Featured PACATIANVS Chronicles

248 AD
Philip the Arab is emperor for almost 4 years. But the Danubian legions are tired of him; they rebelled and proclaimed their own emperor, a commander named Pacatian. He managed to control Upper Moesia for a very short period of time (a few weeks to a few months). Philip responded to the revolt by sending Decius to solve the problem. On the approach of Decius, Pacatian was killed by his own troops sometime between the spring of 248 AD and the first months of 249 AD. Later Decius was convinced by the legions in the region to claim the position of Emperor and march on Rome. He challenged Philip in Macedonia and defeated him becoming the first Balkan Emperor of Rome. For 300 years, this usurper was only known by his coinage. But at the beginning of the 20th century, research were made showing that Zosimus (460-520 AD) and Zonaras ( 1074-1130 AD) reported the revolt in their writings.

Zosimus New history 1, 20: Priscus, their governor, who was a man of an intolerably evil disposition, wished for innovation, and set up Papianus for emperor, while the inhabitants of Moesia and Pannonia were more inclined to Marinus.

John Zonoras HISTORIAE ROMANORUM EXCERPTA XII, 19 :


Pacatian's coins seem to have been struck in the Moesia region (Balkans). Viminacium is the most probable site for his mint, and there is a noticeable similarity of style if we compare with the local Aes coinage; but some scholars believe it is a bit strange that no provincials issues were produced there in his name... The usurper's coinage consists totally of antoniniani, most of which appear to have been overstruck over coins of other Emperors. Seven different reverses were used on the antoniniani of Pacatian : Concordia, Felicitas, Fides, Fortuna, Pax, Roma and Victory. One type even celebrates the 1001st anniversary of the founding of Rome :
ROMAE AETER(nae) AN(no) MILL(esimo) ET PRIMO "The thousand and first year of Eternal Rome". This allows us to date the time of his rebellion around the end of 248 AD to the beginning of 249 AD. Now let's make a travel in time to find the re-discovery of this Emperor who disappear for almost 1450 years.


1690
Father Etienne Chamillard, a zealous Jesuit, is the first collector who discovered a coin of the unknown Emperor PACATIANVS. He considered him as a Gallic Tyran ( he found it in the Pyrenees region in France) and made his antoninianus published by Andre Morel in 1695 ( Specimen Universae Rei Nummariae Antiquae). Around the same time, M.Rainsant, a doctor and guardian of "the Cabinet des Médailles " of the King in Versailles discovered another specimen of Pacatian's coin.



1718
Banduri included Pacatian in his Numismata Imperatorum Romanorum, but as an usurper of the times of Trajan Decius. Even if at the time the authenticity of the coinage of this ruler was doubtful, some other specimen were discovered and published by different collectors.



1796
Eckhel in his Doctrina Numorum Veterum detected that the obverse legend has been misread for almost a hundred year : it should be read IMP TI CL MAR PACATIANVS and not IMP T IVLIUS MAR PACATIANVS





1801
In Langres (France) is found the first example of Pacatian with the reverse ROMAE AETER AN MILL ET PRIMO proving that he lived during the time of Decius and not that of Gallienus.
1815
Mionnet in his De la rareté et du prix des médailles romaines described the 5 different reverses known in the great Collections of the beginning of the 19th century. Around this same time, coins with a new reverse of Providencia are circulating in the numismatic world : they are in fact forgeries made by a certain Carl Wilhelm Becker...



1864
Cohen in Description historique des Monnaies frappées sous l'Empire romain listed the 7 known reverses plus a new type of Becker's fake. He also gave the precision that Becker's creations are in fine silver, unlike authentic coins which are alloys of poor quality.


1875-today
In 1875 there were about 30 known specimen of Pacatian's antoniniani listed. The number increased with with the archaeological excavations carried out everywhere in the old Roman colonies. In 1986 was found the first coin of the usurper in Britain, and at this time they were 69 Pacatian known. British Museum owns 4 of them : https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/term/BIOG96214
there is a consensus that there are around 100 examples today around the world.

Fun facts : the cheapest one ever sold was probably acquired by Curtis Clay in an auction in 2004: he paid 20$ for a lot of 3 coins including the rare Pacatian...
Numismatik Naumann had one for sale last April, estimated at 4,800 EUR. The coin finally went unsold ; is it because it was described as " slightly tooled" ?


Now it's time to show off. If you have a Pacatianus in your collection, please show it here ! If not, post one of your Decius or Philip who played an important role in the story. Here is my contribution :
Trajan Decius Viminacium

Philip I Viminacium

 

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Thank you for the interesting write up about Pacatianus.

as requested:

 

COMMAGENE, Zeugma.

Philip I the Arab. 247-249 AD.

Æ31, 19.2g; 6h

Obv.: AYTOK K M IOYΛI ФIΛIΠΠOC CЄB; Laureate, draped, and cuirassed bust right.

Rev.: ZЄYGM-ATЄΩN; Peribolos containing grove of trees, seen in perspective; tetrastyle temple in distance, draped figure within (Zeus?); in exergue, capricorn to right.

Reference: Butcher 31c; BMC 35.





Antoninianus



Phillip II as Caesar, A.D. 244-246

AR Antoninianus, 25mm, 4.1 grams

Rome, A.D. 244-246

Obverse: M IVL PHILIPPVS CAES, radiate and draped bust right

Reverse: PRINCIPI IVVENT, prince standing left, holding globe and spear; to left, captive seated left

Reference RIC 219

From the Eng Collection

 

Fantastic and really historic write-up. It proves how a coin could shed light on a possibly hidden part of History. Congrats.. Hope to find a coin of Pacatianus. I chose this silver Tet of Trajan Decius. Struck at Antioch. BMC 578.

 

The write-up was fine but needs to include a survey of the history of false coins under this name. "Slightly tooled" would scare away some people since only a slight bit more tooling would be required to turn a Volusian or Philip into a Pacatian.

 

No pacatian but trajano decio
Ric 10 249-250 ad

 

Yow! Cool coins, and scholarship to match! I'm needing this!

 

Hi! I have this antoninianus that I have attributed to Pacatianus. I have found it in a lot of 40 roman coins, which I have bought in the Balkans.

The state of preservation is very poor, and the flan is broken but the bust is pretty clear. Part of the legend is still visible. I hope you like it.

 

Sorry, but I am new and I don't understand how upload an image.

I will be back.

 

When you reply, on the bottom of the page select " UPLOAD A FILE" and when you have chosen your picture select "FULL IMAGE". It should work
@Priscus__attalus

 

I'm new too. Been there, Done that.

 

Or somebody who plants cabbages like Diocletian!

 

All the way back to when I was a kid, in Isaac Asimov's histories of the Roman Republic and Empire (2 vol.s), he noted that during the period of the 'Barracks Emperors,' the average reign was 2 1/2 years.
In a similar vein, this is going to be old news to that that many people on this forum. But the interval from Valerian to Gallienus, with the attendant beginnnings, anyway, of a fully functional dynastic element, was the exception that proves the rule. Whether usurpation was directly involved (as it was, often as not), the common denominator ran heavily to assassination, only occasionally 'relieved' by death in battle on the frontiers. Thank you, not the best time to be a reigning 'monarch.'

 

...If anyone you know could use a brilliantly concise, surprisingly comprehensive introduction to Roman history --and it can still be found-- Asimov is highly recommended.

 

Yes! How did he even make it to retirement? Mostly by killing a whole lot of other people.

 

Yes the first guy he killed was the praetorian prefect Arius Aper whom Diocletian (correctly or incorrectly) blamed for the death of Numerian. He was killed by a sword blow in front of the assembled army. Diocletian went on to kill lots more people including folks in Alexandria and many Christians among others.

 

...After I mentioned Valerian and Gallienus as the main exceptions for the shelf-life of 'Barracks' emperors, it was initially embarrassing to be reminded of Diocletian. But his sheer longevity is one primary reason his reign is seen as the cut-off point for that whole era. ...I've got a fairly solid outline of Imperial history ...somehwere... but it's rusty!