Scarce Aurelian Antoninian

I found the coin below on Ebay. I think the type is quite scarce, especially for Siscia. I wonder how RIC arrived at such a narrow dating at Oct/Nov. 270?

Obv.: IMP C AVRELIANVS AVG
Rev.: CONCO-RDIA-MILI
In Exergue: P
Bust: D1
Mint: Siscia, first emission
Date: October-November 270

RIC temp 1919
RIC 167

 

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Nice coin!

Here's my example, but with an "S" mintmark instead


I also have this CONCORDIA MILI type, but with one figure (Concordia) on the reverse.

The green stuff is a pain to remove, and it's a work in progress at the moment.

 

Very nice ... I think the green stuff looks good on the coins. I would leave it where it is. I also have the variety with one Concordia:

Obv.: IMP C AVRELIANVS AVG
Rev.: CONCORDIA MILI
In field: T
Bust: D1
Mint: Siscia
Date: October-November 270

Weight: 3.39 gr

RIC temp 1930

Göbl 322

 

His portrait looks an awful lot like Claudius II.

 

True, on his early coins Aurelianus looks very much like Claudius II (but not like Quintillus).

The coin below was offered as a Claudius II when I bought it (years ago). The bust is similar to Claudius II and the legend is a bit difficult to decipher.

Obv.: ..... RELIANVS AVG
Rev.: AETERNIT AVG
In Field: III

 

My reverse is also a scarce type.


Aurelian (270 - 275 A.D.)
(S) Antoninianus
O: IMP C AVRELIANVS AVG, Radiate and cuirassed bust right.
R: RESTITVTOR ORBIS, woman standing right, presenting wreath to Aurelian standing left, leaning on sceptre, suppliant captive between them. * Δ in exergue.
4.2mm
21mm
RIC V-1, Cyzicus 349 var.

 

This is the possible explanation: Aurelian was proclaimed emperor by the army based at Sirmium and the Pannonian mint of Siscia began immediately striking coins in his name from September 270 AD. The Vandal campaign was short and an imperial victory forced the barbarians to negotiate. A treaty was concluded: barbarian hostages were given to the Romans, 2,000 Vandal horsemen joined the Roman auxiliary forces, while the rest of the Vandal forces were supplied with provisions and escorted to the Danube; that’s probably at this moment that the type CONCORDIA MILI (the harmony with the soldiers of the 2 armies)was struck by the mint.
Aurelian gave orders for an imperial donative to be prepared by the mint of Siscia to celebrate two events: the victory over the Vandals and the defection of Quintillus’s armies to Aurelian’s side. Claudius’s brother, who had moved against his rival, had been eliminated by his own troops at Aquileia before he could even pass the Julian Alps at the beginning of November 270. However, Aurelian was forced to leave Pannonia as soon as he had concluded the treaty with the Vandals.

 

Wow, that is a super interesting explanation, which I will keep on record with these coins.

Maybe the number of military standards (and Concordias?) on these coins has a meaning?

One Concordia with two standards.
Two Concordias with three standards.
There is also a version with one Concordia with four standards.

So these coins may refer to events of harmony or unity between two, three and four armies or legions.

 

I always wondered which campaign this type of Aurelian celebrated. The coin is dated to late 271, i.e. a time when Aurelian's troops suffered a defeat at the hands of the Germanic/Alamannic Juthungi, who had advanced far into Italy. At the battle of Placentia the Roman troops were ambushed and defeated. The defeat let Aurelian to enhance Rome's fortifications (Aurelian wall)

The VICTORIA GERM (GERN) series was only issued at far away Cyzicus and may have been small because of poor timing. The series probably celebrates some success against Germanic raiders, but may have been short-cut when they heard of the defeat at Placentia.

Obv: IMP AVRELIANVS AVG
Rev: VICTORIA GERN
Bust type: B = Radiate, cuirassed bust right
Field / Exergue: -/-//-
Mint: Cyzicus
Issue: 3 (end 271)
Weight: 3,81 g
RIC temp: 2928 (19 EX. CITED)

RIC V Aurelian 355

I think this coin shows a particularly nice portrait of Aurelian.

 

Awesome. I have no rare reverses for Aurelian, but a lesser-seen denarius:


And a somewhat-unusual silvered example (most are bronze, or have 5% or less silvering)

 

This coin probably commemorates Aurelius' role at the Gothic defeat at the battle of Naissus in AD 269.

Obv.: IMP C DOM AVRELIANVS AVG
Rev.: VICTORI-A-E-GOTHIC
Bust: D2
Mint: Cyzicus, 1. emission
Date: end of 270

RIC temp 2836

I had been hunting for this type for a long time. When it finally came along, it was surprisingly cheap.

 

Yours looks nearly identical to the issues of Claudius II, even down the the portrait. If the legend didn't say otherwise, I would have assumed yours was Claudius.

 

Yours is actually RIC temp 1956, third officina. I have the first officina, RIC temp 1930:

(With substantial silvering!)

I really like these first issues of Aurelian. Another I have is the first issue from the Serdica mint (in 271), also among the first coins to indicate the mint name so explicitly (SERD):

This one is indeed scarce. There don't seem to have been too many dies; my coin is a die match to two of the 6 examples listed in RIC online, obv. for one, and rev. for the other.

 

My first issue at Cyzicus, with the FIDES type, and like @Tejas's beautiful coin above showing a portrait very similar to Claudius II:

I also like this coin because it is a *double* die clash on the reverse - the only one I've ever seen.

 

Don't know who are the captives on this Antoninianus (not scarce at all):

20 x 20.5 mm, 4.882 g
Rome, 270 - 275 AD, 6th officina
Ref.: RIC V Aurelian 62;
Ob.: IMP AVRELIANVS AVG Bust of Aurelian, radiate, cuirassed, right
Rev.: ORIENS AVG Sol standing l. holding globe in l. and raising right; at feet, captives; mintmark in ex. VI

 

Maybe not scarce, but a real beauty!!

 

@cmezner :2 captured palmerian soldiers

 

Thanks @Andres2 for your info. Awesome

 

Similar to the great CONCORDIA MILI coins leading off the thread.

Aurelian - CONCORDIA MILI - Siscia - RIC V 202v

Aurelian - CONCORDIA MILI- Siscia - RIC V 192(t)

 

Great coins shown here. I love those early Aurelian issues.

This is probably one of my least interesting Aurelians, but I think it has a great bust.

Obv.: IMP AVRELIANVS AVG
Rev.: IOVI CONSERVATORI - *P
Mint: Siscia