Featured A Brief Look at the Coinage of Postumus

Discussion in 'Ancient Coins' started by Al Kowsky, Jun 13, 2021.

  1. wittwolf

    wittwolf Well-Known Member

    My only Postumus yet:
    Antoninianus - Emperor Postumus - VIRTVS AVG
    Postumus.png
     
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  3. seth77

    seth77 Well-Known Member

    Postumus, or Kris Kringle as his friends call him.
     
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  4. ancient coin hunter

    ancient coin hunter 3rd Century Usurper

    Here's a couple of mine:

    Postumus

    AR Antoninianus

    Obverse: IMP C POSTVMVS PF AVG
    Radiate, draped, cuirassed but right

    Reverse: SERAPI COMITI AVG
    Serapis standing left, raising hand and holding sceptre

    Year: 267 C.E.

    Reference: RSC 360a, Sear 10991

    Mint: Trier

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    A.D. 260

    Ӕ Double Sestertius, 31mm 17.3 grams

    Obverse: L IMP C M CASS LAT POSTVMUVS P F AVG; radiate, draped and cuirassed bust right.

    Reverse: P M TR P COS II PP S C; Emperor helmeted in military attire stg. l.; holding globe and spear.

    Reference: RIC V Lugdunum 106

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]
     
  5. Jwt708

    Jwt708 Well-Known Member

    Thank you for the kind words!
     
  6. Al Kowsky

    Al Kowsky Well-Known Member

    Has anyone else noticed a similarity in appearance between Doug Smith & Postumus, or have I become obsessed with this thread :wacky:...
     
  7. Orielensis

    Orielensis Well-Known Member

    There are lots of splendid coins in this thread!

    Here is a group shot of my current Postumus subcollection:

    IMG_3909.jpg

    IMG_3910.jpg

    Some of these might deserve a write-up on CT at some point in the future. For example, the Rhenus reverse (2nd row, 4th coin) refers to Postumus efforts to secure the Rhine border and strengthen the Rhine fleet.
    Minerva fautrix (3rd row, 1st coin) appears only on coins of Postumus and probably alludes to Minerva's support for Hercules, Postumus' favorite deity (see 1st row, 4th coin).
    The appeareance of the Egyptian god Serapis (2nd row, 5th coin) on Gallic coins is certainly surprising. Yet there is evidence for a strong cult of Serapis among Roman sailors, and tombstones excavated in Cologne indicate that many Egyptians served in the 3rd century Rhine fleet.
    Hercules deusoniensis (3rd row, 2nd coin), on the other hand, likely is a Romanized Germanic deity. His name probably refers to the Dutch town of Diessen. There is speculation about whether Diessen might have been Postumus' birthplace.
     
  8. dougsmit

    dougsmit Member

    Perhaps I should have used a smiley but Postumus is a 'fine looking fellow'.:smuggrin: Once there was a little girl that mistook me for Santa. She still does when convenient. I made this 'spirit' stereo photo in 1978. Today there are few people who know how to freeview stereo cards.
    [​IMG]
     
  9. Al Kowsky

    Al Kowsky Well-Known Member

    Very clever Doug :D! When I was a pre-teen I used to ride my bike over to the George Eastman House Museum (in those days it was free admission) where I saw a variety of Stereo-Graphoscope hand-viewers. The minute detail seen on the antique cards was awesome :jawdrop:! My mom was an antique nut & went to all the antique shops & second-hand stores, & I was a tag-along :smug:. One day I talked her into buying me one :p, an inexpensive model.
    Stereo Graphoscope Hand-viewer.jpg
    For serious collectors there were expensive "deluxe models" Delux Model Stero-hand -viewer.jpg The good old days....
     
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  10. Al Kowsky

    Al Kowsky Well-Known Member

    Orielensis, What a great dozen of double denarii :D! They alone would form a great thread :cool:. I think you should put-together a detailed thread on the group ;).
     
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  11. svessien

    svessien Senior Member

    I agree that the coins of Postumus are intriguing, and in much greater style than the other emperors from the same period. Al posted some real gems in the OP. I have two of the more common ones, and consider them to be very affordable numismatic joy (25$ each).

    Postumus Laetitia.jpg Postumus Moneta.jpg
     
  12. dougsmit

    dougsmit Member

    Long before ancient coins became too expensive for me to continue collecting, I dropped out of the collecting of old images. Considering the first were made in 1839, there were a lot of interesting things made into stereoviews. The tissue view shows "deluxe models" in use by some wealthy French people. This view is hand colored on the back so it appears in color when viewed in the correct light. I need to reshoot it properly.
    tissueviewerlg.jpg

    I know everyone is tired of seeing my favorite stereoview from the 1850's but it does relate to Postumus if I am correct regarding the charm bracelet on the table.
    164440571.qOPuJYiW.stillhalf.jpg
     
  13. Al Kowsky

    Al Kowsky Well-Known Member

    Fascinating to see people using these "deluxe viewers" on antique cards :happy:!
     
  14. Alegandron

    Alegandron "ΤΩΙ ΚΡΑΤΙΣΤΩΙ..." ΜΕΓΑΣ ΑΛΕΞΑΝΔΡΟΣ, June 323 BCE

  15. Sulla80

    Sulla80 Well-Known Member

    Here's a nice Postumus Antoninianus that I think also shows well contrast between this fine coin with good silver (admittedly "good" still something in the 30% range at best) and a heavy flan and the coins that you perfectly describe as the "debased & wretched looking coinage of the emperor Gallienus":happy:
    upload_2021-9-14_21-14-12.png
    Postumus, Romano-Gallic Emperor, AD 260-269, AR Antoninianus (21.6mm, 4.76g, 6h). Mint I (Treveri / Trier), 3rd emission, 1st phase, AD 263-265
    Obv: IMP C POSTVMVS PP AVG, radiate, draped, and cuirassed bust right
    Rev: FELICITAS AVG, Felicitas standing facing, head left, holding long caduceus and cornucopia
    Ref: RIC V 58; see: Mairat, J. (2014). The coinage of the Gallic Empire [PhD thesis]. Oxford University, UK.
     
    Last edited: Sep 15, 2021
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  16. Cucumbor

    Cucumbor Well-Known Member

    I'm a bit late to the party, but for some reason I missed this interesting thread. Some great coins shown

    Nothing very distinctive here, but I rather like those Postumus portraits.

    0450-210.jpg
    IMP C POSTVMVS PF AVG, radiate and draped bust right
    VICTORIA AVG, Victoria advancing left, captive at her feet
    3.65 gr
    Ref : Cohen # 377,


    0450-220.jpg
    IMP C POSTVMVS PF AVG, radiate and draped bust right
    SERAPI COMITI AVG, Serapis standing left, raising right hand and holding spear
    4.3 gr
    Ref : RCV # 10992, Cohen # 360


    0450-310.jpg
    Double sestertius struck at Cologne, AD 261
    IMP C M CASS LAT POSTVMVS P F AVG, Radiate bust of Postumus right
    LAETITIA AVG, Galley travelling left
    18.12 gr
    Ref : Cohen #177, RCV #11049

    Q
     
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  17. Pishpash

    Pishpash Well-Known Member

    Nice coin but reverse is incorrect. It should read "Herculese trying to give his cat a pill".
     
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  18. Al Kowsky

    Al Kowsky Well-Known Member

    Nice one :hilarious:!
     
  19. Tejas

    Tejas Well-Known Member

    Great write-up. Thanks a lot.
    I shall post a few of my Postumus coins later.

    It is of course true that his coins are mostly plentiful. However, the billon Ants often show porosity and have this dry, greyish appearance which I don't find attractive. So I guess his coins are plentiful, but really nice examples are not so easy to come by.
     
  20. maridvnvm

    maridvnvm Well-Known Member

    Here are my two most recent Postumus purchases.

    Obv:– IMP C POSTVMVS P F AVG, Radiate, draped and cuirassed bust right
    Rev:– PACATOR ORBIS, Radiate, draped bust of Sol right.
    Minted in Trier. A.D. 269
    Reference– RIC 317

    3.25g. 19.41 mm. 0 degrees

    [​IMG]

    Obv:– IMP C POSTVMVS P F AVG, Radiate, draped and cuirassed bust right
    Rev:– VIRTVS AVG, Emperor (sometimes referred to as Mars) advancing right, holding spear and shield, small captive to right.
    Minted in Cologne. A.D. 266
    Reference– RIC 331; Elmer 291; AGK (corr.) 103; Cunetio 2427.

    A scarcer reverse type

    All examples I have been able to find come from the same die pair

    [​IMG]
     
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  21. hotwheelsearl

    hotwheelsearl Well-Known Member

    I show my Spaghetti Victory coin all the time, so here's something rather different.
    Postumus RIC 388.JPG
    A nice dynamic walking Mars. Rather skinny though, you'd think the God of War would be a bit more fit.
     
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