Monogrammed Nummi of Late Romans and Ostrogoths Condemned by Experts

Monogrammed Nummi of Late Romans and Ostrogoths Condemned by Experts Robert M. Cutler, Potomac, MD, USA, 2018 Abstract: Experts have recently reported false bronze nummi with large reverse monograms of late Roman Imperial and Ostrogothic leaders. The experts include Alain Gennari and other members of Lamoneta.it, but not the present author. He is simply presenting this supplement to his paper “The Ricimer Monogram with Its Mysterious Additional A” and informing readers about the likelihood of spurious pieces thought to be of modern Serbian origin. His previous paper presented two Ricimer pieces, and here he presents two pieces with monograms interpreted as Eraric’s by some sources, but as mere fantasies by others. Some disagreement regarding authenticity appears to remain among some experts and dealers. Expert members of Lamoneta.it including Alain Gennari and others in agreement have recently reported that the coin market is tainted by false bronze nummi that seem to be of modern Serbian origin. The pieces show large reverse monograms of late Roman Imperial and Ostrogothic leaders. The Western Roman Empire leaders include Galla Placidia (AD 421-50), Majorian (or Majorianus, Maiorian, or Maiorianus; 457-61), Ricimer (or Ricemirus, Recimer, or Recimerus; 456-72), Anthemius (467-72) and Julius Nepos (474-80), as well as their Ostrogothic successors Odovacar (or Odoacer, Odovacer, Odovacar, or Odoacris; 476-93), Eraric (or Eraricus, Erarich, Erarric, Erraricus, Araric, etc.; 541), and Baduila (or Totila; 541-52). From the Eastern Roman Empire they include Leo (or Leonis; 457-74) and Basiliscus (475-6). Some of the monograms are otherwise unknown and challenge interpretation. Evidence of falsity, including obverse die matches, consistencies of unusual portrait styles, or repetitous surface types, all with different reverse monograms, are depicted at Lamoneta.it. For example, Gennari determined that the same obverse die was used with reverse monograms of Ricimer (with obverse of Libius Severus, 461-5) and Julius Nepos (474-80) in the West, and Basiliscus (475-6) in the East, which for a genuine obverse die would appear to have required an unusual decade-long (465-75) period of use. Nevertheless, some Lamoneta members may be uncertain regarding their suspicions of some pieces, as indicated by the 13 May 2018 exchange (translated from Italian) by Quattrino (“Have you seen these nummi in person? From the photos the patinas and the encrustations seem very convincing.”) and Poemenius (“I tried purchasing several times but the prices were beyond sensible limits … but I always try and if I can then I will write immediately.”). Two pieces previously shown by the present author in “The Ricimer Monogram with Its Mysterious Additional A” are now included among the suspected fakes. They were supposedly made under the general Ricimer and his puppet Western Roman Emperor Libius Severus, typically with an unclear obverse, with “… no more than fragments of the imperial name and title can ever be seen” (Kent): Courtesy of Classical Numismatic Group, Inc., http://cngcoins.com/Coin.aspx?CoinID=305203. CNG Feb. 10, 2016, Electronic Auction 368, Lot 515. Ricimer, Patrician and Master of Soldiers, 457-472. AE 10 mm, 0.87 g, 12 h. Uncertain military mint. Struck 465-467. Rosette-diademed [draped and cuirassed] bust right / Monogram of Ricimer. RIC X no. 2717; G. Lacam,“Le monnayage de Ricimer,” SNL pl. 5 Type 1 [condemned as false by Gennari]. Purchased from Savoca Numismatik GmbH & Co. KG, January 2016. http://savoca-coins.com. Ricimer, Patrician and Master of Soldiers, 456-472. AE 11 mm, 1.07 g, 12 h. Bust of Libius Severus right, SEV upward behind / Monogram of Ricimer plus horizontal bar across legs of R to form A (thus previously viewed by the author as conceivably suitable for joint generalship with Eastern Roman Emperor Anthemius’ AD 467 appointee Marcellinus (467-8) or Anthemius’ daughter-Ricimer’s wife Alypia, Augusta (?), 467-72) in border of dots (lacking wreath around monogram and appearing unofficial). Kent in RIC X pg. 408 no. 2716 var., Vagi Vol. 1 pg. 569 [condemned as false by Gennari, as was an Odovacar type sold more recently by CNG (2018)]. Another of the author’s pieces, obtained from Savoca in the same lot as the piece above, shows a monogram that has been read as the Rugian and then ephemeral Ostrogothic King Eraric (or Eraricus, Erarich, Erarric, Erraricus, Araric, etc.): Purchased from Savoca Numismatik GmbH & Co. KG, January 2016. http://savoca-coins.com. Type of nummium sometimes attributed to Ostrogothic King Eraricus, AD 541. AE 10 mm, 0.75 g, 6 h. Bust right / Monogram appearing as reversed R on the left, possibly with crossbar joining its legs to create A, and E on the right [condemned as false by Gennari]. Several old sources mention Eraric (Mascou, Lediard, Marchant, Humphreys, and Sabatier) but they do not all agree whether he issued coins. The above type was attributed to Eraric by Marchant (describing the monogram’s incorporation of a D for the title Dominus) and by Sabatier. Also, the type is featured in a modern reference (Morello) described as a “very useful handbook about late Roman Bronzes with monogram, from Libius Severus (AD 461-5) to Eraricus (AD 534-6)” (Bertolami). Messages were exchanged with Morello, but an attempt to discover his reasoning for including Eraric has brought no response. The basis of the latter date range is uncertain, as it differs from Eraric’s generally reported AD 541 ascension (Mascou and Lediard) and death in the same year (Humphreys; Meier and Strothmann). In apparent contradiction to Marchant and Sabatier, Humphreys states of “Araricus, or Eraricus … No coins are known of this prince.” Concurring, CNG (2007) wrote that “Witigis … was succeeded by Hilderic in 540 and Eraric in 541. Although both held Ravenna, there are no known coins attributed to them.” Other experts and dealers have agreed with Gennari and Lamoneta.it by declining to sell or withdrawing the suspected Serbian fakes from their sales, or indicating similar views. Such agreement has been reportedly obtained from Forum Ancient Coins (FAC), Numismata Ars Classica AG (NAC), Peus Münzen, and Roma Numismatics Limited. However, Emporium Hamburg and Savoca have not agreed, and London Ancient Coins, Ltd. (LAC) shows its £1,500 sale of a supposed Eraric type with some similarities to the suspect pieces shown above: “EXCESSIVELY RARE OSTROGOTHS. Eraric. 541. AE Nummus OSTROGOTHS. Eraric. 541. AE Nummus (11mm, 1.01 g, 6h). Rome mint. Bust right / Eraricus in monogram. Sabatier XVIII; Morello 32. Fine/ VF, green patina. EXCESSIVELY RARE” At Lamoneta.it, the piece above is reported by Poemenius to have appeared at FAC some years ago as well as in a CNG auction, and to be a probable fake. References: Bartolami Fine Arts at www.vcoins.com/en/stores/bertolami_fine_arts. Classical Numismatic Group, Inc. (CNG), Electronic Auction 368, Lot 516, Ricimer, 2016 at cngcoins.com/coin.aspx?coinid=305203. Classical Numismatic Group, Inc. (CNG), Electronic Auction 421, Lot 636, Odovacar, 2018 at cngcoins.com/coin.aspx?coinid= 36078. Classical Numismatic Group, Inc. (CNG), Sale: Triton X Lot 833, Unpublished Ravenna Mint Bronze, 2007 at cngcoins.com/coin.aspx?coinid=97246. Cutler, Robert M., “The Ricimer Monogram with Its Mysterious Additional A,” 2016 at https://www.academia.edu/27183110/The_Ricimer_Monogram_with_Its_Mysterious_Additional_A. Emporium Hamburg Münzhandelsgesellschaft mbH at emporium-hamburg.com. Forum Ancient Coins (FAC), various discussions e.g. 3 Sep 2016 at forumancientcoins.com/board/index.php?topic=108204.0. Gennari, Alain, personal communications, 2018. Humphreys, Henry Noel, Coin Collector’s Manual, Vol. II, pg 652, 1853 at books.google.com. Lamoneta.it at lamoneta.it/topic/152819-ennesima-valanga-di-falsi. Lediard, Thomas, The History of the Ancient Germans, translation of Mascou (below) 1738 at books.google.com. London Ancient Coins Limited (LAC), SKU SK35, Item Sold for £1,500 at vcoins.com/en/stores/london_ancient_coins/89/product/excessively_rare_ostrogoths_eraric_541_ae_nummus/619886/default.aspx. Marchant, Baron as reported by others, Lettres du Baron Marchant sur la Numismatique et l’Histoire, pp. 297-8, 1851 at books.google.com. Mascou, Johann Jacob, Geschichte der Teutschen bis zu Anfang der Fränkischen Monarchie, 1726-37 at books.google.com. Meier, Mischa (Bielefeld) and Strothmann, Meret (Bochum), Brill’s New Pauly, Classical Tradition, ed. Manfred Landfester, transl. Francis G. Gentry in Brill Online Reference Works 2006 at www.brillonline.com. Morello, Antonio, Piccoli Bronzi con Monogramma, 2000 at https://www.vcoins.com/en/stores/bertolami_fine_arts/16/product/morello_a_piccoli_bronzi_con_monogramma_small_bronzes_with_monogram/885564/Default.aspx. Numismatica Ars Classica AG (NAC) arsclassicacoins.com. Peus Münzen, Dr. Busso Peus Nachf.e.K at peus-muenzen.de. Roma Numismatics Limited at romanumismatics.com. Kent, John P. C., Roman Imperial Coinage X (RIC X), The Divided Empire and the Fall of the Western Parts, AD 395-491, pg. 190, 1994. Sabatier, Pierre Justin, Description Generale des Monnaies Byzantines, Vol. 1, Plate XVIII No. 36, 1862 at books.google.com pg. 378. Savoca Numismatik GmbH & Co. KG at savoca-coins.com. Vagi, David L., Coinage and History of the Roman Empire, 2 vols., 1999. Wood, Ian, The Modern Origins of the Early Middle Ages, 2013 at books.google.com. Wroth, Warwick, Western and Provincial Byzantine Coins, 1966 reprint of Catalogue of the Coins of the Vandals, Ostrogoths and Lombards and of the Empires of Thessalonica, Nicaea and Trebizond in the British Museum,1911. PAGE 6