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Serdica (Diœcesis Mœsiarvm, province of Dardania)
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104-797
 (click image to see larger picture) Constantius I caesar
—struck by Galerius
Serdica, 303-305
obv.- FL VAL CONSTANTIVS NOB CAES;
rev.- GENIO POPVLI ROMANI; Δ in field; •SMSD• in ex
RIC VI Ser 4a; Fail 025
27mm; 8.8g; nummus
First issue of Serdica mint
104-746
 (click image to see larger picture) Galerius caesar
—struck by Galerius
Serdica, 303
obv.- GAL VAL MAXIMIANVS NOB CAES; laureate bust right
rev.- GENIO POPVLI ROMANI; Genius standing left, holding patera and cornucopia;B in field; •SM•SD• in exergue
RIC VI Ser 4b; Fail 025
28mm; 10.1g; nummus
first issue from Serdica
204-170
 (click image to see larger picture) Constantius I augustus
—struck by Galerius
Serdica, 305-306
obv.- CONSTANTIVS AVG; Laureate bust right
rev.- VIRTVS MILITVM; Camp gate with three turrets, arch open, no doors; •SM•SDΔ• in exergue
RIC VI Ser 11a
20mm; 3.36g; argenteus
This is the only argenteus known for Constantius as Augustus. It's listed as R4 in RIC, which means that the RIC authors only knew of fewer than 5 examples, and none from officina Δ. Evidently more have been discovered since RIC was published, since there are a number of examples visible on coinarchives.com that have hit the market since 2005:
- Most of the examples (14 to be exact) are from the same pair of dies.
- My coin is from a different set of dies, from which there is only one other example.
- This example uses the same reverse die, but with an obverse for Maximinus II. The die is noticeably fresher, so the Maximinus II coins were struck earlier than the Constantius coins at this particular officina.
Interestingly, the portrait of Constantius on my coin ( virtually mint-state) is stylistically closer to the portrait of Maximinus II than to the portrait of Constantius on the other die. The dies used for my coin are clearly chronologically later than the other die, which looks more like prior Constantius portraits from earlier in Serdica and from Thessalonica. 204-237
 (click image to see larger picture) Constantius I augustus
—struck by Galerius
Serdica, 305-306
obv.- IMP C FL VAL CONSTANTIVS PF AVG; laureate, cuirassed bust right
rev.- GENIO POPVLI ROMANI; Genius standing facing, modius on head left, naked but for chlamys over left shoulder, liquors flowing from patera in right hand, cornucopiae in left
; B in field; •SM•SD• in ex
RIC VI Ser 12a
27mm; 9.4g; nummus
Wonderful, distinguished portrait.
104-833
 (click image to see larger picture) Galerius augustus
—struck by Galerius
Serdica, 305-306
obv.- IMP C GAL VAL MAXIMIANVS P F AVG;
rev.- GENIO POPVLI ROMANI; Genius; Δ in field; •SM•SD• in ex
RIC VI Ser 12b; Fail 046
28mm; 10.35g; nummus
104-980
 (click image to see larger picture) Maximinus II caesar
—struck by Galerius
Serdica, 305-306
obv.- GAL VAL MAXIMINVS NOB CAESAR; laureate bust right
rev.- GENIO POPVLI ROMANI; Genius stg left holding cornucopia and patera; in field; in ex
RIC VI Ser 13b
27mm; 9.9g; nummus
104-593
 (click image to see larger picture) Maximinus II caesar
—struck by Galerius
Serdica, 305-306
obv.- GAL VAL MAXIMINVS NOB CAESAR; laureate bust right
rev.- GENIO POPVLI ROMANI; •SM•SD• in ex, A in field
RIC VI Ser 13b
27mm; 8.8g; nummus
104-596
 (click image to see larger picture) Maximianus sr aug
—struck by Galerius
Serdica, 305-306
obv.- D N MAXIMIANO FELICISSIMO SEN AVG; laureate bust right, in imperial mantle, holding mappa
rev.- PROVIDENTIA DEORVM QVIES AVGG; Providentia standing right extending right hand to Quies standing left who holds branch in right hand and leans on sceptre, SMSD in ex; officina Γ
RIC VI Ser 15b; Fail 52
28mm; 10.1g; nummus
204-149
 (click image to see larger picture) Constantine I caesar
—struck by Galerius
Serdica, 306-307
obv.- FL VAL CONSTANTINVS NOB CAESAR; Laureate bust right
rev.- GENIO POPVLI ROMANI; Genius standing left, modius on head, naked except for chlamys over left shoulder, holding patera from which liquid flows, & cornucopiae, Γ to right, SMSD in exergue
RIC VI Ser 26
27mm; 7.9g; nummus
Listed as R3 in RIC. The silvering makes it tough to photograph, but this is a wonderful portrait. Even though it is very stylized, the celator clearly tried to capture a younger, youthful Constantine compared to portraits of his father from the same mint and timeframe. 104-928
 (click image to see larger picture) Galeria Valeria augusta
—struck by Galerius
Serdica, 308
obv.- GAL VALERIA AVG; Head r., diad., on facing bust in embroidered robes, with necklaces, on crescent
rev.- VENERI VICTRICI; Venus, stg. facing, head l., r. holding up apple, l. raising drapery over l.shoulder; In fields: *-?; In ex: ?SM?SD?
RIC VI Ser 43
26mm; 6.3g; nummus
listed as S in RIC
204-160
 (click image to see larger picture) Galerius augustus
—struck by Galerius
Serdica, 307-308
obv.- GAL MAXIMIANVS PF AVG; laureate bust right
rev.- VIRTVS EXERCITVS; Mars advancing right, holding transverse spear in right hand, trophy over left shoulder; * Γ in fields, • SM•SD• in ex
RIC VI Ser 44
27mm; 6.5g; nummus
Relatively common type from other mints, but rare from Serdica. Listed as S in RIC. Soon as I can find one in better condition, I'll buy it...
In the late 3rd century the Balkan city of Serdica was an important military and administrative center, due to its strategic location on the Danube frontier. From 303–308 an imperial mint operated here. It was opened with personnel transferred from the Thessalonica mint, which was closed during this period.
Despite its short duration, the mint was evidently of some importance; the "SM" in the mintmark ("Sacra Moneta") indicates that an Augustus was in residence at that time. In 303, this would have been Diocletian, perhaps while he was travelling to Rome from the eastern part of the Empire; after 305, this indicates that Galerius was living there, following Diocletian's abdication in Nicomedia.
The mint stops coining in 308, and never strikes any coins for Licinius, so this suggests that the mint was closed when Galerius went to the nearby Carnuntum conference in 308 in which Galerius arranged for Licinius' promotion. Following this, the Serdica mint was closed and its activities (and SM mintmark) again resumed at Thessalonica.
Licinius did briefly re-open the mint in 313 to strike some gold coins, following his victory over Maximinus II, but those are a bit outside my scope (and budget!).
Serdica remained important throughout the Middle Ages, and eventually became the current capital of Bulgaria, Sofia. Constantine was fond of the city—especially with its being so near his birthplace (Naissus; you can see it on the map)—and founded the church of St. George in Serdica, which is still standing in working condition in the courtyard of the Sheraton Hotel in downtown Sofia.
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What's New Heading
c600 BC — City founded by the Serdi, a Thracian tribe, on site of an ancient settlement.
29 AD—Conquered by Romans.
c100—Refounded as Ulpia Serdica by Trajan.
391—Bonosus, bishop of Serdica, condemned for heresy. (Bonosiasm contends that Mary had several other children after Jesus.)
447—Destroyed by Huns.
c550—Justinian builds the Hagia Sofia church, complementing the much more magnificent one in Constantinople. This one is also still standing, and is in fact where the name of the current city comes from.
809—Taken by Bulgars under Khan Krum.
1382 — Conquered by Ottoman Turks.
1444 — Capital of Ottoman province of Rumelia.
1878 — Liberated by Russian military during Russo-Turkish War and made capital of new Bulgarian state.
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