I just added a new DIVO Victorinus lately; can't stop buying them when I saw one at a reasonable price. When a fellow collector is willing to let go a part of his collection, you go and jump on the occasion ! So this is my new baby and some interesting details about it. The history Victorinus was assassinated at Cologne in autumn of 271 AD. Tetricus was consequently nominated as the new Emperor; but he only had a civilian rather than a military background. And here comes the almost unknown Domitianus; his usurpation may be explained as a revolt of a part of the army, whose headquarters were on the Rhine. There are three different possibilities about the minting of the DIVO VICTORINO series: 1) Domitianus. We have to admit it is very unlikely for him to have issued the coins in the name of the "deified Victorinus , as it would then be difficult to understand why so few coins are known in his own name (only two until now) and so many in the name of Divo Victorino... But Domitianus II’s revolt certainly reveals that Tetricus’s nomination had been challenged. So option # 2) Tetricus. It's possible that he himself organized the Divo Victorino coinage in order to legitimate his power, as did Quintillus and Aurelianus for Claudius Gothicus a few months earlier at the end 270. Possibility # 3: Victoria. She had played an important role after his son’s death, buying the support of the legions and choosing the governor of Gallia Aquitania, Tetricus, as his son’s successor. The coinage in the name of Divo Victorino may have been ordered by Victoria during that short period of time. The fact that the coins of Domitianus seem to have been struck during the same issue as the Divo Victorino coins points to that conclusion. But here are other questions we should ask: is it possible that the Divo Victorino coinage have been issued, neither by Victoria or Tetricus, but by the military forces installed at Cologne because of their uncertainty regarding Tetricus’s nomination? Alternatively, might Victoria have chosen to issue coins in Victorinus’s name because of this uncertainty among the military forces at Cologne? The coinage The coinage in the name of Divo Victorino was probably influenced by the very abundant coinage in the name of Divo Claudio issued by Aurelian in 270-1 AD in the name of Claudius II, in several mints of the Empire but mainly at Rome. Two reverse types were in use. The first one, PROVIDENTIA AVG, is inherited from Victorinus’s last issue, while the other depicts an eagle as on the coins of Divo Claudio. This one need an upgrade, but the last one available sold for 550 GBP... so I'll wait a bit... However, the engraver of Cologne seems to have adapted the reverse in setting the eagle on a globe and changing the legend from CONSECRATIO to CONSACRATIO, reflecting possibly a local pronunciation. This spelling is also found on coins of Divo Claudio minted at Siscia (where the reverse depicts an altar) and at Cyzicus, but it would be surprising that these coins have been the source of inspiration of these coins than the ones of Rome. This last one is my favorite, having an error in the spelling on the obverse: DIVO VICTORINO PO (sic). I have been able to find 2 die-matches with my specimen, one sold in 1995 by Spink's and the other one (with the reverse of Providentia !) from a private collection. Please show me a coin you couldn't resist, a die-match example or a DIVO example of any Emperor you want !
Very nice addition and a lovely collection. I almost bought the VICTORINO PO. It stayed quite a long time in my watch list (but you know, choices...). I was surprised it didn't sold in the auction it was featured and stayed that long on ma-shops, it was (in my opinion) reasonably priced for its quality and eye-appeal. It's really nice, glad you have it! Note that the CONSACRATIO spelling is also present on the coins from Cologne struck for Valerian II. A local pronunciation might be the explanation. Unfortunately I don't have any Divo Victorino to share . So instead of a late Victorinus here's an early one I got "recently" and one of the reasons I didn't get the Divo. Victorinus, antoninian, Trier (1st issue, 269) Obv. : IMP C M PIAVVONIVS VICTORINVS P F AVG Rev. : FIDES MILITVM Mairat 560 ; Cunetio 2515 4.25g (that makes it the second heaviest known if I'm not mistaken) And a CONSACRATIO I got for about a fiver recently (not the best condition for this fairly common coin but I couldn't pass for that price). Not of Victorinus of course, but a Valerian II.
Interesting find Ocat' ! I can tick all boxes at once : I couldn't resist a die match to another Divo I already had in my Divi series (obverse die match with the two available reverses) Q
Excellent pickup, @Ocatarinetabellatchitchix , congrats! That is a very cool version. DIVO RI Constantius I Chlorus 293-306 CE DIVO AE Quinarius Thesalonika 317-318 Seated RIC VII 25 R5
Me too. Mr. Jacquier is a real gentleman, open to negotiate (especially with a coin not sold for months). He even sent me the catalog of the auction along with the coin. By the way, it is a very nice PIAVVONIVS you got there. I'm gonna write a thread on those issues (with PIAV too) soon.
My favorite DIVVS: Antoninus Pius, AD 138-161. Roman AR denarius, 3.26g, 17.2 mm, 5 h. Rome, AD 161. Obv: DIVVS ANTONINVS, head of Antoninus Pius, bare, right, with drapery on left shoulder. Rev: CONSECRATIO, ustrinum of four tiers decorated with garlands and statues and surmounted by a quadriga. Refs: RIC 438; BMCRE 60-64; RSC 164a; RCV 5193; MIR 24. Notes: Also struck with a right-facing bare head (no drapery) portrait.
@Cucumbor Great coins, I honestly didnt know that someone deified Alexander Severus till I saw your coins
I am all for waiting but stretched a point quite a bit when I paid $150 for this Providentia in 2016. This specimen sold in CNG sale 345 (lot 511) at $80+fluff. https://cngcoins.com/Search.aspx?IS..._TYPE_ID=2&VIEW_TYPE=0&MAX_COUNT=10000&PAGE=1 Note that was against a $100 estimate so the coin did not appeal to the big boys who drive up CNG prices. We pay too much when we want something. 550 GBP is absurd. My 'best' Divus is my Caracalla sestertius. A few years back there was a slightly nicer die duplicate that failed to sell at what I considered too much at the time. Today, I wish I had bought it so I had them both. Mine has been BD free for 25 years but shows how such things were treated in the old days.
I like coins honoring emperors. Managed to get 2. Divus Antoninus Pius AD 161. Rome Denarius AR 16 mm, 2,74 g RIC III Marcus Aurelius 441 Obverse Legend: DIVVS ANTONINVS Type: Head of Antoninus Pius, bare, right Reverse Legend: DIVO PIO Type: Square altar Divus Lucius Verus AD 169. Rome Denarius AR 18 mm., 2,70 g. RIC III Marcus Aurelius 596B; RSC 55, BMC 503 Obverse Legend: DIVVS VERVS Type: Head of Lucius Verus, bare, right Reverse Legend: CONSECRATIO Type: Funeral pyre in four tiers, adorned with statues and garlands, quadriga on top
