I currently don't buy many new coins but couldn't resist picking up these two bargains. The coinage of Postumus is one of my favorite collecting fields, and both coins, though not exactly rare, belong to the types that are less commonly seen on the market. I thus thought I'd post them here. My first coin shows Aesculapius, the god of healing and healers. The reverse type probably copies from a coin of Caracalla. Borrowing earlier imperial designs is rather typical for the coinage of the Gallic Empire. Scholarship has speculated that this type was meant to celebrate "Postumus's good health (SALVS AVG), as well as that of his army (SALVS EXERCITI), by contrast with Gallienus's, who had been struck by an arrow in the back and had to withdraw his troops" (Mairat: The Coinage of the Gallic Empire, Diss. Oxford 2014, 131). Postumus, Gallic Roman Empire, AR antoninian, 266–7 AD, Trier mint. Obv: IMP C POSTVMVS P F AVG; bust of Postumus, radiate, draped, cuirassed, r. Rev: SALVS AVG; Aesculapius stg. r., head l., with r. hand leaning on serpent-staff which rests on the ground; at feet, r., globe.. 21mm, 3.12g. Ref: Mairat 348 My second coin also copies an earlier reverse type seen, for example, on coins minted for Julia Domna. Note that the design here is somewhat blundered. Diana lucifera ("Diana the bringer of light"), the Roman equivalent of the Greek goddess Selene, usually doesn't carry the quiver clearly present on my coin. Quiver and bow are attributes of Diana venatrix ("Diana the huntress"), who can be identified with the Greek Artemis. The engraver apparently mixed up these two aspects of the goddess and their respective iconographies. Postumus, Gallic Roman Empire, AR antoninian, 266–7 AD, Trier mint. Obv: IMP C POSTVMVS P F AVG; bust of Postumus, radiate, draped, cuirassed, r. Rev: DIANAE LVCIFERAE; Diana walking r., quiver in the back, holding long-handled lighted torch in both hands. 20mm, 2.77g. Ref: Mairat 334. Please pile on your coins of Postumus!
Very nice! And two great portraits too. I'd like one of a DIANAE LVCIFERAE some day too as I very recently managed to win a long desired DIANAE REDVCI, which I'll post when it arrives. For now, here's my next most recently acquired Postumus, a duplicate of a PROVIDENTIA AVG I already had an example of, but I wanted because of the WWII ex Helbing sale pedigree. POSTUMUS Billon Antoninianus. 3.27g, 20.9mm. Trier mint, AD 263-265. RIC V 80; Mairat 97; RSC 295a. O: IMP C POSTVMVS P F AVG, radiate, draped and cuirassed bust right. R: PROVIDENTIA AVG; Providentia standing left, holding globe in right hand, transverse scepter in left. Ex Otto Helbing Nachfolger 86, 25 November 1942, lot 2139
Nice additions. Postumus (260 - 269 A.D.) AR Antoninianus O: IMP C POSTVMVS P F AVG, Radiate, draped, and cuirassed bust right. R: FIDES EXERCITVS Four military standards, hand on top of second, eagle on third. Lugdunum (Lyon) mint. Struck 266 A.D. 3.8g 20mm RIC V 303; Cunetio 2432; Elmer 417; RSC 65
Here’s one with a unique reverse. Will someone have a match ? Hey @zumbly, you’re certainly not afraid of cursed coin !
Orielensis, Your 1st Ant. has a wonderful razor-sharp portrait ! My only coin of Postumus is pictured below. Roman-Gallic Empire. Postumus, AD 260-269, 3rd emission, AD 261, Trier Mint. AE Sestertius: 25.5 gm, 32 mm, 6 h. Obverse: Postumus laureate, draped, & cuirassed bust. Reverse: Victory striding left while holding palm branch & wreath, seated captive. RIC V 170.
Obverse: IMP C POSTVMVS PF AVG Radiate, draped, cuirassed but right Reverse: SERAPI COMITI AVG Serapis standing left, raising hand and holding sceptre Year: 267 C.E. Reference: RSC 360a, Sear 10991 Mint: Trier Postumus A.D. 260 Ӕ Double Sestertius, 32mm 24.3 grams Obverse: L IMP C M CASS LAT POSTVMUVS P F AVG; radiate, draped and cuirassed bust right. Reverse: P M TR P COS II PP S C; Emperor in military attire stg. l.; holding globe and spear. Reference: RIC V Lugdunum 106
Nice ones, @Orielensis - and I agree, Postumus has some interesting types. I think I have an example of the OP SALVS type. Looking this type over this morning, I am puzzled - it seems three mints minted these, all the same legends and types. RIC V 86 - Ludgunum Mint RIC V 326 - Cologne Mint RIC V 382 - Trier Mint http://numismatics.org/ocre/results...:"Antoninianus"+AND+portrait_facet:"Postumus" So how do you tell them apart? Here's mine: This one is a bit unusual - MINER FAVTR: Gallic Empire Antoninianus Postumus (262 A.D.) Cologne or Lugdunum Mint IMP C POSTVMVS P F AVG, radiate, draped and cuirassed bust right / MINER FAVTR, Minerva running left, holding shield and spear in left hand and branch in right hand. RIC 74; Elmer 313; Cohen 195. (3.70 grams / 21 mm) eBay Aug. 2019 $5.00 "The interesting reverse legend MINER FAVTR stands for Minerva Fautrix, the favouring (partisan) Minerva. Perhaps the message is that Minerva offered Postumus wisdom, military power (note the spear and shield), and peace (note the branch)." FORVM
A lot of ink has been spilled on this, but in the end it boils down to RIC being profoundly mistaken about the mint locations of the Gallic Empire. A 2014 study and catalaogue by Jerome Mairat, now curator of coins at the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford, shed some new light on the topic. Based on hoard evidence, the study of a large (!) number of specimens and the archeological discovery of a mint at Trier, the author was able to propose a new chronology and mint attributions for the coins of the Gallic Empire. Mairat argued that Postumus' main mint was located at Trier and active from mid-260 to the end of his reign in mid-269 AD. Additional mints at Cologne and Milan were opened only later in 268 AD and produced comparatively few coins. Your coin, just as mine, is from the Trier mint. Although there is also an Aesculapius type from Milan (Mairat 518–520), it differs both stylistically from our coins and also doesn't show a globe at Aesculapius' feet. Your Minerva coin also is from Trier. This reverse type and legend Minerva fautrix ("Minerva the helper") are unique to Postumus. This can probably be explained by Minerva being a supporter of Hercules in Roman mythology. Hercules apparently was Postumus favorite deity, and several coin images of this emperor draw strong connections between Hercules and Postumus. Here is my example: Postumus, Gallic Roman Empire, AR antoninianus, 262–263 AD, Trier mint. Obv: IMP C POSTVMVS P F AVG; bust of Postumus, radiate, draped, cuirassed, r. Rev: MINER FAVTR; Minerva running l., holding branch in r. hand and long transverse spear (points up) and shield in I. hand. 22mm, 3.08g. Mairat 235; RIC V Postumus 74. Note that you have the variety with a ship's prow at Serapis' feet. My (unproven) theory is that Postumus coins often show deities popular with the soldiers serving in the Rhine fleet, arguably the most important military units under Postumus' control. Epitaphs from Cologne and Trier show that many sailors from the eastern parts of the Roman Empire were stationed there. The depiction of Serapis and the ship's prow might have constituted a nod to these members of the fleet. My example is the less desirable variety without the prow: Postumus, Gallic Roman Empire, AR antoninian, 266–267 AD, Trier mint. Obv: IMP C POSTVMVS P F AVG; bust of Postumus, radiate, draped, cuirassed, r. Rev: SERAPI COMITI; Serapis standing l., raising arm and holding sceptre. 20mm, 3.52g. Mairat 364, RIC V Postumus 329. Wow! That is probably the best-preserved Postumus bronze I have seen in a private collection. I was one of the underbidders on that one in AMCC 3. Glad to know it went to a good home! I guess that's the result of two flans sticking together and being struck at teh same time? If so, someone somewhere might have a reverse with a blank obverse to match your coin... That's a nice example of a reverse type I'm still looking for. According to Mairat, it was struck at Trier, 266–267 AD.
Thank you so much for that incredibly useful information - I am much obliged and will revise my attributions accordingly!
I don't collect Postumus coins but have picked up a couple in the last few years whilst picking up other coins and have since parted company with them. Neither has been represented here thus far and thus thought it worth sharing them. Obv:– IMP C POSTVMVS P F AVG, Radiate, draped and cuirassed bust right Rev:– PACATOR ORBIS, Radiate, draped bust of Sol right. Obv:– IMP C POSTVMVS P F AVG, Radiate, draped and cuirassed bust right Rev:– VIRTVS AVG, Emperor (sometimes referred to as Mars) advancing right, holding spear and shield, small captive to right
Nice coins! Postumus, Antoninianus, 260-269, Trier, , Billon 21MM Obverse- Radiate, draped and cuirassed bust right IMP C POSTVMVS P F AVG Reverse- Serapis standing left, raising hand & holding sceptre; prow at his feet to left SERAPI COMITI AVG RIC-329 Trier mint (AD 267)
I have a single Postumus. 19.9 mm 2.38 g Postumus (260-269 A.D.) Billon Antoninianus Colonia Agrippina (Cologne, Germany) mint, (ca. 260-61 A.D.) Obv: IMP C POSTVMVS P F AVG, radiate, draped &cuirassed bust of Postumus right Rev: IOVI VICTORI, Jupiter walking right, hurling a thunderbolt RIC 311
I have only one halfway-decent coin of Postumus, although I'm already the fourth person in this thread to post an example of the type. (I've added the information above about the theory that the mint is Trier rather than Cologne.) I bought it for the nice portrait, and because I thought it interesting that the breakaway Gallic Empire would issue a coin depicting an Eastern (specifically a Greco-Egyptian) syncretistic deity, specifically coinciding with my interest in Egypt. Postumus, silvered billon Antoninianus, Cologne or Trier Mint, 265-268 AD. Obv. Radiate & draped bust right, IMP C POSTVMVS P F AVG / Rev. Serapis, crowned and draped, standing left, raising right hand and holding transverse sceptre in left hand; in background, prow of galley right, SARAPI COMITI AVG. RIC V-1 329, RSC IV 358, Sear RCV III 10992 (ill. p. 364). 21 mm., 3.80 g. The only other Postumus coin I have with a photograph is this ragged specimen, which I probably bought 35 years ago, for forgotten reasons: Postumus, silvered billon Antoninianus, Lyons [Lugdunum] Mint, 260 AD. Obv. Radiate, draped & cuirassed bust right, IMP C POSTVMVS PF AVG/ Rev. Postumus standing left w/spear & globe, PM TR P CO-S II PP. RIC V-1 54, RSC IV 243, Sear RCV III 10971. 22 mm., 3.9 g.
Postumus. Romano-Gallic Emperor, AD 260-269. Æ Double Sestertius (31mm, 17.73g, 6h). Treveri mint, struck AD 261-262. Obv: IMP C M CASS LAT POSTVMVS P F AVG; Radiate, draped and cuirassed bust to right. Rev: P M TR P COS [... P P]; Emperor standing to left, holding globe and spear; S-C across fields. Ref: RIC V.2 106 or 113 var. (bust type); J. Mairat, The coinage of the Gallic Empire, Wolfson College, Trinity, 2014 (unpublished PhD Thesis), 144 or 219. Good Very Fine; gouge on obverse. From the Antonio Carmona Collection. Ex Roma eSale 83 (5 Jun 2021), Lot 804. Ex Herakles Numismatics, Feb 2022.
