Roman coins » Copies » Contemporary copies
Barbarous radiates
Imitations of 3rd century AD radiates – known as barbarous radiates – are very common in the UK. Some may have been struck in a similar manner to genuine coins, while others were cast in moulds. Barbarous radiates are often distinguished by their smaller size, lighter weight and sometimes by evidence of the casting process. Most, however, are identified by their crude style: Poor quality portraits, reverse designs and blundered inscriptions.
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| Figure 1: Cast barbarous radiate of Claudius II (AD 268-270). The little ‘limbs’ sticking out of the sides show where the molten metal flowed in and out of the mould. These would normally have been clipped off during production. |
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| Figure 2: Genuine radiate of Claudius II (AD 268-270) and two copies. The first copy is smaller and easily distinguishable by its crude style. The second has a pretty good quality portrait but is given away by its small size and light weight. |
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| Figure 3: Compare the style of the copy (above) with the genuine radiate of Gallienus (AD 253-268). The portrait, inscriptions and the reverse design have been very crudely copied. |
