unofficial Magnentius VLPP

[tenbobbit]

hi Victor, I thought you might like this coin. There is a similar 1 on FAC in the barbarous gallery.
Obverse - OMAGNENTIVSPFAVG
Reverse - Blundered legend & shield inscription
Weight - 1.51g
Size - 20mm

[Victor]

Yes, it's a neat example, but it is not copying a VLPP (VICTORIAE LAETAE PRINC PERP), even though the official type must surely have been inspired by the VLPP. The coin it is copying has a reverse legend of VICTORIAE DD NN AVG ET CAE and was a standard type issued for Magnentius and Decentius. Below is an example of an official issue, without the altar/column.

Here is an older thread with a few of these unofficial issues.

http://www.lateromanbronzecoinforum.com/index.php?topic=361.0

[tenbobbit]

Hi Vic,
Don't worry, I am aware what the legend should be on this type 
The reason I said it was a VLPP copy is that the reverse legend looks like they have copied from the VLPP rather than the VICDDNNAVGETCAE variety.
Surely the engravers had the same coin to work from, due to the obverse being so well done I am thinking that 2 different workers were involved with possibly 2 different coins or one could read and the reverse worker was " barbarous " in the true meaning of the word. I cant see both sides being from the same hand.
Thanks for the link to the previous thread, I have other Magnentius with 2 vics/shield from Trier,Lyon & Amiens all official types, strange how the imitation gets my interest levels up more than the official type.
I have some other " barbs " I will dig out for you if you don't mind Victor, I will post them soon.
Thanks again.

[Victor]

The reason I said it was a VLPP copy is that the reverse legend looks like they have copied from the VLPP rather than the VICDDNNAVGETCAE variety.

The legend on the shield doesn't copy a VLPP, which would be VOT PR in two lines, so unofficial VLPP's tend to have two lines also, but, of course, unofficial coinage varies, however this one has four lines like the type it copies, plus the reverse legend even has a blundered attempt at CAE, the shield also doesn't look like the VLPP type and even the victories don't look like VLPP ones, on VLPP's and imitations the wings are usually rounded and have more "droop" while the VICTORIAE DD NN AVG ET CAE and its copies usually have somewhat pointy wings with less droop. Finally, the size at 20mm is almost exactly the same as official VLPP's, which were circa 19-20mm, with unofficial ones varying but averaging a bit smaller at 17mm. Copies of coins were minted at the same time that the official coins were struck. Unofficial coinage was minted due to a shortage usually created by old coinage being demonetized and by the time Magnentius usurped, the VLPP's were long out of circulation...at least fifteen years. In fact, there were two coin reforms during this period (A.D. 320 with end of VLPP's until A.D. 350 with Magnentius)-  the first, circa A.D. 335 the number of nummi to a pound was raised to 196 and the second in A.D. 348 when the maiorina was introduced. Finally a third event which demonetized coins in circulation (at least in the territory of Magnentius) was the usurpation of Magnentius himself, as he would have wanted (and surely ordered) only his coinage circulating in his territories, which is why unofficial coins like the one you posted were struck- to meet the supply until official mint product was in sufficient number.