The Postumus I was after - Mossy Bottom Barn

This recent pick up from YOC thru JA is 1 of the few ancient coinage I knew of before I took the leap into collecting ancient coins. I've seen pictures on the Internet, in books & magazines. The pictures I've seen before the coins were rough & never of the whole coin. This one being the first seeing with my own eyes.
I hear that YOC had a difficult time acquiring them. A story I would love to read sometime. And thankful for his effort.
It's one of the better examples I've seen. Although I'm sure those of you who have collected ancients for a while this is nothing new for you. But to me it's a small accomplishment.

Postumus, 260-269 AD
Billon Antoninianus, 20mm, 2.8g, 12h;
Colonia Agrippa, 268 AD
O bv. IMP C POSTUMUS P F AVG - Radiate, draped and cuirassed bust RT.
Rev. PAX AVG Pax standing front, her head turned to left, holding an olive branch in RT hand and transverse sceptre in her left.
Ref. RICHARD Vb 318, p. 363
From the MOSSY BOTTOM BARN HOARD

 

Log in or Sign up to hide this ad.

The reverse strike is particularly nice - if you can see the folds in Pax's gown, you've got a good strike. 90% of the them are very weak.

 

How true. And this one is particularly nice. Congrats.

 

It looks like it still has traces of silvering. The obverse die had definitely seen better days though, but that's not uncommon. Coinage during this Era was pumped out at high volumes without too much concern for quality. That's what happens when you are at constant war and have to maintain huge armies to fend off rivals and barbarians.

 

Yeah, glad I saw it & it appeared I was the only taker to. I'm happy with it. Tried to get better pics. One of those beauties that doesn't photo well.

 

The obverse actually is pretty good. I can't get a good pic, I've tried different light back drops. The silvering reflects the lights & shadows.
I work with what I have.

 

Well, glad you got it. Postumus is in my want list too. The Era of the three rival empires is particularly interesting. It is amazing Rome managed to survive that instead of further disintegrating into oblivion.

 

Coin photography is a long discussion, which we've had plenty of times. It basically amounts to finding a set up and style that YOU like. Lots of people say, "The coin is much better in hand," which is almost always necessarily true. A still shot can only capture so much.

 

Exceptional reverse...

 

For those like me whose hobby definitely includes photography, there are coins I wish I had not bought because they were not easy/possibe to photograph well. Some of you go for wear, some for centering, others for smooth edges etc. etc. etc. I like coins that look cooperative when it comes to posing for photos. Like humans, some coins are hams and look good any time there is a camera in the room while others give the photographer a death look.

There were several (4?) Pax issues. One (below) has a P in the field. Who knows the meaning of it? It would seem obviously to be an officina letter were there other coins with S and T but there are not. References seem to call it a 'mintmark' thereby dodging the question. I do not have the plain one. It seems that Pax was a popular reverse in the later 3rd century when peace itself was not all that easy to find.

 

Thanks Noob a compliment from you means a lot.

Sallent, I agree. I'm working on that also, this was a good pick up to me. Gonna take my time finding examples.

 

Nice coin Smojo!

I picked up the other Mossy Bottom Barn coin from YOC (through John Anthony).

Thanks guys for making these rare coins available to us!

This is John's photo and attribution.


Quintillus, AD 270
Billon Antoninianus, 18mm, 2.3g, 12h; Mediolanum mint, 270
Obv: IMP QVINTILLVS AVG, radiate, draped and cuirassed bust right, seen from behind.
Rev: FIDES MILIT, Fides standing facing, head left, holding standard in either hand // S
Reference: RIC 52
From the YOC Collection, Mossy Bottom Barn Hoard

 

Nice,
It's on my hit list. I'm bought out for a little while hoping my luck will get better soon. Sales have slowed down & need to get new stuff to flip.

 

that's a fine addition smojo, i'll agree with everyone else and say i totally dig the reverse!

here's tetricus pax, pretty rough...



Tetricus I Æ Antoninianus, 271-274AD Antoninianus
O: Radiate bust of Tetricus right "IMP C TETRICVS AVG" R: Pax standing left holding a branch and staff, "PAX AVG". Cologne mint. 20 mm, 3.9 g Sear III - 11243, RIC 100


here's pretty good postumus i have..

 

PAX is one of the most common reverses on Postumus coins, altough yours is well struck, rests of silvering and pedigree! great addition is you ask me.

There is a theory (yet to be proven) that "P" stands for Postumus being in town, since there is another (later) PAX issue of Victorinus which is the same but uses "V" instead.
Others hint the possibility that this mint was mobile and travelled with the emperor.

 

My PAX:


RI
Allectus 293-296 CE
AE Ant
PAX


RI
Carausius 287-293
AE22
London mint
PAX


RI
Victorinus 269-270 CE
BI Ant
Gallic Empire
PAX

 

That Pax reverse is outstanding @Smojo ....and my other examples remain unphotographed, weakly struck and 'low grade' so I grabbed this Mars example months ago as an upgrade:

 

Thanks Mikey. Your Postumus is a nice example, sharp obv.. I saw one a while back but was incomplete & couldnt really tell it was Mars on the rev..

 

Postumus is a very interesting emperor, and I have three coins of his, a Salus, a Victory and a yellowish AE coin that looks like a Double Sestertius, but where are the legends? The weight is 8,62 gr. and the edge doesn't look clipped (but a bit rough and tumble). On the reverse there's the forepart of a galley and the hindpart of the word LAETITIA.

 

The legends are there, but it's an imitative type, not official of a galley laetitia reverse. Probably over struck on something.