Crusaders, Principality of Antioch. Uncertain King BI Fractional Denier.

BALDVINVS RЄX, cross pattée / ✠ DЄ IЄRVSALЄM, tower of David. Metcalf, Crusades 150; cf. CCS 15. 0.92gr, 17mm, 12h.

Very Fine.

From the collection of a gentleman, acquired on the London art market in the 1990s.

Possibly Gallic mint. In the name of Marcian (AD 450-457). D N MARCIA-INVS P F AVC, helmeted, pearl-diademed and cuirassed facing bust, holding spear in right hand and shield on left arm / VICTORI-A AVCCCЄ, Victory standing to left, holding in right hand long voided jewelled cross, star in right field; COИOB in exergue. Unpublished in the standard references, for other imitative issues in the name of Marcian cf. Depeyrot 89 (Imitations) = J.M. Fagerlie, Late Roman and Byzantine Solidi found in Sweden and Denmark, NNM 157 [1967], pl. XVI, 377; CNG-Triton 11, 2008, 1076 = Baldwin 47, 2006, 227; Gorny & Mosch 134, 2004, 3339. For prototype cf. RIC X 509; MIRB 5 (Constantinople). 4.23gr, 19mm, 6h.

Good Very Fine.

From the collection of a gentleman, acquired on the London art market in the 1990s.

Rome mint. [IN]VIC[TA ROMA], draped bust of Roma to right, wearing crested helmet, pendant earring and necklace / She-wolf standing to left, head turned back to watch the two infants Romulus and Remus suckling; two stars flanking I above, [XX (mark of value)] below. Hahn, MIB 71c (Theoderic); Kraus 29; Metlich 84b; MEC 1, 97-8. 8.54gr, 22mm, 2h.

Good Fine.

Private collection, acquired 1980-1985.

Although the most noticeable of the bronze coins used in Italy under the Ostrogoths are the countermarked asses and other earlier types, in fact these did not make up the bulk of the copper coinage in circulation at that time. Under Odovacar and the Ostrogoths the Roman Senate enjoyed a brief Indian summer of power; amongst its activities was a revival of the ancient Senatorial privilege of minting in bronze which, after a very brief issue in the name of Zeno, then consisted of types purely Roman in character making no reference to either imperial or royal authority. This revived Senatorial coinage features the helmeted bust of Roma along with the ironic obverse inscription INVICTA ROMA, and recalls the ancient silver coins of the Republic. Coming to an end in AD 535/6, when it was briefly replaced by the portrait coins of Theodahad, after the occupation of Rome by the forces of Belisarius it was in turn replaced by a regular 'Byzantine' imperial coinage in the name of Justinian in 537. When Rome again fell under Ostrogothic control and the mint was reopened in 549, the coinage issued was purely royal and Ostrogothic in character, and so this series may therefore be rightfully described as the final issue of coinage struck by the ancient Romans in their own name.