Details
Clodius Albinus, as Caesar (AD 193-195), Gold Aureus, mint of Rome, AD 194-5, 7.4 gms., D CLOD SEPT ALBIN CAES, bare head right, drapery on far shoulder, rev. SAECVLO FRVGIFERO COS II, Saeculum Frugiferum, bare to the waist, standing left holding caduceus and agricultural tool (?) (RIC 9b - this coin; BMC p.38 footnote), extremely fine and extremely rare
Provenance
De Sartiges Collection, Naville/Ars Classica XVIII, 1938, lot 307
"Property of a Lady", Christie's London, 1984, lot 96
"Property of a Lady", Christie's London, 1984, lot 96
Further details
Clodius Albinus, like his great rival Septimius Severus was born in Africa, and like Severus distinguished himself under the Emperor Commodus (AD 177-192) in a highly successful career as a military commander. When political chaos followed Commodus' murder he took advantage of his position as governor of the heavily garrisoned province of Britain to declare his interest in a share of Imperial power. At the same time his fellow African, Severus, was declared Emperor by his own troops stationed to the east of the Alps, as were several other candidates elsewhere.
Both Albinus and Severus recognized that the other represented the greatest threat to his ambitions - so a political alliance was arranged in AD 193 allowing time to eliminate lesser rivals. Severus recognised Albinus as "Caesar" while he became "Augustus" - in other words Albinus became a junior partner in the Empire. It is not quite clear why Albinus accepted this subordinate role. It is possible that he or his heirs may have been offered the succession on the death of Severus or, despite his popularity in the Senate, he may simply have calculated that his military forces were weaker than those of his rival.
In any case the arrangement lasted two years and was the occasion for the issue in Rome, of this extremely rare coin. The reverse design is one of the most unusual and personal in the entire Roman coinage. The coin is dedicated to Saeculum Frugiferum, the 'God of the Fruitful Age,' a local god from Albinus' hometown of Hadrumentum in Africa, at that time the center of a thriving agricultural community in which Albinus' family had been major landowners for generations. The unusual fork-like object carried by the God has never been convincingly identified but is probably an ancient agricultural tool (for harvesting ripe fruit out of trees?) in use at that time in Africa.
By AD 197 the alliance was at an end - Severus, having eliminated his minor rivals, declared Albinus a public enemy and unsuccessfully tried to have him murdered. In preparation for the confrontation to come, Albinus consolidated his military forces in Gaul. This meant stripping Britain of its legions leading almost immediately to a massive rebellion which took fifteen years to extinguish. For Albinus, however, the preparations were in vain; in an enormous pitched battle involving a reputed 300,000 men near Lyon in AD 197, Albinus and his forces were defeated. Albinus committed suicide; Severus went on to found one of the most successful dynasties in the history of the Empire.
Both Albinus and Severus recognized that the other represented the greatest threat to his ambitions - so a political alliance was arranged in AD 193 allowing time to eliminate lesser rivals. Severus recognised Albinus as "Caesar" while he became "Augustus" - in other words Albinus became a junior partner in the Empire. It is not quite clear why Albinus accepted this subordinate role. It is possible that he or his heirs may have been offered the succession on the death of Severus or, despite his popularity in the Senate, he may simply have calculated that his military forces were weaker than those of his rival.
In any case the arrangement lasted two years and was the occasion for the issue in Rome, of this extremely rare coin. The reverse design is one of the most unusual and personal in the entire Roman coinage. The coin is dedicated to Saeculum Frugiferum, the 'God of the Fruitful Age,' a local god from Albinus' hometown of Hadrumentum in Africa, at that time the center of a thriving agricultural community in which Albinus' family had been major landowners for generations. The unusual fork-like object carried by the God has never been convincingly identified but is probably an ancient agricultural tool (for harvesting ripe fruit out of trees?) in use at that time in Africa.
By AD 197 the alliance was at an end - Severus, having eliminated his minor rivals, declared Albinus a public enemy and unsuccessfully tried to have him murdered. In preparation for the confrontation to come, Albinus consolidated his military forces in Gaul. This meant stripping Britain of its legions leading almost immediately to a massive rebellion which took fifteen years to extinguish. For Albinus, however, the preparations were in vain; in an enormous pitched battle involving a reputed 300,000 men near Lyon in AD 197, Albinus and his forces were defeated. Albinus committed suicide; Severus went on to found one of the most successful dynasties in the history of the Empire.