiiowing barbarized inscription: [...]
SP \ / \ /. On the reverse, a standing femaie hgure, to left (Saius?), and a barbarized
border inscription that reads [...]LV-SHVCC. The coin of Carausius shouid be
assigned to the London mint and dated to the years 290-292 (ZGC V 98). It is 24
mm in diameter and weighs 4.10 g. The obverse represents the emperor's bust in
an armour, a draped cloak, and a ccro/7G PGćZ/G/G, to right, and the legend 1MPC-
CARAVSIVSPFAVG, while the reverse shows the goddess Pax, to left, standing,
holding an olive branch and a long sceptre, and the border inscription PAXAVG.
The mint markings are "S" in the teft-hand field and MLXX1 in exergue; the char-
acter in the right-hand field (if there was any) is indecipherable.
The 2'^-century hybrid denarius is interesting in itself. However, it shouid be
interpreted within the broader context of the inflow and usage of E'- and 2'^-century
Roman denarii in the territory of the Centrai-European Z?GpZtGr7C7//77 and, in this
sense, this find is not anything out of the ordinary. As it is, 2'^-century denarii con-
tinue to be the most frequently found Roman coins in the territory of present-day
Poland. Much morę noteworthy specimens are the recentiy found 3^-century coins
that are linked to the existence of the two ephemeral "states" in the Western part of
the Roman Empire, the so-caiied Zw/jcr/z/w GG/Z/G/p/w and ZE77707G/G77/777.
The first of the emperors of the GGZZ/GP7//77, i.e., the territories of the
Z?o/77GWM777 remaining under the rule of the usurpers effectiveiy beyond
contro) of the central authority (in the years 260-274),^ was Postumus (260-269).
This "state" encompassed the provinces of Gaul, Britain, and, temporarily, Spain.
Foiiowing Postumus' death, the seif-prociaimed empire was ruied, very briefiy,
by Marius (269), who was succeeded by Victorinus (269-271) and Tetricus 1
(271-274), the iatter of whom would ruie jointiy with his son, Tetricus II (in the
years 273-274)7 Aithough the //77/7erZz//77 GGZZ/G/G//77 remained under the usurpers'
ruie, two morę usurpers were prociaimed in that period: Laelianus (268), during
^ See, e.g., J.A. DAVIES, "The barbarous radiates from Richborough," PrpMp A^awAwaPc Joaraa/ 52,
1982, p. 23; A. BURSCHE, "Moneta i kruszec w kutturze wielbarskiej w okresie późnorzymskim," Przg-
g/<?P Zrcpgo/og/gzay 3i, 1983, p. 60; K.W. FiARL, Co/aagg /a /pg Poa?aa Pcoaowy, 300 P.C. /o AD. 700,
London 1996,p. 148.
^On the 7wpgn'aa? GaP/ara/a and its history, see, e.g., J.F. DR1NKWATER, PPg GaP/c Parp/rg. PgparatAar
aap Coa//aa/7y /a P?e Aor/P-łfg^tgra Pror/acg^ o/"tpg Powaa Pw/i/rg Z.D. 260—274, Historia EinzetschriFten 52,
Stuttgart 1987, pa^/ar; 1. KÓN1G, D/ggaPAcpga Gsarpatorga voa Po^taara^' PA 7gtr/ca^, Vestigia. Beitrage zur
alten Geschichte 31, Mtinchen 1981,^aMi'w; T. KOTULA, Wryzy.5 777 w/g/ca wzacPoPa/cP jcrow/ac/acP Ce^ar-
^twa Pzyai^P/ggo, Antiquitas, vol. XVII, Wrocław 1992, p. 31 fT; R. URBAN, Ga/Pa rgPePA. PrPgPaagga a?
GaP/ga //a Spiegg/ aaPpgr ZgagaA^g, Historia Einzelschriften 192, Stuttgart 1999, pp. 88-93.
7 The regnai dates according to: E. W1PSZYCKA, R. SUSKI, "Listy władców," [in:] E. WIPSZYCKA
(ed.), %!<7gwgcMw PistoryPa Garcżytag/ Grec/7 i Pzya?a, vol. 1/11, Warszawa 2001, pp. 570-571. Sonie publica-
tions, especially the earlier ones, specify somewhat different dates ofthe reigns of the Gallic emperors: Postumus
(259-268), Marius (268), Yictorinus (268-270), Tetricus 1 (270-273); see, e.g., P7C V, pp. 310-327.
Empire, most iikely in Gaul or Britain2 The obverse shows a bust of a bearded
ruler, in a coro77G orG/G/G, to right, and the foiiowing barbarized inscription: [...]
SP \ / \ /. On the reverse, a standing femaie hgure, to left (Saius?), and a barbarized
border inscription that reads [...]LV-SHVCC. The coin of Carausius shouid be
assigned to the London mint and dated to the years 290-292 (ZGC V 98). It is 24
mm in diameter and weighs 4.10 g. The obverse represents the emperor's bust in
an armour, a draped cloak, and a ccro/7G PGćZ/G/G, to right, and the legend 1MPC-
CARAVSIVSPFAVG, while the reverse shows the goddess Pax, to left, standing,
holding an olive branch and a long sceptre, and the border inscription PAXAVG.
The mint markings are "S" in the teft-hand field and MLXX1 in exergue; the char-
acter in the right-hand field (if there was any) is indecipherable.
The 2'^-century hybrid denarius is interesting in itself. However, it shouid be
interpreted within the broader context of the inflow and usage of E'- and 2'^-century
Roman denarii in the territory of the Centrai-European Z?GpZtGr7C7//77 and, in this
sense, this find is not anything out of the ordinary. As it is, 2'^-century denarii con-
tinue to be the most frequently found Roman coins in the territory of present-day
Poland. Much morę noteworthy specimens are the recentiy found 3^-century coins
that are linked to the existence of the two ephemeral "states" in the Western part of
the Roman Empire, the so-caiied Zw/jcr/z/w GG/Z/G/p/w and ZE77707G/G77/777.
The first of the emperors of the GGZZ/GP7//77, i.e., the territories of the
Z?o/77GWM777 remaining under the rule of the usurpers effectiveiy beyond
contro) of the central authority (in the years 260-274),^ was Postumus (260-269).
This "state" encompassed the provinces of Gaul, Britain, and, temporarily, Spain.
Foiiowing Postumus' death, the seif-prociaimed empire was ruied, very briefiy,
by Marius (269), who was succeeded by Victorinus (269-271) and Tetricus 1
(271-274), the iatter of whom would ruie jointiy with his son, Tetricus II (in the
years 273-274)7 Aithough the //77/7erZz//77 GGZZ/G/G//77 remained under the usurpers'
ruie, two morę usurpers were prociaimed in that period: Laelianus (268), during
^ See, e.g., J.A. DAVIES, "The barbarous radiates from Richborough," PrpMp A^awAwaPc Joaraa/ 52,
1982, p. 23; A. BURSCHE, "Moneta i kruszec w kutturze wielbarskiej w okresie późnorzymskim," Przg-
g/<?P Zrcpgo/og/gzay 3i, 1983, p. 60; K.W. FiARL, Co/aagg /a /pg Poa?aa Pcoaowy, 300 P.C. /o AD. 700,
London 1996,p. 148.
^On the 7wpgn'aa? GaP/ara/a and its history, see, e.g., J.F. DR1NKWATER, PPg GaP/c Parp/rg. PgparatAar
aap Coa//aa/7y /a P?e Aor/P-łfg^tgra Pror/acg^ o/"tpg Powaa Pw/i/rg Z.D. 260—274, Historia EinzetschriFten 52,
Stuttgart 1987, pa^/ar; 1. KÓN1G, D/ggaPAcpga Gsarpatorga voa Po^taara^' PA 7gtr/ca^, Vestigia. Beitrage zur
alten Geschichte 31, Mtinchen 1981,^aMi'w; T. KOTULA, Wryzy.5 777 w/g/ca wzacPoPa/cP jcrow/ac/acP Ce^ar-
^twa Pzyai^P/ggo, Antiquitas, vol. XVII, Wrocław 1992, p. 31 fT; R. URBAN, Ga/Pa rgPePA. PrPgPaagga a?
GaP/ga //a Spiegg/ aaPpgr ZgagaA^g, Historia Einzelschriften 192, Stuttgart 1999, pp. 88-93.
7 The regnai dates according to: E. W1PSZYCKA, R. SUSKI, "Listy władców," [in:] E. WIPSZYCKA
(ed.), %!<7gwgcMw PistoryPa Garcżytag/ Grec/7 i Pzya?a, vol. 1/11, Warszawa 2001, pp. 570-571. Sonie publica-
tions, especially the earlier ones, specify somewhat different dates ofthe reigns of the Gallic emperors: Postumus
(259-268), Marius (268), Yictorinus (268-270), Tetricus 1 (270-273); see, e.g., P7C V, pp. 310-327.