Maxentius Gold Aureus RIC VI Ostia 7

Monetary Context and the Tetrarchic Gold Standard

The monetary system under Maxentius operated outside the collective framework of the Tetrarchic system established by Diocletian in AD 293 to 294. While Diocletian had fixed the aureus at sixty coins to the Roman pound (weighing approximately 5.45 grams), subsequent economic pressures and civil strife led to shifting weight standards. By the time Maxentius consolidated his rule in Italy, gold coinage functioned less as everyday commercial currency and more as a concentrated medium for political gifts, imperial accessions, military gratuities, and ceremonial donatives. Maxentius struck aurei at multiple fractional standards during his reign, frequently fluctuating between the 1/60-pound standard and lighter issues approaching 1/70 of a pound, while occasionally issuing heavier commemorative pieces. The production of the Ostia 7 aureus illustrates the essential political necessity of gold: retaining the loyalty of the Praetorian Guard, senior civil magistrates, and military commanders stationed throughout central Italy. Because Maxentius was officially declared an illegitimate usurper by Galerius and Severus, his gold coinage needed to project exceptional stability and ideological orthodoxy. By maintaining a respectable gold weight and striking visually compelling designs, Maxentius reinforced his claim to legitimate imperial rank.

Production and the Establishment of the Ostia Mint

The mint of Ostia occupied a unique place in Maxentian administrative geography. Following the revolt of Lucius Domitius Alexander in Africa Proconsularis in AD 308, Maxentius lost access to the vital Carthage mint and African grain shipments. Upon successfully suppressing Alexander around AD 308 or 309, Maxentius chose not to maintain Carthage as an active strike center, but instead evacuated its experienced mint personnel and equipment across the Mediterranean to Ostia, the principal port of Rome. Ostia offered immense strategic benefits: it was close to the imperial capital, secure from direct maritime raids, and situated at the heart of coastal logistical networks. The mint opened in late AD 308 or early AD 309 and struck an impressive suite of gold, silver, and billon denominations. Dies for gold aurei such as RIC VI Ostia 7 were engraved by master artisans, displaying a crisp, robust style distinct from the concurrent output of the Rome mint. The gold dies were carefully paired and executed in low relief with intricate ornamental detail, reflecting the privileged status of precious-metal production at the port.

Obverse Iconography and Imperial Imagery

The obverse of RIC VI Ostia 7 breaks with standard Tetrarchic conventions by presenting Maxentius in a dynamic martial pose. Rather than the traditional bareheaded or laurel-wreathed portrait facing right, the emperor is depicted bust left, wearing an elaborate military helmet and a breastplate (cuirass). This left-facing, armored presentation recalls earlier third-century military aurei and antoniniani, emphasizing readiness for armed confrontation and personal prowess. The helmeted portrait directly signals Maxentius's self-identification as the defender of Italy and guardian of the eternal city. Engravers at Ostia lavished extraordinary attention on the decorative crest and bowl of the helmet, rendering the facial features with a broad jaw, square chin, and short, clipped beard characteristic of Maxentian iconography. The cuirass is typically adorned with raised shoulder straps and breastplate seams, underscoring the ruler's role as supreme commander in an era of persistent conflict against rival Augusti.

Reverse Iconography: Victory Conferring Global Rule

The reverse iconography of RIC VI Ostia 7 communicates an uncompromising ideological program of enduring imperial victory and legitimate dominion. The design portrays the winged goddess Victory, draped in classical garments, standing toward the right. With her extended right hand, she presents a globe to Maxentius, who is seated facing left upon a military cuirass and resting upon an oval shield. Beside the seated emperor lies an additional helmet, reinforcing the martial atmosphere of the scene. The globe symbolizes universal authority and territorial command, while the seated posture upon captured arms evokes pacification through strength. By accepting the orb from Victory, Maxentius visually asserts that his power is not a consequence of rebellion or unlawful usurpation, but rather a direct mandate granted by divine victory. The composition balances dynamism and stability, placing the divine benefactress on the right opposite the seated sovereign on the left, an artistic schema reserved almost exclusively for prestigious gold multiples and select aurei.

Epigraphy and Imperial Titles

The epigraphy of RIC VI Ostia 7 is compact, carefully lettered, and laden with ideological meaning. The obverse legend reads MAXENTIVS P F INV AVG, expanding to Maxentius Pius Felix Invictus Augustus. The inclusion of the epithet 'INV' (Invictus, meaning Unconquered or Invincible) is particularly notable; this title had seen widespread adoption under third-century soldier-emperors and served under Maxentius as a defiant affirmation that his position could not be overturned by his Tetrarchic rivals. The reverse legend reads VICTORIA AETERNA AVG N, expanding to Victoria Aeterna Augusti Nostri ('The Eternal Victory of Our Augustus'). This inscription directly associates the stability and endurance of the empire with Maxentius's personal fortune in battle. The lettering was cut with precision by skilled die-cutters, maintaining consistent character heights and spacing along the circular beaded border. In the exergue, the mint mark denotes production at Ostia, typically abbreviated as POST or PR depending on the specific die series.

Typological Sequences and Chronological Placement

Within the chronological framework established by C. H. V. Sutherland in RIC VI and refined by Vincent Drost in his monograph on the coinage of Maxentius, RIC VI Ostia 7 is assigned to the principal operational phase of the Ostia mint between AD 308 and 312. Gold issues from Ostia are exceptionally scarce compared to billon nummi, indicating that aurei were struck in small, tightly managed commemorative batches. While early cataloguers dated all Ostia coinage strictly after the African campaign in AD 308, Drost demonstrated that the transfer of personnel and preparation of dies extended into AD 309, placing this aureus firmly within the mature phase of Maxentius's reign. The type sits alongside a small group of related gold reverses at Ostia that feature Victory, the Praetorian Camp, or the personification of Rome. The issue ceased abruptly in late October AD 312, when Constantine the Great defeated Maxentius at the Battle of the Milvian Bridge, after which the Ostia mint was seized, its staff subsequently transferred to Arles, and Maxentian types permanently decommissioned.

Circulation, Hoard Evidence, and Modern Scarcity

Gold aurei of Maxentius saw minimal circulation in ordinary civilian markets. Like most late Tetrarchic gold coins, RIC VI Ostia 7 operated primarily as a ceremonial presentation piece and a store of high-value wealth. Given their high purity and the volatile political climate, these coins were frequently hoarded by aristocratic supporters, senior officers, and imperial officials. Following Constantine's entry into Rome in late AD 312, Maxentian coinage was subjected to systematic demonetization and melting; the gold was recalled to imperial mints to be restruck into solidi conforming to the new Constantinian weight standard of seventy-two to the pound (approximately 4.5 grams). As a consequence, surviving specimens of Ostia 7 are extraordinarily rare, preserved almost exclusively in deep clandestine hoards that escaped fourth-century melting pots or in small prestige assemblages recovered across Italy.

References

1. The Roman Imperial Coinage: The Aurei, Catalogue (199 B.C. - 476 A.D.). Vol. 2, Maxentius
2. Le monnayage de Maxence (306-312 apr. J.-C.). pp. 145-162
3. Online Coins of the Roman Empire: RIC VI Ostia 7. ric.6.ost.7
4. The Roman Imperial Coinage, Volume VI: From Diocletian's Reform (A.D. 294) to the Death of Maximinus (A.D. 313). pp. 400-405, no. 7