The issues of Rouen have been comprehensively catalogued by Beaujard and Huvelin, ‘Le trésor de Rouen et l’occupation de la Gaule par Carausius’ Histoire et Numismatique en Haut-Normandie, Cahier des Annales de Normandie 12A, 1980, pp. 63-87. However, since their landmark paper on the series appeared in 1980 a number of additional specimens have been noted, either in public collections or in trade. What this paper aims to do is bring together an updated English language catalogue of the series to students and collectors.
The Rouen coinage was, in all probability, struck at the beginning of the reign of Carausius. The familiar likeness of the emperor from the products of the mints in Britain is not preset on the Rouen coins and they have a crudeness that perhaps betrays their manufacture by an unskilled workforce.
The crude nature of some of the die cutting should not take away from the originality of some of the coin designs, Tutela being a common reverse from this mint but virtually unknown for use at any other mint or time of the Roman imperial coinage.
The coinage at Rouen is known in gold and also as base metal radiate coins (“antoniniani”), unlike the coins marked RSR, an early mint striking in Britain, probably London, for the usurper where a series of good silver laureate bust coins (often called “denarii” in modern literature due to their similarity with the silver coin of the empire that had mostly disappeared by the mid third century).
Beaujard and Huvelin split the base metal radiates into three main series using the obverse legend and the attributes of the bust to make this distinction. Series 1 has the titles C(aesar) and P(ius) F(elix) married with a radiate, draped and cuirassed bust viewed from the front. The second series drop the P F titles but retains the bust type of radiate, draped and cuirassed. The AVG at the end of the obverse legend may also be rendered as IVG. The third, and in their view final, series is also without the P F titling but now the bust type is radiate and cuirassed viewed from the front. Again the title Augustus may be rendered as IVG.
I wonder whether, given the apparent reverse die linkage recorded between the coins of series 2 and 3, these should actually be regarded as one contemporary series.
When looking at specific coin types there seems to be some degree of variability in, say, the rudder of Fortuna. Also, when considering the Salus coins some are reported as being without a snake around the altar. This may or may not be a real difference, however, on some coins where the snake is not reported it may be seen rising to the left of the altar, rather than being entwined around it.
Gold
1 CONCORDIA MILITV
Concordia standing left holding two standards
B&H I-Ia; RIC 621
2 CONCORDIA MILIT, VM in exergue
Emperor and Concordia stood facing each other clasping hands
B&H II-IIIa; RIC 624
3 CONCORDIA MILIT, VM in exergue
Emperor and Concordia stood facing each other clasping hands
B&H IV-IVa; RIC 623
4 LETITIA IVI NOS C
Galley right
B&H V; RIC –
5 OPES IVI AVG
Ops standing left dropping coins from hand and holding a cornucopia
B&H VI; RIC –
Antoniniani
Series 1
6 LETITIA, ? in exergue
Galley right with 11 rowers
B&H 1-2; RIC –
7 PROVIDEN AVG
Providentia standing left holding globe and transverse sceptre
B&H 3-4; RIC cf 652
8 PROVIDEN AVG
Providentia standing left holding branch and transverse sceptre
B&H -; RIC cf 655; BM collection
9 PROVIDENTIA AVG
Providentia standing left holding branch and transverse sceptre
B&H 13, 21; RIC cf 655
10 [PROVID]ENTIA, [A]VG in exergue
Providentia standing left holding branch and transverse sceptre
B&H 20; RIC cf 655
11 SALVS AVG
Salus standing left holding patera and cornucopia, serpent rising from altar
B&H 10, 14; RIC 662
12 SALVS AVG, R in exergue
Salus standing left holding patera and cornucopia, serpent rising from altar
B&H 5-6; RIC –
13 SECVRITAS PERP
Securitas standing left leaning on altar
B&H 7-9; RIC cf 674
Spes advancing left
B&H -; RIC -; “Adrianus” collection
14 TVTELA
Tutela standing left holding patera over altar, cornucopia in other arm
B&H 16-19; RIC 682
15 TVTELA AVG
Tutela standing with hand over altar, cornucopia in other arm
B&H 11, 22; RIC –
16 TVTELA AVG
Tutela standing left holding patera over altar, cornucopia in other arm
B&H 15; RIC 682
17 VIRTV[…..]
Virtus standing left holding victory on globe, spear and shield to right
B&H 12; RIC –
18 VIRTVS AVG
Virtus standing left holding globe and resting on shield and vertical spear right
B&H 23-5; RIC 696?
Intermediate Series
19 CONC[…..] MIL
Emperor standing facing Concordia clasping hands
B&H 28; RIC –
20 VIRTVS IVI VG
Virtus standing left holding globe and resting on shield and vertical spear right
B&H 26; RIC cf 700
B&H - ; RIC - ; ex Lawrence Holbrook
21 [………] AVG
Helmeted figure seated right holding vertical sceptre
B&H 27; RIC –
22 LETITIA IVI VG
Galley with seven rowers
B&H 32; RIC –
23 FIDEM MILITVM
Emperor standing facing Fides clasping hands
B&H 29-31; RIC cf 637; Gloucester hoard 2093, another example in the Croydon hoard.
[New] TVTELA AVG
Tutela standing left holding patera over altar, cornucopia in other arm
B&H -; RIC - ; Ornamented (trabeate?) bust, obverse die duplicate of Gloucester hoard 2093
B&H - ; RIC - ; Facebook London mint forum (Feb 2024)
B&H - ; RIC - ; CNG e457 (2019), Lot 448
24 TEMP VI AVG, ORA in exergue
Galley with six rowers
B&H 33; RIC –
Series 2
Emperor and Concordia clasping hands
B&H -; RIC -;”Adrianus” collection. This coins is a reverse die duplicate of another Concordia coin of Adrianus from the so called series 3.
25 FORT[V]NA RE
Fortuna standing left holding wheel and cornucopia
B&H 62; RIC cf 642
26 FORTVNA RED
Fortuna standing left holding rudder and cornucopia
B&H 57-8; RIC cf 642
27 LETITI AVG
Galley with eight rowers
B&H 34-5; RIC –
28 OPIS IVI AVG
Ops standing right emptying coins from cornucopia
B&H -; RIC -; BM collection
29 PRONTIA AVG
Providentia standing left holding globe and transverse sceptre
B&H 56; RIC –
Providentia standing left holding branch and transverse sceptre
B&H 61; RIC –
31 PROVIDENTIA, PR in exergue
Providentia standing left holding globe and transverse sceptre
B&H 53; RIC –
32 SALVS AVG
Salus standing left holding patera and cornucopia, serpent rising from altar
B&H 36-42, 46; RIC –
33 SECVRIT PE
Securitas standing left leaning on altar
B&H 59; RIC –
34 SECVRITAS PERP
Securitas standing left leaning on altar
B&H 60; RIC –
Felicitas standing left holding caduceus and cornucopia
B&H 54-5; RIC 679; Author's collection
Tutela standing left holding patera over altar, cornucopia in other arm
B&H 48-9, 70; RIC 684
Tutela standing left holding patera over altar, cornucopia in other arm
B&H 43-5, 69; RIC 684
38 TVTELA AVG
Tutela standing with hand over altar, cornucopia in other arm
B&H 68; RIC –
39 TVT[E]LA P
Tutela standing left holding branch and cornucopia
B&H 63-4; RIC 684
IMP C CARAVSIVS IVG
Radiate, draped and cuirassed bust right viewed from the front
Emperor and Concordia stood facing each other clasping hands
B&H -; RIC cf 634; Author’s colection
41 PROVIDENT
Providentia standing left holding branch and transverse sceptre
B&H 71; RIC cf 657
42 ROMAE AETER[..]
Roma seated left holding globe and vertical sceptre
B&H -; RIC 660; BM collection
Salus standing left holding patera and cornucopia, serpent rising from altar
B&H -; RIC 663; Author’s collection
44 TVTELA
Tutela standing with hand over altar, cornucopia in other arm
B&H 77; RIC –
Tutela standing hand over altar, cornucopia in other arm
B&H 75; RIC –; Author's collection
Tutela standing left holding patera over altar, cornucopia in other arm
B&H 76; RIC cf 683; Author's collection
47 TVT[E]LA P
Tutela standing left holding branch and cornucopia
B&H 72-4; RIC cf 692
48 TEMPORVM FEL
Felicitas standing left holding caduceus and cornucopia
B&H 78; RIC –
49 TVTELA AVG, IOI in exergue
Tutela standing hand over altar, cornucopia in other arm
B&H 79; RIC cf 684
Series 3
Emperor and Concordia clasping hands
B&H -;RIC -; “Adrianus” collection. This coins is a reverse die duplicate of another Concordia coin of Adrianus from the so called series 2
Aequitas standing left holding scales and cornucopia
B&H 80-3; RIC 630
[50a] [ECVITAS MI RED
Aequitas standing left holding scales and cornucopia
B&H 84; RIC cf 633
Specimen in BM tooled from ECVITAS MVNDI]
51 FORTVNA RED
Fortuna standing left holding rudder and cornucopia
B&H 85-6; RIC 641
52 FORTVNA REDV
Fortuna standing left holding patera over altar with entwined snake, cornucopia in other arm
B&H 87; RIC cf 645
53 FORTVNA RE
Fortuna standing left holding wheel and cornucopia
B&H 103; RIC cf 647
54 LAETITIA, ORA in exergue
Galley right with seven rowers
B&H 88-91; RIC cf 648
55 PROVIDE AVG
Providentia standing left holding globe and transverse sceptre
B&H 92-4; RIC 653
56 SALVS AVG
Salus standing left holding patera and cornucopia, serpent rising from altar
B&H 100-1; RIC 663
57 SALVS AVG, R in exergue
Salus standing left holding patera and cornucopia, serpent rising from altar
B&H 96-9; RIC 663
58 SALVS IVI AV
Salus standing left holding patera and cornucopia, serpent rising from altar
B&H 95; RIC cf 673
59 SECVRITAS PER
Securitas standing left leaning on altar
B&H 104; RIC 675
60 TVTELA
Tutela standing with hand over altar, cornucopia in other arm
B&H 104 bis; RIC –
61 VIRTVS AVG
Virtus standing left holding globe and resting on shield and vertical spear right
B&H 105-6; RIC 699
62 FORTVNA REDV, V in left field
Fortuna standing left holding rudder and cornucopia
B&H 108; RIC cf 642
63 PROVIDENTIA AVG
Providentia standing left holding globe and transverse sceptre
B&H 107; RIC 653
64 SECVRITI PERP
Securitas standing left leaning on altar
B&H 109; RIC –
65 T[VTEL]LA A, IOI in exergue
Tutela standing hand over altar, cornucopia in other arm
B&H 110; RIC –
66 VIRTVS AVG
Virtus standing left holding globe and resting on shield and vertical spear right
B&H 111-2; RIC –