Gallic Empire bargain: Marius

Hello all,

I've been away for a short while but now I'm back to show you this nice (I think) Marius that went for a bargain (and speaking of bargains, please check out my signature for a series of roman bargains )

Coin is:


MARIUS AR18mm 3g billon Antoninian (aVF)

AV: IMP C M AVR MARIVS AVG; radiate and cuirassed bust right;

REV: VICTORIA AVG; Victory advancing left, wreath in right, palm in left.

EXE: -

REF: RIC V-1 17 E.639 - Cunetio2511 (7 ex.) Scarce, 1st issue at Cologne mint, first half of 269AD.

Marius revolted against Postumus following the defeat of Laelianus and successfully overthrew him. His reign, although brief and lasting no more than a couple of months, has coins from both Gallic mints and a number of issues. His coins are scarce.

(more about Marius and Laelianus coinage)

 

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An ant of Marius. Now there's something you don't see everyday. Well-done!

 

Fantastic issue of a scarce Emperor!!

I guess I don't need to say I'm still missing that particular Emperor in any coin type... LOL

Congrats on a great find!!

 

It was a fortuitous find in a british dealer's inventory. Marius is the most readily available of the gallic usurpers.
Just curious - how much would you have paid for this spec?

Trying to see if it was really the bargain I initially thought it was

 

At full retail, between $150 and $200.

So somewhere between 90 and 130 GBP.

 

Hmmm... that means that at 100$ shipping included it was more of a semi-bargain than a full-fledged bargain...

 

I would have happily bought that coin for $100 and whistled a happy tune all the way home.

 

Thank you for the encouragement, Mr. Anthony. I am merely asking because the Gallic Empire is well outside my focus. I am more inclined towards Claudius Gothicus, Constantine I and the 350s as main interests.

 

I would have guessed the higher end of JA's range of full retail ---at least in that same grade and reverse as listed on acsearch....

So, I think you did extremely well at the price you just posted!!

Congrats again!!

 

The problem with calculating what sort of bargain you got versus retail depends on where you look. There are a handful of vcoins dealers that charge very high prices for their coins. By that yardstick you stole the coin, because I would expect them to ask at least $250 dollars for it. But perhaps their prices come closer to the truth. Compare your example with hammer prices for various CNG listings here.

 

My reference for this purchase was also acsearch, this is what prompted me to think it was a bargain. I also find interesting the fact that for a relatively scarce and brief usurper/emperor, his coins are relatively well distributed.

 

There are also some curious issues of Victorinus on which one finds a bust that's a dead-ringer for Marius. Did the engravers have some dies in which Marius' bust was already engraved, and did they simply add a legend of Victorinus, so as to not waste the dies?

 

Dang!
I think you get some beavers!!!!


I have only seen one of these. Congratz!!!

 

Maybe, or just used Marius' bust. It was common for very early issues of emperors to look like the predecessor. The new emperor wanted new coins as soon as possible, but the mints did not have official busts of the new emperor yet. So unless the new emperor was already widely known, the first issues of coins looked like the old emperor.

 

Both scenarios happened often enough in the history of Roman minting. You couldn't exactly email a new emperor's pic.

 

good coin for a good price seth.

this guy is on my list, but as a target of opportunity. i would have went for it at that price if i had 100 bucks burning a hole in my pocket for sure!

 

A- Wonderful coin.
B- Great reverse.
C- What a bargain!

A+B+C = I envy your luck.

 

Good score for sure on that scarce emperor Seth
Well done !

Q

 

Nice!

 

My Marius I paid £120 for him. He looks better in hand than the photograph.


Marius
Coin: Bronze Ant
IMP CM AVR MARIVS AVG - Radiate, draped and cuirassed bust right.
VICTOR-IA AVG - Victory standing left, holding wreath and palm
Mint: Treveri or Cologne (269 AD)
Wt./Size/Axis: 3.10g / 19mm / -
Acquisition/Sale: $0.00
Notes: Dec 6, 13 - RIC 17 Schulzki 7b, Elmer 638, Cunetio 2509.
Hint of silvering remains.


I think the conversation went something like this:

Hey Postumus, can we sack the city?
Postumus: No
Stab
Hey Marius, you wanna be emperor?
Marius: er yes?
Hey Marius, can we sack the city?
Marius: er yes?