Oh boy! T-bone! No, Homer! Not THAT T-bone! Not that T-Bone, either! I'm talkin' 'bout Trebonianus, affectionately known as T-Bone! And I love to collect the coins of his brief reign. What's not to like? They're affordable and varied. You have three obverse inscriptions, at least two mints, various officina marks, stars in the field, and a variety of reverse designs -- and these features are shared with co-emperor Hostilian and later Volusian. Enough issues to make for a challenging specialty collection but not so many issues as to seem a hopeless undertaking. Let's see your T-Bones and Volusians. Extra points for Hostilian as Augustus! This week, I'll post this pair of coins of T-Bone and his son, issued September - December, AD 251,* to implore Apollo and Salus to end the Cyprian plague. Trebonianus Gallus, AD 251-253. Roman AR antoninianus, 3.60 g, 19.2 mm, 6 h. Rome, 2nd issue, September - December, AD 251. Obv: IMP CAE C VIB TREB GALLVS AVG, radiate, draped and cuirassed bust, right. Rev: APOLL SALVTARI, Apollo standing left, holding branch with right hand and resting left hand on lyre set on rock. Refs: RIC 32; Cohen/RSC 20; RCV 9627; Hunter 21. Volusian, AD 251-253. Roman billon antoninianus, 4.15 g, 21.2 mm, 1 h. Rome, 2nd issue, September - December, AD 251. Obv: IMP CAE C VIB VOLVSIANO AVG, radiate, draped and cuirassed bust, right. Rev: SALVS AVGG, Salus, standing right, feeding out of patera snake held in arms. Refs: RIC 184; Cohen/RSC 118; RCV 9769; Hunter 22. ~~~ *Mattingly, Harold, et al. The Roman Imperial Coinage. IV Part III, Spink, 1949, p. 154. However, in an earlier article, Mattingly assigned a date to this issue of mid-July to December, AD 252; see Harold Mattingly, "The Reigns of Trebonianus Gallus and Volusian and of Aemilian." The Numismatic Chronicle and Journal of the Royal Numismatic Society Sixth Series, Vol. 6, No. 1/2 (1946), pp. 36-46 (p. 41 in particular). Sear assigns a date of AD 252 to these issues; see Sear, David R. Roman Coins and Their Values III: The accession of Maximinus to the death of Carinus AD 235 - 285, London, Spink, 2005, pp. 230, 244.
I only have 1 T-bone and it's a chunky provincial: Trebonianus Gallus, Ruled 251-253 AD AE31, Syria, Antioch Obverse: AVTOK K Γ OYIB TPEB ΓAΛΛOC CEB, laureate, draped, and cuirassed bust right. Reverse: ANTIOXEΩN MHTPO KOΛΩN, Δ E above and S C below Tyche seated facing within tetrastyle temple; below, river god Orontes swimming left; above temple, ram jumping right, head left. References: McAlee 1181, Butcher 507, SNG Cop 292 Size: 31mm, 17.84g Ex: Nilus Coins, Oct 2018 But I've got 2 Imperial of Volusian -- an As & Sestertius: Volusian, Ruled 251-253 AD AE As, Struck 251-253 AD, Rome Mint Obverse: IMP CAE C VIB VOLVSIANO AVG, Bust of Volusian, laureate, draped, cuirassed, right. Reverse: PAX AVGG, Pax, draped, standing left, holding branch in right hand and transverse sceptre in left hand, SC across field. References: RIC IV 256b Size: 22mm, 7.5g Volusian, Ruled 251-253 AD AE Sestertius, Struck early 253 AD, Rome Obverse: IMP CAE C VIB VOLVSIANO AVG, bust of Volusian, laureate, draped, cuirassed, right. Reverse: FELICITAS PVBLICA, Felicitas, draped, standing left, leaning on column, holding caduceus in right hand and transverse sceptre in left hand, S-C across field. References: RIC IV 251a Size: 29mm, 14.03g I've been on a (very) mild hunt for a decent, cheap Ant of Volusian to go with these. And I suppose I'll need to pick up an Imperial T-bone while I'm at it.
No father, but we have a crusty provencial son. Volusian AE27 of Dacia Obverse: IMP C C VIB VOLVSIANVS AVG, laureate, draped and cuirassed bust right Reverse: PROVINCIA DACIA, Dacia, standing left with branch and sceptre, between eagle and lion, AN V below
Here's an Antioch mint style ANT.... Trebonianus Gallus, AR Antoninianus, Antioch, 251-253 AD, 21.6mm; 3.55 gr. Obverse- IMP C C VIB TREB GALLVS PF AVG, radiate, draped and cuirassed bust right Reverse- VICTORIA AVG, Victory walking left, holding wreath and palm. RIC IV-3, 93;
Glad to hear nobody was injured! When I saw the pictures, I feared the worst.... T-Bone and son: Trebonianus Gallus, Roman Empire, antoninian, 251–253 AD, Mediolanum mint. Obv: IMP C C VIB TREB GALLVS AVG, bust of Trebonianus Gallus, draped, cuirassed, and radiate, r. Rev: PAX AETERNA, Pax standing l., holding up branch in extended r. hand and transverse scepter in l. 22mm, 2.93g. Ref: RIC IV.3 Trebonianus Gallus 71. Ex X6 collection. Volusian, Roman Empire, antoninian, 251–253 AD, Mediolanum mint. Obv: IMP C C VIB VOLVSIANVS AVG, bust of Volusian, draped, cuirassed, radiate, r. Rev: VIRTVS AVGG, Virtus, helmeted and in military attire, standing r., holding spear in r. hand and leaning on shield with l. 22mm, 2.47g. Ref: RIC IV,3 Volusian 206.
I picked up a great T-Bone provincial at the last Nomos auction, but it’s still stuck in customs (hopefully should arrive this week), so I can only share this Volusian ant for now. Volusian, Antoninianus (22 mm, 3.35 g) Rome. Radiate, draped and cuirassed bust of Volusian right/ Rev. PAX AVGG Pax standing front, head to left, holding branch in her right hand and scepter in her left. RIC 179.
TREBONIANUS GALLUS (My only) RI Trebonianus Gallus 251-253 CE Ant 20mm 3.0g Apollo Lyre RIC 32 RSC 20 VOLUSIANUS (My only) RI Volusian 251-253 CE AR Tet Antioch mint Eagle - son of Treb Gallus HOSTILIANUS (My only) (Augustus wannabe... ) RI Hostilian 251 CE AE 27 Caesar Viminacium Moesia Bull-Lion
The single surviving full size Roman bronze statue from the 3rd century is one of TBone. Unfortunately it’s one of the ugliest with a pinhead and what I describe as “a fat cylinder of a body.”
Socks. He's wearing socks with his sandals. No wonder they killed him . My favorite T-bone is a provincial purchased for the awesome reverse-- don't really care who's on the obverse (sorry, T-bro! ) TROAS, Alexandria. Trebonianus Gallus CE 251-253 AE 21 mm, 4.76 gm Obv: IMP VIB TREB GALVS AV; laureate, draped and cuirassed bust right Rev: COL AV / TROA; Apollo, head right and holding kithara, seated facing on griffin springing right, head left Ref: RPC IX 407; Bellinger A403
here's one with a bit of rainbow toning Trebonianus Gallus A.D. 251- 253 AR Antoninianus 21x22mm 3.3gm IMP C C VIB TREB GALLVS AVG; radiate, draped and cuirassed bust right. PAX AETERNA, Pax standing left holding branch and transverse sceptre. RIC IV Milan 71
..ah, good ole 3rd century emps...one of my hobbies within a hobby/obsession... .Trebonus Gallus provincial tet and Volusian sesterterius