Fast arrival - A sestertius of Trajan Decius, GENIVS EXERC ILLVRICIANI

Here's a bronze that arrived much sooner than anticipated, via FedEx.

It is a fairly common coin, coming up frequently at auction and on dealers' price lists. As is typical of the coins produced during this period of upheaval, it is crudely struck on an irregularly shaped flan, and with parts of the legend off the flan. However, what is quite nice about this example is the pleasant green-blue-brown combination patina and nice central detail on both sides.

Trajan Decius, 249-251 AD
AE Sestertius
Rome
Obverse: [IMP C] M Q TRAIANVS DECIVS AVG, laureate and cuirassed bust to right
Reverse: GEN[IVS EX]ERC ILLVRICIANI, Genius standing facing, head to left, holding patera and cornucopia, standard behind; S-C across fields.
RIC IV 117a.

20.01 grams




So, if you are in a decisive mood, please post your Decius. All contributions welcomed!

 

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Wonderful example, I like the green too.

Rarely post this since it's always my Tets.


Trajan Decius (249 - 251 A.D.)
AR Antoninianus
O: IMP C M Q TRAIANVS DECIVS AVG; radiate, draped & cuirassed bust right.
R: PANNONIAE; the two Pannoniae, veiled, standing right and left facing one another, clasping right hands in front of standard between them.
Rome Mint, 251 A.D.
22mm
3.2g
RIC IV Rome 26

 

Nice new pickup! I have the similar type in silver. I always liked this reverse type because it is honoring the Illyrian army legions that put him into power. I actually find it a little surprising that there aren't more reverse types from the "Crisis" era emperors with this general kind of theme, given how important the armies were in choosing each new emperor at the time.


Trajan Decius, 249-251, AR Antoninianus (24 mm, 3.50 g), Rome. IMP C M Q TRAIANVS DECIVS AVG Radiate and cuirassed bust of Trajan Decius to r./ Rev. GENIVS EXERC ILLVRICIANI Genius (of the army of Illyricum) standing front, nude but for chlamys, head to l., holding patera over lighted altar in his r. hand and cornucopia in his l.; to right, signum. RIC 16c.

 

That's a really bold strike and nice centering!

Very nice! The portrait on your coin is very reminiscent of the one used for his double sestertius:

 

Nice coin and patina @robinjojo! I like how the cornucopia and standard look similar next to each other. Here are some recent ones of Decius.


Cilicia, Tarsus. Trajan Decius AE27.
Obv: AV KE Γ MEC KV ΔEKI TΡAIANOC, radiate draped bust right, Π-Π across fields.
Rev: TAΡCOV MHTΡOΠOΛEΩC, pyramid-shaped monument of Sandan surmounted by an eagle and covered by an arched canopy held by two attendants standing to left and right, AMK-ΓB across fields.


Phrygia, Kibyra. Trajan Decius AE27.
Obv: AVT KAI TΡAIANOC ΔEKIOC, laureate, draped and cuirassed bust right.
Rev: KIBYΡATΩN, Distyle temple enclosing the basket of Cibyra.


Aeolis, Elaea. Trajan Decius Æ19
Obv: ΤΡΑΙΑΝ ΔƐΚΙΟϹ / Laureate, draped and cuirassed bust of Decius, r., seen from rear.
Rev: ƐΛΑƐΙΤΩΝ / Demeter standing l., holding grain ears and torch.

 

Here's my most recent Trajan Decius. I wound up getting this denarius in three different grades... this is the best one. I love the sharp and expressive portrait on this one.

 

Nice one, @robinjojo! Congratulations on your latest acquisition. I have but one
sestertius of Decius.


Trajan Decius AD 249-251.
Roman Æ sestertius, 15.11 g, 29.4 mm, 1 h.
Rome, AD 250.
Obv: IMP CMQ TRAIANVS DECIVS AVG, laureate and cuirassed bust right.
Rev: PANNONIAE S C, the two Pannoniae standing left and right; each raising right hand; the one on the right holds a standard in her left hand and there is a vertical standard behind the one on the left.
Refs: RIC 124a; Cohen 87; Sear 9407; Hunter 54.

 

Nice coin, with a very pleasant patina.

Thanks.

I'm afraid that I am not as organized as others are when it comes to a systematic, prioritized search for new acquisitions, more often than not, particularly with Roman coinage, and more often than not I simply come across a coin that appeals to me as I wander the Internet. That is the case for the OP coin.

Thanks to your wonderful series on Faustina I and Faustina II, I appreciate the historical context of their coins, as well as the numerous varieties that can exist within a single issue. So, I must say, when it comes to a Faustina coin, particularly a bronze coin, I do have a somewhat more focused view of what constitutes a good or worthwhile acquisition.

For some reason, the denarii have never been a big draw for me, regardless of emperor or empress. It must have something to do with the water I drank growing up.

 

Here one heavy antoninianus and a other one. IMP C M Q TRAIANVS DECIVS AVG, GENIUS EXERC ILLVRICIANI, RIC 16c, 5,47 gr, 22,80 mm

IMP C M Q TRAIANVS DECIVS AVG, ADVENTUSAVG, RIC 11b.

 

Good old Decius.
I have the popular Dacia antoninianus, a coin I wanted a lot. I like it although I would have preferred the wolf head to be an actual wolf head


Also have the Sestertius - it was the type of purchase I try to avoid but it was too cheap to regret it.

 

An interesting new acquisition, particularly because antoniniani with this reverse type seem far more common than sestertii.

I generally like the eastern European provincial references on Decius' coins and have a few examples in my collection:


Trajan Decius, Roman Empire, AR antoninian, 249–251 AD, Rome mint. Obv: IMP C Q TRAIANVS DECIVS AVG; bust of Trajan Decius, draped, cuirassed, and laureate, r. Rev: DACIA: Dacia standing left, holding draco. 22mm, 3.66g. Ref: RIC IV Traian Decius 12.


Trajan Decius, Roman Empire, antoninian, 249–251 AD, Rome mint. Obv: IMP C M Q TRAIANVS DECIVS AVG; bust of Trajan Decius, radiate, draped and cuirassed, r. Obv: GENIUS EXERC ILLVRICIANI; Genius of the Illyrian army standing l., holding patera and cornucopia, modius on head, standard to r. 23mm, 4.67g. Ref: RIC IV Trajan Decius 16.


Trajan Decius, Roman Empire, AR antoninianus, 249–251 AD, Rome mint. Obv: IMP C M Q TRAIANVS DECIVS AVG, bust of Trajan Decius, draped and radiate, r. Rev: PANNONIAE, the two Pannoniae standing, holding standards. 23mm, 4.14g. Ref: RIC IV,3 Trajan Decius 21b.

 

That second antoninianus is a beauty!

 

Nice coins! A good number of his coins have themes related to his military actions in the Balkans, the region where he originated.

 

I have just won a Decius tetradrachm and I am very happy with it.
Initially the reverse caught my eye but the portrait is not bad at all.
Trying to determine the full attribution wasn't easy but after studying the pics, the portrait is seen from rear and below busts there are 5 dots so my attribution should be correct.



Seleucis and Pieria. Antioch. Trajan Decius AD 249-251.
Billon-Tetradrachm
26 mm, 12,18 g
ΑΥΤ Κ Γ ΜƐ ΚΥ ΤΡΑΙΑΝΟϹ ΔƐΚΙΟϹ ϹƐΒ, laureate, draped and cuirassed bust of Decius, r., seen from rear; below bust: ••••• / ΔΗΜΑΡΧ ƐΞΟΥϹΙΑϹ, S C, eagle standing on palm, l., spreading wings, holding wreath in beak
RPC IX, 1745, Prieur 584 (15), McAlee 1126e

 

That is a very nice coin! The strike is especially appealing. Well done!

 

Many thanks! Too bad what is under the bust is not 100% clear but I think my attribution should be correct.
I like Antioch tetradrachms - nice, artistic, quite chunky coins and the prices are decent if you're not extremely picky about conditions.

 

A bit harder to find than the sestertius is the dupondius.

 

Those are very nice coins, Doug. It's hard to find ones with complete legends. Nice patinas, too!