UNCERTAIN GERMANIC TRIBES, Aurum Barbarorum. Late 3rd-early 4th centuries. 'Aureus' (Gold, 20 mm, 6.67 g, 6 h), 'Provincial Group'. VΛZVZΛVΛZZZZ[.]VZΛZVZ Bearded imperial head to left. Rev. ΛVZVZZV - ΛZVKZZ Hephaestus (?) seated to left, wielding hammer with his right hand. A very interesting type with a fascinating reverse. Pierced and with some scrapes and scratches, otherwise, very fine.


With wilder imitations such as this very interesting and unparalleled piece, the high degree of stylization often leaves room for speculation as to what the die cutter had in mind. Clearly the seated figure on the reverse is wielding a hammer, but what is he doing with it? A tempting suggestion would be to view the scene as a rendering of a craftsman striking coins, a process the artist was no doubt witnessing every day in close proximity, or perhaps even fancier, as a depiction of the Germanic god of thunder, Thor.

However, a more plausible argument is to be made that the reverse derives from Graeco-Roman depictions of Hephaestus, the god of metalworking, volcanoes and fire. If this is true, then the prototype is to be found in the 3rd century Provincial coinage from Asia Minor, where cities such as Magnesia ad Maeandrum, Olympus, Claudioseleucia issued strikingly similar types (for example RPC VI online 5240, RPC VII.2 2362 and RPC VIII online ID 20838). Stylistically, the closest parallel is Aurum Barbarorum II, 1863, but that coin has a much more regular reverse type, namely Aequitas.