I found a secret source with some excellent coins at great prices. I picked up several Tetricii that I'm very pleased with. Hilaritas is an interesting figure that I do not have any coins of, so this is a welcome addition. And everybody loves the roughness of those barbs. It's tough to tell if this is I or II, but I think I see a vestige of a beard, so I'll call this Tet I. This is very thick! This coin makes me think about celator talent. For a while I figured that the barbarous imitations simply had poor artistic talent, as the reverses are often pretty butchered. But, the Gallic coins in general make me question this hypothesis. Almost all Gallic coins have a very naturalistic portrait with a very abstract reverse; the barbaric imitations tend to be the same way - the portrait is much more artistic than the reverse. So this makes me think that instead of lack of talent, celators, trained or not, simply expressed the contemporary abstract art style on the reverses, as the "feds" probably kept them on a strict leash to not butcher the emperor's visage. This is a happy medium - the keep the govt happy by having a pretty face, but are free to make art for art's sake on the reverses. Were celators artists rather than artisans? The question remains.... Speaking of barbs, this Tetricus II is a tough one. The reverse is pretty good but the obverse is a bit strange. This sort of rides the fine line between official and unofficial. The lettering looks fine, but the style is strange. I'll chalk this up to a bad die and corrosion, and call it official. Either way, I've always wanted the priestly implements reverse type! Please post your recent Tetricii, especially those barbs
One of my most recent additions is in fact the following Tetricus Antoninianus: Emperor Tetricus I. - VICTORIA AVG Which is a new reverse type from his reign for my collection but most likely by far not as rare as real victorys where for Tetricus My only coin featuring Hilaritas is another coin from the reign of Tetricus too.
First ancient coins I purchased at a brick and mortar (and possibly the last now that I think about it) were Te-tricky:
I have quite a few, but these are the only ones I have pictures of on my computer Tetricus I mule with Tetricus II reverse - PRINC IVVENT Tetricus I with very nice silvering (nicer in hand) *Technically* a Tetricus II as Augustus. Certainly barbarous An interesting mule with a Tetricus I obverse and a Tetricus II reverse. Instead of the reverse reading PIETAS AVG (or PIETAS AVGVSTOR), it simply reads PIETAS, with IIII in exergue A Tetricus I antoninianus with nice toning *I do not own this next coin* And finally, a coin I WISH I had bought. Gutted I missed out on it - a buy it now for about £30 on eBay. A semi-barbarous coin of good style with VICTORIAE AVGG IT GERM reverse, copying a coin of Gallienus
These Gallic emperors used reverse dies about twice as long as they should have. Sure, it's a bit ragged, but the reverse die wasn't particularly worn when it was struck and Hilaritas's facial features are clear. Tetricus I, AD 271-274 Roman billon antoninianus, 2.74 g, 20.1 mm, 4h Mainz or Trier, AD 273-274 Obv: IMP TETRICVS P F AVG, radiate, cuirassed bust right Rev: HILARITAS AVGG, Hilaritas standing left, holding long palm and cornucopiae Refs: RIC 80; Cohen 54; RCV 11237. It's very unusual to find a Tetricus II with a clearly struck reverse. Spes is the most commonly encountered type for the young fella. Here's my most photogenic one. Tetricus II, Caesar AD 273-274. Roman Æ antoninianus, 18.1 mm, 3.48 g. Mainz or Trier, AD 273 - spring 274. Obv: C PIV ESV TETRICVS CAES, radiate and draped bust right, seen from behind. Rev: SPES AVGG, Spes advancing left, holding flower and lifting skirt. Refs: RIC 270A; Cohen 88; Hunter 11; RVC 11292; Cunetio 2647; Elmer 791; Schulzki AGK 9a.
Here are some of my favorite Tetrici. Tetricus II, SPES AVGG Tetricus, VICTORIA AVG. Scarcer with the longer legend "IMP C G P ESV TETRICVS AVG". Tetricus I, SPES AVGG (imitation, reverse of Tetricus II) Tetricus, LAETITIA AVG (imitation). Note the TETRIVS in the legend. Tetricus, FIDES MILITVM. Scarcer with the longer legend and that bust. Tetricus, FIDES MILITVM Tetricus VIRTVS AVGG Tetricus II, COMES AVGG Tetricus, IOVI STATORI (imitation, reverse of Postumus)
Bronze coin (AE Antoninianus) minted during the reign of TETRICUS I between 270 - 273 A.D. Obv. IMP.C.TETRICVS.P.F.AVG.: Radiate, draped, bust r. Rev. COMES.AVG.: Victory standing l. holding wreath and palm. RICV #56.
Coins of Tetricus II as AVGustus are rare to the point that, if you think you have one, you are wrong. I see the difficulty of telling barbarous from official as greater than the likelihood that you will find an official Tetricus II Augustus. Since both the Caesar and Augustus wore the radiate crown on the antoniniani lets look at the aurei. There are several known that show the legend IMPP TETRICI PII AVGG with jugate busts of the pair. I find it interesting that Junior has a bare head and Senior is laureate. Are there any aurei of Junior by himself with AVG legend? I read IMPP TETRICI PII AVGG as a generic legend honoring the Imperial pair but would expect both to have the laurel wreath. The coins are the only evidence I recall hearing about that suggests Junior was elevated. Before I 'believe' your T2AVG I need to see a coin with legend ending in AVG that has no beard AND has no signs of tooling or being barbarous. I have seen barbarous and I have seen pictures of coins that were definitely tooled. There may be genuine coins. I certainly have not seen enough material to have an opinion of any value but this is one I will need to be shown. My favorite barbarous is this one with reverse Spes right and legend starting at the lover right retrograde.
On the reverse of my favorite barbarous AE, Spes seems to have borrowed Sol's radiate crown. TETRICUS II AE Antoninianus (Imitative). 2.49g, 20.7 x 14.4. Irregular mint, copying Cologne, circa AD 273-274. Cf. RIC V 270 (for Spes prototype). O: [...] P TIIRCCVS IIC, radiate and cuirassed bust right. R: I I R C [...], figure resembling Spes wearing a radiate crown, advancing right. Ex E.E. Clain-Stefanelli Collection
