Postumus, Antoninianus, 268
Trier - Billon - MS(60-62) - RIC:324
Sold
Bust of Postumus, radiate, draped, cuirassed, right, seen from front.
Postumus, draped, cuirassed, standing right, holding spear in right hand and raising with left hand woman (Orbis) kneeling left, and holding cornucopiae.
Extremely rare coin of Postumus! Issued mid-268, this coin depicts Postumus, dressed in military attire, as a restorer raising this kneeling female figure, identified as Orbis / Res Publica, personification of Roman territory, to the city of Rome, as Orbis can mean in Latin the words globe, world, universe or even country, region. In an absolutely superb state of preservation, the coin has been slightly cleaned, as can be seen from the pale spots on both sides, probably the result of some corrosion in these areas. However, this cleaning has not altered the engraving of the coin, and Postumus' attire can still be seen with great precision on the reverse, in particular the details of his cuirass and the pterygia on his belt. As for the female figure's clothing, the undulations of the folds are still clearly visible, as are her facial traits and the details of the cornucopia. It should be noted, however, that the coinage has not been perfectly centred, so the reverse legend is partially out of flan. See RIC V.4, The Gallic Empire, 414 for details of the mint and striking period.
IMP C POSTVMVS P F AVG
REST ORBIS
3.8 gr
Postumus
- Emperor of the Gauls / Roman usurper: AD 260–269
- Period: The Thirty Tyrants
Marcus Cassianus Latinius Postumus’ date of birth is unknown to us and his origins remain a mystery (probably Gaul). Governor of a province in Gaul, he helped the emperor Gallienus to repel Frankish attacks on the borders of the empire. Galvanized by his success, his troops proclaimed him emperor in 260.
However, unlike others before and after him, instead of claiming the entire Roman Empire, he was content to create the Gallic Empire and establish its capital at Cologne. And the Roman Empire was sufficiently unstable so that in the absence of recognizing a certain legitimacy to him, Gallienus granted him a certain peace. While the army made him emperor, it was also the army that assassinated him in 269 following a sedition when he tried to dissuade his troops from looting the city of Mainz.
Economy and currency
Although his reign was partial and its legitimacy altogether relative, Postumus proved relatively active where money was concerned. The emperor of the Gauls was quite Roman in spirit, and so was his currency. Having at his disposal silver mines in Spain and his territory containing two large mints at Cologne and Trier, he issued aurei and Constantinian coins of superior quality to those struck by Rome. This allowed him to curb, for a time at least, the rampant inflation. On the other hand, his double sestertius in bronze was a failure, proving not heavy enough compared to the “simple” sestertius.
Picture: Engraving from the book "Portraits of Roman Emperors" by Giovanni Battista de'Cavalieri (1592)
