Carinus, as Caesar, 282-283. Aureus (Gold, 19 mm, 4.58 g, 6 h), Siscia, 282. M AVR CARINVS NOB CAES Laureate, draped and cuirassed bust of Carinus to right. Rev. VICTORIA AVG Victory standing left on globe, holding wreath in her right hand and palm frond in her left. Calicó 4373 corr. (Victory holding trophy). Cohen -. Estiot, Siscia 8.10 (this coin, CinC2/R19). RIC 190 corr. (Victory holding trophy). A splendid piece of very fine style. Very minor marks, otherwise, nearly extremely fine.


Carus was the first emperor since Gallienus to have adult sons. Not only was this a useful political tool to boost his legitimacy, in a time of crisis, this also allowed for the safe delegation of power in order to safeguard the Empire's frontiers. As such, Carus entrusted the western part of the empire to his firstborn, Carinus, while heading East with his younger son, Numerian, to fight the Sasanians. Carinus proved to be an able ruler at first, as he and his generals successfully fought off Germanic tribes on the Rhine frontier. Much of what we know of Carinus' further reign is obscured by later writers who were favorable toward Diocletian, and he is described in literary sources as a debauched weakling unfit to rule, with the Historia Augusta (Carus, Numerian & Carinus 17.6) suggesting that his father considered to replace him with Constantius Chlorus. Unfortunately for Carinus, both his father and brother soon died in the East, with Diocletian stepping into the power vacuum. In 285, Diocletian soundly defeated Carinus near the Margus River in Moesia, the latter probably being slain during the conflict by one of his own men.