383-388 AD AE4 of Magnus Maximus (383-388 CE), Arelate, Roman Empire

D N MAG MAXI-MVS P F AVG, pearl diademed, draped, cuirassed bust right / SPES ROMANORVM, campgate. Mintmark SMT[R] below. 13mm, 1.13 grams. Tier mint. RIC IX Trier 87a; Sear 20654.

Magnus Maximus (r. 383–388 CE) was a Roman general who declared himself emperor in Britain and was accepted for a time in parts of the Western Roman Empire. He established his rule in Gaul and made Trier his capital, forcing Gratian to flee and eventually be killed. His bid for legitimacy ultimately failed when he was defeated by Theodosius I in 388 CE. Magnus Maximus is often remembered as a key figure in the growing instability of the late Western Empire, especially in Britain and Gaul.

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