Trajan Decius- "Spirit of the Army of Illyricum"

I recently added this antoninianus of Trajan Decius, which has a interesting reverse type that directly references the army legions that put him into power. The reverse is unique to Decius, and features the Genius (spirit) of the army of Illyricum.

Though he's certainly not the most influential emperor, I really enjoy the coinage of Decius...he issued some very interesting reverse types and some great portraits as well, and I was very happy to add this one.


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.

This reverse has the legend GENIVS EXERC ILLVRICIANI, which honors the "Spirit of the Illyrian army." Decius was born in one of the Danube provinces known generally as Illyricum (near modern-day Serbia). Before he was emperor, he was sent by emperor Philip I to command an army to put down a revolt in the region led by the usurper Pacatianus. After successfully defeating the revolt, his troops proclaimed Decius as the emperor. He then followed the proper mid-3rd Century etiquette: he marched his army to face off against the emperor, won the battle, had Philip I killed, and then took over as emperor himself.

This reverse type honors the soldiers who elevated him to emperor. I thought it was interesting to see an emperor directly honor a legion of troops from a specific region. Several future emperors, including Claudius Gothicus, Probus, Aurelian, and Diocletian also came from the same region. Given the outsized role of the military in choosing (and replacing/murdering) the emperor in the 3rd Century, it's a little surprising to me that more emperors didn't issue similar kinds of reverse types.

The coin also has a great portrait of Decius, and a large and interesting-shaped flan (which I always enjoy)...it's a beauty in hand.



Please share your coins of Trajan Decius, any coins which reference a specific province by name, any interesting "Genius" reverses, or anything else relevant!

 

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Great coin - I find this reverse figure very interesting as part of the history leading up to its ubiquitous use on the first folles with Diocletian's reform. Here's an earlier example of Trajan:


And the follis type that everyone has! Galerius as Caesar, Antioch, ex Dattari:

 

Not super related, but there were a variety of military campaigns in Dacia, the province of which is represented here. The deity even holds the standards of the V and XIIII Legions stationed there ( I think)

 

There are variations on the theme. At one time this very abbreviated antoninianus was thought to be a branch mint but later evidence suggests it was later and from Rome.


The type also comes as a sestertius (but not double sestertius)


and as a dupondius.


I agree that the coins of Decius are more than average in interest and could make a reasonable specialty for someone interested.

 

Trajanus Decius DACIA Sestertius:


IMP C M Q TRAIANVS DECIVS AVG - laureate and cuirassed bust of Trajan Decius right, seen from behind
DACIA - Dacia, wearing robe reaching feet, standing left, holding Dacian Draco battle standard in right hand; S C in exergue
Sestertius, Rome AD 250-251 (1st officina, 2nd-3rd emissions)
17.87gr / 28,5 mm
RIC 112 a, Cohen 18, Sear 9399, Banti 1, Hunter 32

 

also available in silver:

 

Very nice, @Shea19! I like this coin type.


Trajan Decius AD 249-251.
Roman AR antoninianus, 4.25 g, 21.7 mm, 7 h.
Rome, 2nd officina, 2nd emission, AD 249.
Obv: IMP C M Q TRAIANVS DECIVS AVG, radiate, draped and cuirassed bust right.
Rev: GENIVS EXERC ILLVRICIANI, Genius, wearing polos on head, nude except for short cloak on shoulders, standing left, holding patera in right hand and cornucopiae in left hand; to right, standard.
Refs: RIC 16c; Cohen 49; RCV 9374; Hunter 11 var. (reverse legend).

 

Interesting post, @Shea19 — I’ve one Trajan Decius.

 

Wow, @Shea19, that looks minty fresh! Mine is in bronze.

TRAJAN DECIUS
AE Sestertius. 18.12g, 29.4mm. Rome mint, AD 249. RIC 105a. O: IMP CAES C MESS Q DECIO TRAI AVG, laureate and cuirassed bust right. R: GENIVS EXERCITVS ILLVRICIANI, Genius standing left, holding patera and cornucopia; signum to right.

My favorite Decius, though, is the iconic double whopper of bronzes...

TRAJAN DECIUS
AE Double Sestertius. 32.59g, 36.1mm. Rome mint, AD 250. RIC IV 115a; Cohen 39; Banti 9. O: IMP C M Q TRAIANVS DECIVS AVG, radiate, draped and cuirassed bust right. R: FELICITAS SAECVLI, Felicitas standing to left holding long caduceus and cornucopia; S-C across field.
Ex Dr C. Haymes Collection; ex Bruce R. Brace Collection (CNG 90, 23 May 2012, lot 1678)

 

I"m a sucker for "ADVENTVS" reverses, so here's my Decius example:

Rome mint
Obv: IMP TRAIAN DECIVS AVG
Rev: ADVENTVS AVG - Emperor on horseback, riding left, raising right hand and holding short scepter
RIC 1(b)
22mm, 2.9g.

 

Here's my Genius RIC 16

 

T rage x 2 has such fun portraits in his coins!

 

Great coin @Shea19 - I have one exactly like @Ryro's above so no need to post it. I thought I'd also give a shout out to @Roman Collector's historical thread on Draco standards (as illustrated in the DACIA types).

 

Exceptional portrait of Decius and interesting reverse @Shea19 ,
this is my newest DACIA FELIX , RIC 14b , a very rare combination of obverse legend and reverse.

Trajan Decius, 249-251. Antoninianus Silver Rome. RIC 14b
IMP C M Q TRAIANVS DECIVS AVG Radiate and cuirassed bust of Trajan Decius to right, DACIA FELIX Dacia standing front, head to left, holding standard in her right hand. Cohen 34. RIC 14b.

 

TRAJAN DECIUS


RI Trajan Decius 249-251 CE AR Ant Dacia draco standard

 

Two sestertii celebrating the army of Illyricum, and an Adventus antoninianus...

View attachment 1275537

 

I have only three:

Trajan Decius AR Antoninianus, 249-251 AD. Obv. Radiate bust right, draped and cuirassed, IMP C M Q TRAIANVS DECIVS AVG/ Rev. Uberitas stdg. left, holding purse and cornucopiae, VBERITAS AVG. RIC IV-3 28b, RSC IV 105, Sear RCV III 9384. 23 mm., 4.9 g. Purchased 4/17/1986, Sarr Coin Co.*



Trajan Decius, AR Antoninianus, 249-250 AD, Rome Mint. Obv. Radiate and cuirassed bust right, IMP C MA Q TRAIANVS DECIVS AVG / Rev. Dacia standing left, wearing cloak over left shoulder and, with right hand, holding Dacian battle-standard surmounted by Draco (wolf’s head), D-A-CIA. RIC IV 12(b), RSC IV 16, Sear RCV III 9368. 22.28 mm., 4.09 g.



Trajan Decius, billon Tetradrachm, 249-251 AD, Syria Coele, Antioch Mint. Obv. Radiate bust right, three pellets below (•••), ΑΥΤ Κ Γ ΜƐ ΚΥ ΔƐΚΙΟϹ ΤΡΑΙΑΝΟϹ ϹƐΒ / Rev. Eagle standing left on palm branch, wings spread, wreath in beak, ΔΗΜΑΡΧ ƐΞΟΥϹΙΑϹ [= Tribunicia Potestas], in exergue: S C. [Group II, Officina 3.] RPC [Roman Provincial Coinage] Online IX 1644 (see https://rpc.ashmus.ox.ac.uk/coins/9/1644 ); Prieur 540 (11). McAlee 1120c. 24 mm., 12.85 g.




* This was one of the first two ancient coins I ever bought as an adult, 35 years ago at a world & ancient coins show in midtown Manhattan. together with my Roman Republican denarius of Ti Veturius (the one with the kneeling youth holding a pig, with a soldier on either side pointing a sword at it). At the time, I was primarily a collector of British coins, and knew nothing about ancient coins. Something about the two Roman coins appealed to me, so I bought them, together with a Regensburg city thaler -- as you can see, greatly overpaying for the two Romans, at least for back in 1986! I don't think the dealer knew much about ancients either, what with calling both of the coins denarii. I bought another 10 or so ancient coins over approximately the next 30 years, and then began collecting them actively in about 2017.

 

Here are three Decius Antoniniae with references to Roman provinces from my collection. Clearly, the Danube border was Decius' main focus. Barbarian tribes under the leadership of the Germanic Goths launched an attacked on these provinces in AD 250. The newly discovered Dexippos fragments gives some interesting detail about the campaign, which culminated in the death of Decius and his son Herennius Etruscus at Abrittus.
The Goths had apparently taken a Roman provincial town (Philippopoulis/Plovdiv) and amassed a huge booty. This part of the Gothic army was led by a certain Ostrogotha, whom most historians hitherto thought to be an invention of the 6th century Getica. Decius organized an ambush to prevent the Goths from returning home with their booty and captives. However, in unfavourable ground he himself was ambushed, the Roman army annihilated and the emperor and his son killed.

 

Awesome Sestertii !

One might add that the whole imperial treasury that Decius carried with his army fell into the hands of the goths in the battle of Abrittus, resulting not only in a shortage of precious metals that further increased the need to decrease the weight of the Aureus and the purity of the Antoninianus, but also acted as a catalyst for the creation of imitative Aurei (most specimens were hacked into pieced and burried, but some survived as pendants worn by barbaric chieftains and became status symbols that generated the need for reproduction.