Trier, a city with a rich numismatic history!

[Lhevae]

Just now, Heliodromus said:

One interesting thing about this type is that the officina A coins show genius with some generic turrreted headgear, but officina B often has a city gate instead such as this one of mine:

And better yet, sometimes a double-entrance city gate which seems like it may be the porta nigra.

Above coin not mine, sadly.

 

 

It is worth noting that there was actually a mint next to the Porta Nigra. In 2005, excavations led during the expansion of the Simeonstift museum (just next to the Porta Nigra) unearthed hundreds of coins but also semi-finished coins, aurei offstrikes, metal bars and ingots... from the end of the reign of Tetricus. We know that the Trier mint was closed afterwards, but maybe the mint (or one of the officinas) was again located next to the Porta Nigra when it was re-opened.

Edited June 5, 2022 by Lhevae

[Heliodromus]

2 hours ago, Lhevae said:

It is worth noting that there was actually a mint next to the Porta Nigra.

Very interesting - I wasn't aware of that.

You wouldn't happen to know if these mint artifacts are on display anywhere, online or real world ?

 

[Lhevae]

Just now, Heliodromus said:

Very interesting - I wasn't aware of that.

You wouldn't happen to know if these mint artifacts are on display anywhere, online or real world ?

 

I don't know if and where they are displayed unfortunately. This article available for free online speak about the discoveries, including the monetary ones, and includes very few pictures : https://journals.ub.uni-heidelberg.de/index.php/tz/article/download/54963/59533/188277 (that link will download the article in PDF format). The article is in german.

This article of Karl-Josef Gilles supposedly discuss more in detail monetary findings, I guess with pictures, but I don't have access to it. http://opac.regesta-imperii.de/lang_de/anzeige.php?aufsatz=Die+Münzstätte+der+Gallischen+Kaiser+in+Trier&pk=2062121

 

Edited June 5, 2022 by Lhevae

[Heliodromus]

25 minutes ago, Lhevae said:

The article is in german.

Thanks!

For anyone unaware, you can use the Google Translate web page to translate PDF documents that you've got saved on your computer. The output is a translated version of the PDF with all pictures and formatting intact.

Depending on how long the document is, it may take a minute or two, so be patient.

[seth77]

Latest purchase, a Crispus BEATA altar type unrecorded in RIC (described in RMBT p. 55). The consular bust with both globe and eagle-tipped sceptre is not usual for Crispus.

 

[Alegandron]

5 hours ago, Helvius Pertinax said:

And of course Alegandron steals the show with one of his amazing coins 😂 The way the slight wear and the nice dark patina come together is fascinating!! 

Thank you. I captured it from one of @john Anthony’s auctions. 

[Helvius Pertinax]

2 minutes ago, Alegandron said:

Thank you. I captured it from one of @john Anthony’s auctions. 

Oh, he has auctions? I think I heard about that once... would you mind sending me a link? Wont be able to participate anyways, just for looking at the coins 🙂

[Alegandron]

1 hour ago, Helvius Pertinax said:

Oh, he has auctions? I think I heard about that once... would you mind sending me a link? Wont be able to participate anyways, just for looking at the coins 🙂

He has/had them of CT... probly up to over 200 now.  I had participated since his very first Auctions on CT.

However, now he has a VCoins site (JAZ Numismatics):

https://www.vcoins.com/en/stores/jaz_numismatics-311/ancient-coins/Default.aspx?

[Alegandron]

 

Poemenius


RI Poemenius in name of Constantius II
summer 353
AE1-2 22mm 5.14g
Maiorina-Double Maiorina
Trier mint - XP
RIC VIII Trier 332 R

Ex: @seth77

 

Edited June 5, 2022 by Alegandron

[Qcumbor]

Some covetable coins and nice views of the city

Galerius, Follis - Trier mint, c. AD 303-305
MAXIMIANVS NOBIL C, laureate and cuirassed bust right.
GENIO POPVLI ROMANI, Genius standing left, head towered, wearing chlamys over left shoulder, holding patera in right hand, left cornucopiae; S | F in field, PTR at exergue
8.41 gr 28 mm
Ref : RCV # 14349 (90), C # 83, RIC VI, Trier, 594b

Fausta, AE3 - Trier mint
FLAV MAX FAVSTA AVG, draped bust right
SPES REIP VBLICAE, Fausta standing, holding Constantinus II and Constantius II in her arms,PTR crescent at exergue
3.0 gr
Ref : LRBC # 36, Cohen # 15v

Constantius, Follis - Trier mint, 1st officina, AD 305-306
IMP CONSTANTIVS PF AVG, Laureate and cuirassed bust of Constantius right
GENIO POPVLI ROMANI, Genius standing left, holding patera and cornucopia. S | F in field, PTR at exergue
11.09 gr
Ref : RCV # 14176 (100), Cohen #116, RIC VI # 642a

Q

Edited June 5, 2022 by Qcumbor

[Heliodromus]

On 6/5/2022 at 4:23 AM, Lhevae said:

It is worth noting that there was actually a mint next to the Porta Nigra. In 2005, excavations led during the expansion of the Simeonstift museum (just next to the Porta Nigra) unearthed hundreds of coins but also semi-finished coins, aurei offstrikes, metal bars and ingots... from the end of the reign of Tetricus.

I got around to reading the (Google translated) article you linked, and found this illustration very interesting:

With this commentary:

Quote

 

Along with the antoninians, around 40 raw and preliminary products for the manufacture of coins were also collected in addition to bronze cast residues and a bar fragment. Mention should be made of cast rods, some with prepared notches, and segments that have already been separated for the production of the coin blanks.

Of particular importance was the observation by W. Knickrehm that the weight of the segments largely corresponded to that of the regular antoninians found. In view of this fact, he was the first to recognize the remains of the Trier mint from the time of the Gallic Empire in the finds, an interpretation that has meanwhile found its way into specialist literature.

 

Of course mint practices may have changed from mint to mint and at different dates, but here we have one example of how weight control of bronze (which we know was pretty sloppy) was implemented !

I'm assuming the notches are cast into the rod, which was then perhaps chiseled into pieces to give these varying, but on average correct, weight segments. I doubt these segments were directly used as flans - it seems they'd be too uneven, and would need some preparatory step such as either heating an hammering or perhaps (now that correct weight chunks have been created) they were then melted in round molds to create more even shaped flans ready for striking.

Of course for precious metals more precise methods of weight control would be called for, but this is an interesting way of doing it for bronze where it was really only the number of coins per pound that seems to have been targeted, with a fairly large degree of variation in individual coins acceptable.

[John Conduitt]

There are a lot of great coins here, so it's hard to add anything new. Luckily, Trier was one of the main mints supplying Britain during the Roman period so I have a few. Here's a compatriot of @DonnaML's Magnus Maximus.

Eugenius Siliqua, 392-394

Trier. Silver, 1.72g. Pearl-diademed, draped and cuirassed bust right; D N EVGENI-VS P F AVG. Roma seated left on cuirass, holding reversed spear and Victoriola on globe; VIRTVS RO-MANORVM; TR PS in exergue (RIC IX, 106(d)). From the Vale of Pewsey (Wiltshire) Hoard 2020. PAS: BM-7D34D9

Edited June 13, 2022 by John Conduitt

[Al Kowsky]

This is my oldest coin struck at the Treveri (Trier) Mint.

ROMANO-GALLIC EMPIRE, Postumus, AD 260-269 (struck AD 261), Trier Mint. AE Sestertius: 25.49 gm, 31.5 mm, 6 h. RIC V 170.

[Dwarf]

And now a piece of Trier Numismatic History is finished!

At the annual general meeting last week the dissolution of the Trier Numismatic Society (Verein der Trierer Münzfreunde) was decided - founded in 1964.
No member was willing to take over the chairmanship of the association, in spite of having 120 members as one of the larger numismatic societies in Germany.
The society published books around the coinage of Tier and organized an annual coin show which was important for dealers and collectors in Belgium, Luxembourg, and Germany.

RIP
 

 

[JeandAcre]

Big bummer, @Dwarf.  I wish there was a 'frown' emoticon --but not for the post itself.

[maridvnvm]

Here are a couple of Half follis coins from Trier of Constantine the Great.

Obv:– CONSTANTINVS AVG, Laureate, cuirassed bust right
Rev:– MARTI CONSERV, Mars helmeted, in military dress, spread cloak, standing, right, holding reversed spear, left hand leaning on shield
Minted in Trier (// PTR). A.D. 310 - 311
Reference:– RIC VI Trier 897 (S)

Obv:– CONSTANTINVS AVG, Laureate, draped bust right; seen from the rear
Rev:– SOLI INVICTO, Sol standing left, raising hand and holding globe
Minted in Trier (// PTR). A.D. 310 - 311
Reference:– RIC VI Trier 898 (S)

[Steve]

I'm a bit late to the party ... but wow, those are great Trier coins, gang

 

I found a couple of fairly sweet Trier examples from my ol' collection ... 

Constantine I Commemorative (below)

Date: 332-333 AD

Trier mint

Diameter: 17.1 mm

Weight: 2.0 grams

Obverse: VRBS ROMA - Helmeted and mantled bust of Roma

Reverse: She-wolf suckling Remus and Romulus, TR [dot] S (Trier mint)

References: RIC 542

Characteristics: Well centered, nice style and grade

Ex-stevex6

 

 

Fausta. Augusta, AE Follis (below)

Trier mint
Date: 326 AD
Diameter: 18.63 mm
Weight: 2.71 grams
Obverse: FLAV MAX FAVSTA AVG - Draped bust of Fausta right, wearing pearl necklace
Reverse: SPES REIPVBLICAE - Fausta standing facing, holding two infants. PTR [Dot in crescent] in exergue

Reference: RIC 484

Ex-stevex6

Edited June 27, 2022 by Steve