Postumus' Empire and the end of Roman large bronze coinage

Postumus, AE 22 mm, 5.20 g, somewhere in Gaul 266-270.
Obv. : illegible legend (mostly off-flan), radiate, draped and cuirassed bust of Postumus right.
Rev. : illegible legend, draped figure standing left, holding two standards (?) (type Fides militum).

In 260 "practically no new bronze coins had reached the western frontier since the Antonine period. By providing a fresh supply of bronze coins, Postumus succeded where the central administration had failed" (Philip Kiernan). Pierre Bastien's study of the coinage of Postumus distinguished 4 kinds of double-sestertii : The regular mint of Cologne or Trier (260-262), the unofficial important workshop called "Atelier II" (262-266), "Diverse imitations" (266-270) and "cast reductions" produced by impressing larger struck coins in wet clay moulds, which shrank as they dried.

It is obvious that the important output of the regular Trier or Cologne mint was badly needed in the "Gallic Empire". When it stopped producing large bronze coins to concentrate on gold or antoniniani, the unofficial "Atelier II" opened somewhere and its production circulated in Gaul and Germany alongside old worn-out Antonine sestertii and official Postumian bronzes. Progressively other unofficial workshops minted very degraded double-sestertii, until 270 when large bronze was generally abandoned. We don't know who was behind the unofficial imitative mints but it seems they were not considered illegal.

This coin of just 22 mm and 5.2 g must belong to the "Atelier II" or "Diverse imitations". Several hoards are known containing these Postumus unofficial coins, and "double-sestertii" of this reduced module and weight represented 10-12% of two of these hoards. It may be dated 262-270, probably near 270.

Please post your Postumian large bronzes, especially the imitations !

 

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Ooh, I like this topic! This is one of my interests. I'm more interested in the large double sestertii, of good style, which are getting harder to find.

I have very few of the reduced double sestertii and even less of the imitative ones. Here's one of my only imitations.

I do remember seeing a 'failed' Postumus double sestertius strike (the strike largely didn't take), on a Philip I sestertius.



Postumus. 259-268 AD. AE Double Sestertius (22.72g, 31mm). Uncertain ‘Barbaric’ mint. Obv.: radiate, draped, and cuirassed bust right. Rev.: Fides standing left with a standard in each hand. Cf. RIC 123. Overstruck on 2nd Century AD Sestertius flan. Crude style

 

It's funny to see how many of those completely worn out 1st and 2nd c. sestertii had a second life when overstruck by the Postumian "Atelier II" in 262-266...

 

Do you think mine is Mint 2?

 

Well... It could be, but it could also belong to the "diverse imitations" category. Pierre Bastien found that some dies used for overstruck coins were cut by engravers working in the "Atelier II", but could not find exact die links. In the Parville hoard, overstruck double sestertii were attributed to "Atelier II", but in the Ardennes Hoard an overstruck specimen is considered "diverse imitation".
Actualy we cannot tell. Your specimen has an obv. die of fairly decent style but the legend is corrupt : [...]M CSS LAT POST[...]. I did not find any parallel.

 

Thanks!

Here's a cute reduced double sestertius with a nice patina.


Postumus - 260-269 - AE dupondius size Double Sestertius - 23mm, 6.1 g. VICTORIAAVG RCV 11065