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 Replies: 31 / Views: 1,827 |
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Pillar of the Community
Topic Starter Sweden
1517 Posts |
Quote:
That double sestertius, at 34 mm, must be really impressive in hand.  It does have a satisfying massiveness in hand! It makes the antoninianus look quite insignificant ... @maridvnvm, those are excellent contributions!  And not one of them I have! Antoninianus, 266. Billon, 2.27 g, 20 mm. RIC V Postumus 84.  Obverse: IMP C POSTVMVS P F AVG. Reverse: SAECVLO FRVGIFERO (Fruitful Age). Winged caduceus. The caduceus and the wings are attributes of Mercury, the god of commerce and financial gain among other things. Such a bringer of a fruitful age is well worth a coin. It should be understood, of course, that Postumus plays his part as an agent to bring that about.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
4848 Posts |
Hey erafjel, I love the big double sestertius, I've had one of the monsters on my "to get list for years".
Killer caduceus too!
Hey Martin, I really dig that Sol reverse too!
Edited by chrsmat71
05/01/2023 4:00 pm
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Pillar of the Community
Topic StarterSweden
1517 Posts |
Thanks, @chrsmat71!  Antoninianus, 266-267. Billon, 3.40 g, 20 mm. RIC V Postumus 325.  Obverse: IMP C POSTVMVS P F AVG. Reverse: SAECVLI FELICITAS (Age of Good Fortune). Postumus standing, holding spear and globe. Another message about good times to come. This time Postumus himself is the bringer of those times. His virtues as emperor is what guarantees his ability to maintain peace and order in the empire. (That it is Postumus can be hard to see, but the characteristic beard is there.) |
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Pillar of the Community
Topic StarterSweden
1517 Posts |
Antoninianus, 266. Billon, 2.66 g, 22 mm. RIC V Postumus 299.  Obverse: IMP C POSTVMVS P F AVG. Reverse: DIANAE LVCIFERAE (To Diana the Light-Bringer). Diana, carrying a torch. Diana is perhaps best known as the goddess of hunting, but she is also a goddess of the Moon (so is Luna). Therefor, a light-bringer. Exactly why that aspect is interesting to feature on a coin is unclear. Diana begins to appear on coins around 266, at the same time as a group of other deities that have not appeared before (at least not with inscriptions dedicated to them): Mars, Mercury, Serapis are examples. One theory is that this is connected to that Postumus had successfully fought off Gallienus, who launched a campaign against the Gallic Empire in 265. The coins dedicated to the various deities would then be a gesture of gratitude. (Interestingly, Gallienus issues coins with several of the same deities at the same time - to assure them of his worship to more successfully invoke their assistance in future?) |
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Pillar of the Community
Topic StarterSweden
1517 Posts |
Antoninianus, 266. Billon, 3.55 g, 20 mm. RIC V Postumus 329.  Obverse: IMP C POSTVMVS P F AVG. Reverse: SERAPI COMITI AVG (To Serapis, Companion of the Emperor). Serapis, with sceptre and wearing modius, ship's prow in the background. Serapis was a Ptolemaic god imported from Egypt, possibly by legionaires who had served there. He is the god of abundance and resurrection. The modius head-wear (originally a measure for grain) is in his case a symbol for the land of the dead which he is the ruler of, indicated by the sceptre. The ship's prow I suppose is a reference to the myth that a statue of Serapis traveled on its own on a ship to Alexandria, after the Egyptian Pharao had had a dream about that. |
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Pillar of the Community
Australia
863 Posts |
Great coin erafjel, and the history is very interesting. It encouraged me to look up some more about Serapis, and I came across a write up titled Serapis (Sarapis), the Composite God by Jimmy Dunn writing as Jefferson Monet which I found very illuminating.
Thanks for sharing.
The Ox moves slowly, but the Earth is patient.
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Pillar of the Community
Topic StarterSweden
1517 Posts |
Yes, Serapis is an odd fellow with an interesting background. I wonder how Postumus chose which gods to feature on his coins. Did he get requests? "Oh mighty Caesar, now that you have minted coins with nearly every god there is, Cohort VI in Legion VIII Augusta wants to see their patron Serapis on the next issue. I fear they might rebel otherwise." We'll never know, I suppose. Now to another god, with a solid background, who nevertheless does not escape being tampered with by the Romans! The Greek sun god, Helios, was imported to Rome as Sol. The Romans massaged and shaped Helios, in time assimilating elements from the Syrian sun god Elagabal, but keeping central attributes like the crown of sun-rays. Out came a deity that could take on different aspects: Sol Invictus (the invincible sun) and Oriens (the rising sun in the East). Both were used on coins by several emperors, Postumus included. Antoninianus, 268. Billon, 3.05 g, 19 mm. RIC V Postumus 316. Obverse: IMP C POSTVMVS P F AVG. Reverse: ORIENS AVG / P (The Rising Sun of the Emperor). Sol, with a whip. Here we have Oriens, the Sun rising in the East, with hand raised in greeting. The whip is a reference to the chariot used to drive the sun across the sky. Postumus minted only for Oriens, not Sol Invictus, and only towards the end of his reign, for reasons unknown to me (unless it was on request from Cohort IV this time? ). Oriens has sometimes been associated with the coming, or dawn, of a new era (like for a new emperor), but I don't think there is any obvious such connection here. Maybe someone has a theory? Edited by erafjel
05/05/2023 1:21 pm
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Pillar of the Community
Topic StarterSweden
1517 Posts |
My last coin is minted by Aureolus, a rebel general who for a while minted coins for Postumus from his stronghold in Milan. Aureolus was in charge of Gallienus's cavalry (the equites) and fought on his side against Postumus in 265. Later he fell out with Gallienus and instead gave his support to Postumus, as shown by minting coins in his name (maybe hoping to gain support from Postumus against Gallienus in return). Postumus didn't seem to care much, and in the end Aureolus was killed by the Praetorian Guard of Claudius Gothicus, Gallienus's successor. Antoninianus, 268. Billon, 2.67 g, 18 mm. RIC V Postumus 381. Minted by Aureolus, in Mediolanum (Milan), 3rd officina (T).  Obverse: IMP C POSTVMVS P F AVG. Reverse: PAX EQVITVM / T (Peace of the Cavalry). Pax, with olive-branch and sceptre. Pax is one of the deities employed by Aureolus on his Postumus coinage. Most of the coins make a reference to the cavalry, here it is the peace-making effect of the cavalry that is emphasized. Aurelous's coins are on average lighter than those of Postumus and they are also lower in silver content. Quality of the coin making was so-so and it is not unusual to find these coins minted on too small and/or uneven flans. Unlike Postumus's own coins, those of Aureolus mostly have an officina mint mark (P, S, or T). |
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Pillar of the Community
 United Kingdom
959 Posts |
Thanks for this very informative thread, @erafjel. I certainly know more about Postumus now than I did before, and it was good to see the different types of coins and reverses employed, by all who posted. I only have the one Postumus coin. It is similar to the third one in this thread. It is a bit ragged as if it had been struck too hard, but I did like the image of the galley on the reverse. I have it as the Cologne mint. Does this fit in with your research?  Postumus AR Antoninianus. 260-268 AD. Obverse: Radiate, draped and cuirassed bust right. Obverse legend: IMP C POSTVMVS P F AVG. Reverse: Galley left with four rowers and pilot. Reverse legend: LAETITIA AVG. Cologne mint. References: RIC 73; RSC 167; Sear 10958. |
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Pillar of the Community
Topic StarterSweden
1517 Posts |
Thanks for the post, Novicius, that is a nice coin. Mairat in his PhD thesis and his other works on the coinage of the Gallic Empire consider Trier to be the first mint used by Postumus, from 260 to 269. Only in 268 did the Cologne mint open according to him. Parisot et al in L'Empire Gaulois concur with that veiw. In that case the Laetitia issues are from Trier. I keep an open mind about which mint that was in use and when. Although Mairat may have good arguments for his thesis, I don't think there are (yet) any hard evidence to support it. |
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Pillar of the Community
United Kingdom
959 Posts |
Many thanks for the reply, Erafjel. I had wondered why I couldn't find anything definitive regarding the mint, hence my query. I've amended the file on this coin now and can finally put it to bed. |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
4848 Posts |
This thread inspired a coin purchase, thanks erafjel! I'm going to buy a couple of coins types that I don't have this year, like a siliqua or a didrachm but this thread reminded me I didn't have a double sestertius. Well, now I do.  Postumus Double Sestertius, 261 ADO: Radaite bust of Pstumus R:Mars 35 mm, 26.2 g, RIC 179 Has a descent obverse and a pleasing patina despite the weak reverse. Nice and big, it feels nice in hand!  |
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Pillar of the Community
Topic StarterSweden
1517 Posts |
Glad to be a source of inspiration, chrsmat71! You have found a nice, heavy coin - they do feel good in hand! |
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Pillar of the Community
United Kingdom
1960 Posts |
There are some imitatives out there too if they are of interest. Postumus - Imitative AE As Obv:- IMP C M CASS LAT POSTVMVS P F AVG, Radiate, cuirassed bust right Rev:- AMV above Galley, with rowers right, AMV below. Retrograde P to left? cf. Bastien 310a-h (plate L) Atelier II 9.47 g. 25.42 mm  |
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Pillar of the Community
United Kingdom
1960 Posts |
Here is another Aureolus of a different type to the one above.... Antoninianus Obv:- IMP C POSTVMVS P F AVG, Radiate, draped and cuirassed bust right Rev:- CONCORD EQVIT, Fortuna standing left, foot on prow, holding patera and rudder, S in exergue Minted in Mediolanum (Milan). A.D. 268 Reference- RIC Postumus 372. Cohen.20 -. Cunetio-. E.616. AGK.6 a .jpg) |
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Replies: 31 / Views: 1,827 |
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Posted 05/01/2023 3:58 pm
