The Gallic Emperor Marius (Ruled for 3 Days)

I have owned this coin for a number of years, but have never photographed it until now. I can already see that I need to re-shoot the obverse since it is a bit soft in focus.

My lack of talent as a photographer aside, this coin was issued by the Gallic Usurper Marius who, according to David Sear was a humble blacksmith who joined the army, rose through the ranks under Postumus and seized power when the former was assassinated, but was himself killed (according to legend with a sword that he himself had made) after a reign of two or three days.

This coin was struck at Cologne on the German frontier. It is 21mm in diameter with a weight of 3.0g. For reference it is RIC-7 and SR-11119.

According to RIC all of Marius' coins are scarce to rare, but there are enough of them out there to suggest that one of the following two possibilities are true:

1. That Marius actually reigned longer than two to three days.

2. That his reign really did only last a few days but either word of his death did not reach the mint for some time or the mint continued to issue coins in his name after his death for a short period.





If you have a Marius please feel free to post a photo.

 

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That's a beautiful reverse

 

By the way, I just realized that I did not list a date for this coin. While I simply forgot, the chronology of the Gallic Empire is a confusing rat's nest of conflicting information. When I was a kid learning my Roman Emperors and the dates that they ruled it was reckoned that Postumus reigned from AD 259-268, that Laelianus and Marius were eye-blinks in AD 268 and that Victorinus ruled from AD 268-270.

Now they date Postumus as AD 260-269, Laelianus and Marius in AD 269 and Victorinus AD 269-271. I can't get used to any of that, don't know why the chronology changed and I'm not sure I buy it. I am sticking to the old dates unless and until someone shows me a good reason to change (and even that I may stick to the old dates).

 

2 or 3 days would not have given rise to the number of coins available. More likely, 2 to 3 months.


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: 3.10g / 19mm
Notes: Dec 6, 13 - RIC 17 Schulzki 7b, Elmer 638, Cunetio 2509.
Hint of silvering remains

 

Wow, that's an exceptional Marius, Eduard. My humble example... the patchy silvering has always made it a challenge to photograph.

 

Beautiful coin and fascinating history!

 

@Aethelred that is probably the best, most detailed Marius that I have seen. Gorgeous coin!

Marius:


RI Marius 269 Gallic Usurper BI Ant CONCORD MILIT Clasped Hands

 

I assume you are talking to me, and I thank you for the kind words, but I'm Aethelred/Michael.

Your is nothing to be ashamed of, I like it.

 

Oops, sorry! Yes, I did mean yours, Michael . That's what I get for multitasking and forumming over the phone.

 

Nice coin and write up - I've been hanging out some here and glad you've been posting more.
-Doug

 

Hey Doug, good to see you over here. Looks like a great forum for ancients, hope to see some of your newps soon as well.

 

That's an awesome OP-Marius (congrats Aethelred)

I've also got a fairly similar example ... wanna see it?

 

A great coin with great reverse @Aethelred

Sure !


Marius, Antoninianus Mint #2 : Köln or Mainz
MP C M AVR MARIVS AVG, radiate, draped and cuirassed bust right
VICT - ORIA AVG, Victory walking left, holding wreath and palm
3,2 gr
Ref : RIC # 17, RCV # 11124, Cohen # 21 (20Fr), Schulzki 7a

Many thanks to Mauseus and Agrippa1 for precisions in IDing this very interesting coin

Q

 

Some great coins in this thread, keep 'em coming.

 

I see no reason to apologize for the obverse photo. It's a great shot of a beautiful coin.

I could break out RIC and check, but it's Sunday, so I can be lazy: does anyone know offhand if there is a significant different in the number of coins known from different mints? If so, that might support the latter explanation, above. (If no one knows, I'll go check and report back.)

Here's mine, a somewhat less common Virtus reverse:

Bronze Antoninianus
Gallic Empire, unidentified mint
Obv: IMP C M AVR MARIVS AVG
Rev: VIRTVS AVG - Soldier with spear, leaning on shield
RIC 19
20mm, 3.4g

 

None to share from Marius but great coins everyone

 

That is a very nice antoninian of Marius, Aethelred. Congratulations!

I was thinking about your comment about the discrepancy between the alleged extremely short reign, and the relatively large number of extant examples.

My book says that Marius minted coins in Cologne, as well an an unidentified mint in Gallia. One possibility is that mintage did stop at Colonia Ara Aggripinensis right after his death, but news just took a while to reach the other mint thus accounting for the number of examples?

Whatever the case, yours is still a historical and scarce coin.

 

I've checked RIC. There is a difference in output between the two mints, one of which is unidentified. It's possible that the other mint was a traveling military mint, but this is just conjecture on my part. Whatever and wherever it was, it produced an aureus (FIDES MILITVM reverse) and 5 different antoniniani (AEQVITAS, FELICITAS, VICTORIA [2 versions] and VIRTVS AVG). I've compared my coin, above, with the one of the same type pictured in RIC (Plate XIV, 6). Both obverse and reverse dies are clearly different.

If we assume that the unidentified mint was closer to Marius at the time of his death, perhaps actually there with him, this seems like a pretty high output for just 2 or 3 days.

 

WOW!! There are so many exceptional examples of Marius---especially the OP!!

Mine is far less spectacular and my only example (Trier Mint and Felicitas reverse):

 

Great coin. And great piece of history.

That said, the part about Marius being a "humble blacksmith" is probably just myth.

This story came from Eutropius writing about a relatively obscure usurper emperor a century later. It would be like one us trying to write about Charles Curtis (Herbert Hoover's vice-president) before Wikipedia. It is unlikely that a mere blacksmith would rise up to grasp the purple.

Great coins, everyone.