Viminacium

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Viminacium, a Roman Colony founded by Gordian III in 239 A.D. and the capital of the Roman province of Moesia Superior, was located about 20 km to the east of modern Kostolac, Serbia. Coins are known of the emperors from Gordian III with dates AN I, Anno Primo, (year 1, autumn 239 - autumn 240 A.D.) to Valerian and Gallienus AN XVI, Anno Sexto Decimo, (year 16, autumn 254 - autumn 255 A.D.). The usual reverse legend on the colonial coinage is P. M. S. COL. VIM., abbreviating Provinciae Moesiae Superioris Colonia Viminacium. The usual reverse type is a female personification of Moesia standing between a lion and a bull, and sometimes holding standards inscribed VII and IIII. The bull and the lion were symbols of the Legions VII Claudia and IV Flavia Felix, which were quartered in the province. The rebel Pacatian opened his imperial mint at Viminacium in 248. Valerian also opened an imperial mint at Viminacium. The city was destroyed in 440 by the Huns, rebuilt by Justinian I, and destroyed again by the Avars in 584.


Moneta Historical Research by Tom Schroer

VIMINACIUM (Kostolac, Yugoslavia/Serbia & Montenegro - 44°43'N, 21°12'E) is located on the Danube in what was Moesia Superior, an area which came under Roman domination in 28 BC and was originally added to the province of Macedonia.  The province of Moesia was organized about 15 AD, and it was split by Domitian in Moesia Superior and Moesia Inferior in 86. Viminacium was originally a Celtic settlement but the Romans quartered a legion there, and the usual civilian settlements (canabae) soon grew up around it.  The VII Claudia Pia Felix legion was permanently quartered there from 57 AD, and it served as the base of the Danubian fleet.  Trajan used the city as a headquarters during his First Dacian War (101-102), and the city ceased to be a border town after he completed the conquest of Dacia in 106.

The civilian settlements at Viminacium were granted the status of a "municipium" under Hadrian and Gordian III established a colony in 239.  Its mint seems to have opened in 239 under Gordian III, and it struck local coinage (with Latin inscriptions) until about 256 during the joint-reign of Valerian I and his son Gallienus.  A favorite reverse type was the symbols of the legions which settled the colony, namely a bull and a lion, the symbols of the VII Claudian and IIII Flavian legions respectively.  Speculation exists that some of the imperial issues of Gordian III were struck at the mint, as well as some of the coinage of Valerian and Gallienus.  The growing uncertainty of the military situation along the Danube may have been the reason for the cessation of minting at Viminacium, because shortly thereafter the Romans abandoned Dacia (about 271 under Aurelian), and Viminacium reverted to being a border town.  After the re-organization of the provinces by Diocletian in 294, Viminacium fell into Moesia Prima.

Attila the Hun severely damaged the city in 441, but the city remained in Roman (or Byzantine) hands at least intermittently until the eleventh century when it was permanently lost to the Empire.


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Viminacium a town of Moesia Superior and a Roman Colony, supposed to have been founded by Gordianus Pius in A.D. 239. Coins of the Emperors from Gordianus Pius with dates AN I, Anno Primo, (A.D. 239) to Valerian and Gallienus AN XVI, Anno Sexto Decimo, (A.D. 254-255) are known. [VIM.] The usual legend is P.M.S. COL. VIM. Provinciae Moesiae Superioris Colonia Viminacium, and the usual type a female standing between a lion and a bull; on a coin of Gordianus Pius the female holds two standards inscribed VII. and IIII respectively and on coins of Philip I., and Trebonianus Gallus and Volusian the Emperor or Emperors take the place of the female.

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