RIC VI, ROMA [before 1], GALERIUS MAXIMIAN, UNLISTED ISSUE [PRINCIPI IVVENTVTIS]

OBVERSE	DNMAXIM-IANOCAES [D N MAXIMIANO CAES]; head r., laur.
REVERSE	PRINCIPIIVVENTVTIS [PRINCIPI IVVENTVTIS]; Prince stg. r. in military dress, r. holding transverse spear, l. globe. PROM in exergue.
NOT IN RIC	UNLISTED ISSUE. The mark PROM was already known to Cohen (cf. Cohen, vol. VI, p. 517, no. 254) and to Voetter (cf. Sammlung Bachofen von Echt, Wien 1903, p. 133, no. 2329). Also Percy H. Webb - the author of RIC V - mentioned that "the exergual mark PR is common on aurei of the new style before and after the Reform. PROM appears after that event" (RIC vol. V, part II, p. 214). Unfortunately, entire AV series with PROM m.m. was omitted in RIC VI, in error. Note that modern forgeries of this type also exist: based on the same die pattern but considerably lighter. See two examples from FORVM ANCIENT COINS (posted by George H4): forgery1 (weight 3.43 g; diameter 17 mm) and forgery2 (weight 3.39 g; diameter 17 mm). Listed in Depeyrot (p. 84, no. 9/11). Should be listed in RIC before ROMA 1. See also: ROMA [before 1], GALERIUS MAXIMIAN, UNLISTED ISSUE [PRINCIPI IVVENTVTIS] ROMA [before 1], CONSTANTIVS, UNLISTED ISSUE [PRINCIPI IVVENTVTIS] ROMA [before 1], CONSTANTIVS, UNLISTED ISSUE [PRINCIPI IVVENTVTIS] ROMA [before 1], CONSTANTIVS, UNLISTED ISSUE [PRINCIPI IVVENTVTIS]

NOTES

Lighter aureus. Weight 5.93 g; diameter 18.5 mm. From the American Numismatic Society Collection (reg. no. 1944.100.38308). Other specimens: - sold on Bank Leu auction 18 (lot 389) in May 1977 for CHF 18,000; sold on Tkalec auction in April 2007 (lot 344) for CHF 8,500; sold on Numismatica Ars Classica auction 141 (lot 274) in November 2023 for CHF 8,000; weight 5.66 g; diameter 19 mm [click for picture]; - sold on The New York Sale XVII in January 2008 (lot 215) for USD 2,750; sold on Nomisma auction 52 (lot 116) in May 2015 for EUR 3,000 [note that authenticity of this specimen also could be disputed]; weight 5.67 g [click for picture].