Owner Comments:
Following the collapse of Emperor Constantine III’s regime in 411 AD, the power vacuum in Gaul was immediately filled by another usurper. This time, it was a Gallo-Roman aristocrat named Jovinus, who was proclaimed emperor at Mainz. Unlike previous usurpers who rose through the ranks of the Roman legions, Jovinus was entirely a puppet of barbarian kingmakers — specifically Gundahar, king of the Burgundians, and Goar, king of the Alans. Because his reign was brief and highly localized, coins bearing Jovinus's name are exceptionally rare, with the total surviving population estimated at fewer than a few hundred specimens.
This siliqua features an interesting piece of political arithmetic on its reverse. The legend reads VICTORIA AVGG, with the number of "G"s dictating the number of recognized Augusti. Because there are only two "G"s on this coin, Jovinus was making a very specific, calculated claim. By recognizing only two emperors, he was apparently pairing himself exclusively with the legitimate Western Emperor, Honorius (conveniently ignoring the Eastern Emperor, Theodosius II). This was a classic usurper tactic: Jovinus was extending a numismatic olive branch to Ravenna, hoping that if he presented himself as a loyal co-emperor of the West, Honorius might officially recognize his rule in Gaul.
Honorius, however, had no intention of sharing the West. The situation escalated when the Visigothic king Ataulf arrived in Gaul in 412 AD. Initially, Ataulf seemed willing to ally with Jovinus. However, Jovinus made a fatal political miscalculation by elevating his own brother, Sebastianus, to the rank of co-emperor without consulting the Visigothic king.
Deeply insulted by the slight, Ataulf immediately switched allegiances and struck a deal with Honorius. The Visigoths attacked and easily defeated Jovinus's forces in 413 AD. Sebastianus was executed, and Jovinus fled to Valentia, where he was besieged, captured, and subsequently beheaded. Following the grim tradition of the era, the severed heads of both brothers were sent to Honorius and mounted on the walls of Ravenna.
Coin Detail: WESTERN ROMAN EMPIRE, Jovinus, Usurper, 411-413 AD, AR Siliqua, Jovinus, AR Siliqua (15-17 mm, 1.81 g), Lugdunum, NGC Grade: Ch XF, Strike: 4/5, Surface: 2/5, Obverse: Pearl-diademed, draped, and cuirassed bust to right, D N IOVINVS P F AVG, Reverse: Roma seated to left with Victory and spear, VICTORIA AVGG; [SMLDV] in exergue, References: Bastien 258; RIC X 1716 (Note: Although the mintmark on the reverse in exergue is not fully legible, a double die-match to another specimen [New York Sale 14, lot 473] confirms the attribution of this coin to the Lugdunum mint).
Image: NGC Photo Vision Plus.