I hadn't seen an Aurelian posted for awhile and then see a few Aurelian threads posted between ordering this coin and it arriving yesterday, I have kept the postie busy this week. Lots of deliveries with coins that have taken weeks to arrive. This one was amongst them. Aurelian produced some Aesculapius reverse types at Serdica and we can be sure of the mint attribution because some of them occur with SERD in exe. The majority of the variations occur with legend CONSERVATOR AVG but there are a couple of variations with the legend simply as CONSERVATORI as in my example below. I am sure that the SERD examples ask a premium because they spell out the mint. Aurelian Antoninianus Obv:- IMP AVRELIANVS AVG, Radiate, draped and cuirassed bust right Rev:- CONSERVATORI, Aesculapius standing right, head left, with right hand leaning on caduceus which rests on the ground. Minted in Serdica, //S in exe. Issue 2. Dated to Autumn to End A.D. 271 References:- RIC - (This legend not listed in RIC). RIC temp #2578 (one example cited, solf by cgb.fr, MONNAIES 16, Lot 657, 31st December 2002) http://www.ric.mom.fr/en/coin/2578 My example is nearly fully silvered on the obverse and has lost some silvering on the reverse. A somewhat flat strike to the reverse which seems fairly typical of the issue. Martin
@maridvnvm Interesting coin! I also started a thread on Aurelian few days back. Mine is from a hoard called south petherton found in England few years ago https://www.cointalk.com/threads/aurelian-the-savior.318932/
Very nice, @maridvnvm ! I don't have an Aesculapius reverse type of Aurelian to share. The closest I have chronologically are a couple of antoniniani of Gallienus and Postumus: Gallienus, AD 253-268. Roman billon Antoninianus; 2.24 g, 20.5 mm. Antioch, AD 265-266. Obv: GALLIENVS AVG, radiate and cuirassed bust, r. Rev: CONSERVATOR AVG, Aesculapius standing l., leaning on staff with serpent. Refs: RIC 632 (sole reign); Cohen 140; Sear 10193; Hunter 208. Postumus, AD 260-269. Roman Billon Antoninianus; 2.84 g, 21.1 mm. Cologne, AD 265-68. Obv: IMP C POSTVMVS AVG, radiate, draped and cuirassed bust, r. Rev: SALVS AVG, Aesculapius standing facing, head l., holding snake-entwined staff; globe at feet, r. Refs: RIC 86; Hunter 85, 86; Cohen 336; Sear 10985; DeWitte 280.
Very nice Aurelian @maridvnvm I really like it, especially the fully silvered obverse. I have only one coin of his, which I got from JA. Aurelian, AD 270-275 Billon Antoninianus, 3.7g, 23mm; Serdica, AD 274. Obv: IMP AVRELIANVS AVG; Radiate, cuirassed bust right. Rev: ORIENS AVG; Sol standing left, holding globe and raising hand; two seated captives flanking // XXIP RIC online 2673.
Nice Aurelian @maridvnvm ! Good silvering, great centering and good strike on obv. I posted a couple of mine in another thread. How about his wife and one with Vaba-boy? RI Severina Wife of Aurelian 274-275 CE BI22 Antoninianus 3.14g Rome mint Crescent Concordia RIC 317 RI Vabalathus 271-272 CE and Aurelian
I only dabble with Aurelian and tend to buy cons that I find unusual. I think that this is the last one I bought, one of the more unusual ORIENS types. Aurelian Ant. Obv:- IMP C L DOM AVRELIANVS P F AVG, Radiate, cuirassed bust right Rev:- ORIENS AVG, Mars in military dress stg. right, holding long sceptre in left hand, receiving globe from Sol standing left, holding whip in left hand, resting with right foot on a bound captive in oriental dress seated left, head turned right Minted in Serdica (–/–//XXI(•)P(•)). Issue 7, Phase 2. April – November A.D. 274 Reference:- RIC Unlisted, RIC temp #2671.1 corr. (this coin) Same reverse die as RIC temp #2672
Any idea on why Aesculapius is on the coin? Was it issued for some reason connected with a health crisis, like an outbreak of plague?
I have a few from Aurelian but none featuring Aesclepius. Here's maybe my nicest overall: Aurelian; AD 270-275 AE, Antoninianus, 3.4g; 22mm; 1h; Siscia Obv.: IMP C AVRELIANVS AVG; radiate cuirassed bust right Rev.: CONCORDIA MILITVM; emperor standing right, clasping hand of Concordia In Ex.: Q star
That explains why I had to have this one with the dolphin in exergue. I suppose we should ask why it has that animal. I was hoping to find more about it on the new RIC but, no. http://www.ric.mom.fr/en/coin/2477?...e=&Reference=&page=1&mod=result&from=advanced Mostly we learn they don't like black backgrounds. There are several other reverses with dolphins but all are rare. I bought it decades ago from Christian Blom who would not ordinarily have handled a low grade Aurelian. I assume he knew about the dolphin but I do not recall it being mentioned during the transaction. I knew nothing in 2000 when I wrote my survey page for beginners on Aurelian. Little has changed. Old RIC gave the dolphins to Tripolis while new RIC uses the term 'Uncertain Balkan mint'. https://www.forumancientcoins.com/dougsmith/aurelian.html
