Guess The Emperor, Caesar, Or Empress

Quote:
Harlan Berk, online auction and Buy Now Sale; May 2010;
Item #cc67821
Buy Now; US $26500

Regalianus, Antoninianus, 260 AD, Carnuntum, 3.44g.

Obv: IMP C P C REGALIANVS AVG, radiate, draped bust right
with facial features of Caracalla.
Rev: PROVIDENTIA AVGG, Annona standing left, holding wheat
ears over modius on ground and cornucopiae

RIC-8 corr. (R5), pl. XX.8 (same dies); Cohen 5 (400 Fr.);
Gobl pl. I, A1-5 (same dies).

Ex Triton XIII, 5 January 2010, lot 342.
Extremely rare.
Copied from the similar PROVIDENTIA AVG type of Severus Alexander.
R. Gobl, Regalian und Dryantilla, Vienna 1970, list
only 26 surviving antoniniani of Regalian. Five of
those coins had the PROVIDENTIA AVGG reverse type,
all coming from the same pair of dies as our coin.
Like all other coins of Regalian and Dryantilla, ours
too is struck over a denarius of an earlier emperor,
namely a denarius of Caracalla with obverse legend
ANTONINVS PIVS AVG BRIT, reverse MARTI PROPVGNATORI,
Mars advancing left holding spear and trophy (RIC-150).
On the obverse, the neck, chin, ear, and radiate crown
of the portrait are of Regalian, but the nose, eye,
and forehead are remnants of Caracalla's portrait from
the undertype. Four letters of the original obverse
legend can also be made out: the S of [ANTONINV]S
between the two uppermost spikes of Regalian's
radiate crown, and the lower halves of RIT from [B]RIT,
just above the surviving neck of Caracalla's portrait in
the field below Regalian's chin. On the reverse,
substantial remnants of the figure of Mars from the
undertype intermingle with Regalian's Annona: Mars'
legs, body, face, spear before, flying cloak and
trophy behind can all be made out. The final three
letters of the original reverse legend, ORI of [PROPVGNAT]ORI, can also be seen beneath the VGG
of Regalian's AVGG. This is without a doubt the finest
known coin of Regalianus. In addition to having an
excellent portrait, the full name of Regalianus and
his titles appear on the coin. Another Regalianus
of complete obverse legends probably does not exist.
EF

Courtesy of Harlan Berk, April 2010.