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It is difficult to find historical accounts, especially unbiased ones, regarding the life and reign of Marcus Aurelius Carinus (c. 249–285 AD). Following his death, he was condemned by
damnatio memoriae, a systematic erasure from history. His successor, Diocletian, was a master of propaganda who had much to gain by sullying the reputation of the man he replaced.
Carinus and his brother Numerian were elevated to co-Caesars in 283 AD by their father, Augustus Carus. The imperial trio divided their efforts to face an Empire besieged: Carinus defended the West, while Carus and Numerian campaigned against the fearsome Sasanians in the East. This left Rome without a resident leader and deeply apprehensive — a tension that peaked when news arrived that Carus had perished on the Tigris. The rumor was terrifying: it was whispered that Zeus Himself was responsible, felling the Augustus with a bolt of lightning.
This billon aurelianianus dates from that precarious transition. The obverse features the radiate bust of Carinus, now upgraded to AVG following his father’s death. The reverse depicts the contrapposto figure of Aeternitas holding a globe upon which a phoenix perches, encircled by the inscription AETERNIT AVGG. The plural "Augusti" indicates the specific window between September 283 and January 284 AD, when the Empire was ruled by the brotherly pair, Carinus and Numerian.
The design was a calculated attempt to calm an Eternal City on edge. By invoking the goddess of eternity and the phoenix — the avian representation of rebirth — the mint advertised a hopeful future. For a moment, that hope seemed justified; Carinus was on a roll, successfully repelling barbarian incursions into Gaul and Britannia. He planned to meet his brother’s victorious Eastern legions at Cyzicus for a grand family reunion.
Sadly, that reunion never occurred. Days away from their meeting, Numerian was found dead in his tent. The Eastern legions promptly named their commander, Diocletian, as Augustus. Carinus’ destiny now hinged on defeating this new rival, but first, he had to deal with a usurper in the West, Julian of Pannonia. Finally, in July 285 AD, Carinus’ battle-weary troops faced Diocletian’s formidable Eastern legions at the Battle of Margus. While Carinus initially held the upper hand, the biased "official" history claims his own officers murdered him as revenge for his supposed depravity.
Carinus' death marked the end of his dynasty, but it provided the catalyst for a monumental shift in Roman governance. The irony of the coin’s design is profound: rather than a new birth for the House of Carus, the phoenix heralded a total transformation of the Roman world. In a strange twist of historical fate, the concept of dual East and West Augusti — the AVGG — was indeed reborn and perpetuated under the new order architected by Diocletian.
Coin Details: ROMAN EMPIRE, Carinus 283-285 AD, BI Aurelianianus (3.50 g, 22.5 mm), Rome mint, Sep 283 - early Jan 284 AD, NGC Grade: AU, Strike: 5/5, Surface: 4/5, Obverse: Radiate, draped and cuirassed bust right, IMP C M AVR CARINVS AVG, Reverse: Aeternitas standing left holding phoenix on globe and raising robe, AETERNIT AVGG, KAG in exergue, Reference: RIC 247.
Image: Sony ɑ 7R Ⅴ camera / Sony FE 90mm f/2.8 Macro G OSS lens.