RIC VI, IANTINUM, MAXIMIAN HERCULIUS, UNLISTED ISSUE [IOVI FVLGERATORI]

OBVERSE	MAXIMIA-NVSPAVG [MAXIMIANVS P AVG]; head r., laur.
REVERSE	IOVIFVLG-E-RATORI [IOVI FVLGERATORI]; Jupiter advancing r., cloak flying, r. holding thunderbolt, serpent-legged giant to right. IAN in exergue.
NOT IN RIC	UNLISTED ISSUE. Already known for Cohen (vol. 6, p. 531, no. 377). Pink ("Die Goldprägung des Diocletianus und seiner Mitregenten", Numismatische Zeitschrift 1931, p. 38) and later Bastien ("The Iantinum Mint", American Numismatic Society Museum Notes, 25, 1980, pp. 77-85, plates 9-11) suggested that extremely rare gold issue with IAN in exergue was minted by a transitory mint at Ianticum (now Meaux in France). The Iantinum mint is not attested in RIC V/2 and RIC VI. Its short activity probably preceded the establishment of the mint at Treveri, so these coins belong rather to pre-Reform coinage. However, they are worth to note here together with similar issues minted at Rome and similarly omitted in RIC V/2 and RIC VI. See also: IANTINUM, DIOCLETIAN, UNLISTED ISSUE [HERCVLI VICTORI] IANTINUM, DIOCLETIAN, UNLISTED ISSUE [VIRTVS AVGG]

NOTES

Aureus. Weight 5.47 g; diameter 19 mm. From Heritage Auctions NYINC Signature Sale 3081 (lot 32071), January 2020. Shown in Bastien's article (plate 9, no. 1). Other specimens: - from Firenze XIII (p. 55, no. 2); weight 5.45 g; diameter 18-19 mm; shown in Bastien's article (plate 9, no. 2) [click for picture].