It's Veteran's day in the USA, formerly known as Armistice Day, to commemorate the end of the "War to End All Wars." The holiday was instituted by nations all over the world in the hopes that it would honor peace extending from that point forward. But such hopes were soon dashed as the world experienced war after war after war through and beyond the rest of the 20th century. Trebonianus Gallus' short reign was mainly spent fighting the Goths in the Balkans and the Persians in Syria. A special series of antoninianii with the obverse legend IMP C C VIB TREB GALLVS AVG had previously puzzled historians. Mairat observed that these coins have a style similar to that of the Rome mint, but have been discovered predominantly in hoards found in the Balkan area.[1] Besly and Bland postulated that the issue was shipped in mass to support the armies in the Balkans.[2] Their analysis of nineteen coin hoards also showed that this special issue accounted for about half of all the non-Syrian mint coins of Gallus. Such a huge portion of the empire's coins being shipped to this single area is strong evidence that major military action against the Goths was being funded. This is one of these coins issued for the troops in the Balkans. It proclaims PAX AETERNA -- eternal peace -- suggesting that it was Gallus' hope that victory against the Goths would result in long-lasting peace, a war to end all wars, so to speak. Trebonianus Gallus, AD 251-253. Roman AR antoninianus, 3.90 g, 21.4 mm, 7 h. Branch mint (traditionally attributed to Mediolanum), 2nd emission, AD 252-253. Obv: IMP C C VIB TREB GALLVS AVG, radiate, draped and cuirassed bust, right. Rev: PAX AETERNA, Pax standing left, holding branch and transverse scepter. Refs: RIC 71; Cohen 76; RCV 9639, Hunter 51; ERIC II 40. Post your coins of PAX in honor of Armistice Day! ~~~ 1. Mairat, Jérôme. Rome XI – Trébonien Galle au Coeur de l’Anarchie Militaire. 2002. http://www.cgb.fr/monnaies/rome/r11/article/2atelier.html, accessed 25 Jan. 2005. 2. Besly, Edward, and Roger Bland. The Cunetio Treasure: Roman Coinage of the Third Century A.D. The Trustees of the British Museum, 1983, pp. 19-21.
Maximinus I ("Thrax") Augustus A.D. 235-238 Bronze Sestertius Rome mint, A.D. 236-238 Obv: MAXIMINVS PIVS AVG GERM Rev: PAX AVGVSTI - Pax, standing left, holding branch and traverse scepter between S and C RIC 81 29mm, 15.9g. Tetricus I Augustus, A.D. 271-274 Bronze Antoninianus Gallic Empire, unidentified southern mint Obv: IMP C TETRICVS P F AVG Rev: PAX AVG - Pax standing left, holding olive branch and vertical spear RIC 100 18mm, 2.9g Carausius Augustus, A.D. 286/7-292 Billon Antoninianus London mint Obv: IMP C CARAVSIVS P F AVG Rev: PAX AVG - Pax, standing left, holding olive branch and vertical scepter S in left field; P in right RIC 475 23mm, 4.3g.
Here's one of mine.... Philip II... AR Antoninianus 247-249AD(23mm, 4.29g, 1h). Rome, AD 247. Obverse..IMP PHILIPPUS AVG...Radiate, draped and cuirassed bust right. Reverse..PAX AETERNA...Pax standing left, holding olive branch and short sceptre. RIC IV 231c; RSC 23
PAX CARAUSIUS RI Carausius usurper in Britain CE 287–293 BI Ant 4.7g 24mm London radiate cuirassed - PAX AVG Pax stndg l branch scepter S—P RIC V 475 PAX ALLECTUS RI Allectus 293-296 CE 4.38g London radiate cuirassed AE Ant PAX RIC 28
Another Trebonianus Gallus with a Pax reverse: Trebonianus Gallus, Roman Empire, antoninian, 251–253 AD, Mediolanum mint. Obv: IMP C C VIB TREB GALLVS AVG, bust of Trebonianus Gallus, draped, cuirassed, and radiate, r. Rev: PAX AETERNA, Pax standing l., holding up branch in extended r. hand and transverse scepter in l. 22mm, 2.93g. Ref: RIC IV.3 Trebonianus Gallus 71. Ex X6 collection.
PAX again: RI Victorinus 269-270 CE BI Ant Gallic Empire PAX Hmmm... not-so-good PAX RI Carausius 287-293 AE22 London mint PAX
Commodus (son of Marcus Aurelius), AR Denarius 181 AD. Obv. Laureate head right, M COMMODVS ANTONINVS AVG/ Rev. Pax standing left, holding branch & cornucopiae, TR P VI IMP IIII COS III P P. RIC III 17, RSC II 806. 17 mm., 3.15 g. France AR Medal Peace of Luneville, 1801 Artist: Bertrand Andrieu, Minted by Paris Mint. Obv.: Bust of Bonaparte, head bare, facing right; around, BONAPARTE PREMIER CONSUL DE LA REPUBLIQUE FRAN.SE.; on bust truncation, ANDRIEU F./ Rev.: Pax standing left with olive branch in raised right hand and cornucopia held in left arm; around, PAIX DE LUNEVILLE; in exergue, LE XX. PLUVOISE / AN IX [= 9 Feb. 1801]; on ground left in small letters, ANDRIEU F. Laskey XXI. 41 mm, 38.74 g.
War brings peace (according to this coin): Severus Alexander, 222-235 Struck late 222 in his first year. Denarius. 18 mm. 2.66 grams. MARTI PACIFERO Mars holding branch and reversed (point down) spear. Mars brings and ensures peace. He was a young man when he came to the throne and this portrait shows it well. Nice young portrait. Well-centered and well-struck. You can see the beard on Mars. Interesting version of Mars. The legend reminds me of President Regan's "Peacemaker" nuclear missiles.
