Aurelian the savior!

I agree, and the new MER/RIC is the most complete database there is for coins of Aurelian. Nonetheless, one occasionally finds coins which are not listed there. The authors request that readers submit examples of coins not in the database for possible inclusion. I submitted this one:


Aurelian, AD 270-275.
Roman billon antoninianus, 2.82 g, 22.1 mm, 5 h.
Siscia mint?
Obv: IMP AVRELIANVS AVG, radiate and cuirassed bust, right.
Rev: VICTORIA AVG, Trophy of arms (helmet l.); on each side, a bound and seated captive in oriental dress; S* in exergue.
Refs: Similar to issue of Cyzicus: RIC 354; MER/RIC temp 2948; CBN 1156; RCV 11621; MIR 321.

At this angle and with different lighting, the officina mark in the exergue is clearly an S:



This is every coin of Aurelian with this reverse in the MER/RIC database. You can see it's not included.

 

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Thank you zumbly - I really appreciate this information. I will correct my attribution accordingly...and humbly withdraw my claims of a Gallienus hybrid...

That website is interesting - thank you for the link. I am not sure I entirely understand it - there I did find a reference to Gallienus for RIC 62 (the old RIC, from what I understand) - mine is RIC 63 because of the obverse legend (no C before CLAVDIVS). Both RIC 62 and 63 have an X in the reverse field.

"Note a) 2 coins in V, a coin in L, a coin in C, and a coin in NY have the reverse VIRTVS AVGVSTI X/-//- - Virtus 4a - hybrids, reverse of Gallienus.
Reference Normanby 685 RIC1st 62"

This is described as "RIC temp #270" - the new RIC number, I presume?

Wildwinds has the Gallienus reverse die reference for both RIC 62 and 63. I am assuming this is old information now superseded?

Since I have to go to work I didn't really have time to delve into it yet, but I am definitely going to use this site to attribute my tiny collection from this era.

Thanks again - this is interesting.

 

I go even further! Drag Queen:

 

Here is an Aurelian /Eagle from Egypt.

 

Yup, those are coins with Gallienus's VIRTVS AVGVSTI reverse, and I think they're all pictured as well, like this one.

The description I see in Wildwinds for their RIC 63 var seems to claim that the coin shown is a Gallienus hybrid on account of it having a Libertas reverse with a sceptre instead of a cornucopiae, which is just incorrect.

 

AURELIAN (270-275). Antoninianus. Rome. Obv: IMP AVRELIANVS AVG. Radiate and cuirassed bust right. Rev: ORIENS AVG / T. Sol standing left with globe and raised hand; flanked by two captives. RIC online 1719.

AURELIAN (270-275). Antoninianus. Siscia. Obv: IMP C AVRELIANVS AVG. Radiate and cuirassed bust right. Rev: ORIENS AVG / XXIVI. Sol advancing left, raising hand and holding whip; seated captives to both sides. RIC online 2393.

AURELIAN (270-275). Antoninianus. Rome. Obv: IMP AVRELIANVS AVG. Radiate and cuirassed bust right. Rev: ORIENS AVG / XXIR. Sol advancing right, foot set on captive, holding branch and bow. RIC online 1817.

AURELIAN (270-275). Antoninianus. Rome. Obv: IMP AVRELIANVS AVG. Radiate and cuirassed bust right. Rev: CONCORDIA AVG / *S. Concordia std. l., holding patera in r. hand and double cornucopiae in l. hand. RIC online 2045.

 

Here's mine. I find it interesting that the reverse is so off center while the centering on the obverse is just about perfect. How'd they manage to pull that off?

Billon Antoninianus
Cyzicus mint
Obv: IMP C AVRELIANVS AVG
Rev: ORIENS AVG - Sol, standing left, rasing right hand and holding globe in left; captive at feet
XXI in exergue
RIC 360
22mm, 3.8g.

 

The obverse die is fixed in a collar on a base / anvil. The blank flan is placed on the obverse die. The reverse die is moved in to place above the flan and this is struck with a hammer. This all happens at speed so if the reverse die is off-centre as the hammer strikes you get an off-centre strike like yours.

 

That makes sense, Maridvnvm. Thanks.

 

Those mint dudes sure struck lots of coins. I wonder how many they struck in one day - it must have been in the thousands. And furthermore, how did the public accept these near-valueless coins? Was inflation rampant?

 

There is much good info in this thread on a variety of sub-topics! Thanks to all who contributed!

Below is my best Aurelian. I think it's a RIC V 347 Cyzicus issue. The reverse's megalomanical claim was what attracted me to buy it. Granted he re-united the "empire", but using the word "orbis" takes it a whole world higher. ;-0

 

Arashpour. So annoying !Got a book of, allegedly, all the Roman Emperors. Could I find it ? Of course not ! Anyway, Aurelian was from humble beginnings. Rose through the ranks, with military successes, to become Emperor. Stabbed to death, "by mistake", by his own generals. After only 5 years in power. And that was the end of Aurelian.

 

I had an Aurelian but I gave it away. I can't remember to whom Anyway, here's a picture of it with it's custom flip. This is not the helpless prisoner being stomped version but one which features Lord Aurelian in a more chivalrous frame of mind.

 

Here is my Aurelian.

 

This is true, but produces a problem for the collector who wants a really nice example--making it hard to illustrate how "trashy" they were if the example is too nice!

Here are two attempts of mine:


21 mm. 4.45 grams.
Aurelian, struck Oct. - Nov. 270 at Siscia.
CONCORDIA MILI, Concordia holding two standards
Sear III 11518 variety. RIC 192 variety. Estiot -- cf. plate 22, 682-704, all of which are similar but all have officina letters and this example does not.




19-18 mm.
Aurelian. Struck early in his reign, pre-reform.
DACIA FELIX, Dacia standing holding the staff with animal's head associated with Dacia, which is an ironic type since Dacia was lost in 275, not long after this coin was issued.

 

This one is pretty trashy.... and shows just about how bad they can get.

Aurelian
Obv:- IMP C L DOM AVRELIANVS AVG, Radiate, draped and cuirassed bust right
Rev:- AETERNIT AVG, Sol standing left, with right hand raised and holding globe in left hand.
Minted in Rome. N in right field. October – December A.D. 270.
References:- RIC 20. LaVenera 31-2. RIC temp #1595 (17 examples)

Die clash on reverse

 

I also have an unashamed liking for Lugdunum and given that Aurelian re-opened the mint that had been idle for so long I had to get a few of these. This one is my nicest.

Obv:– IMP C AVRELIANVS AVG, Radiated cuirassed bust right
Rev:– PACATOR ORBIS, Sol walking left, right hand raised, left hand holding whip
Minted in Lugdunum, (//.A.L.). Emission 3, Officina 1. mid A.D. 275
Reference:– Bastien 7 (17 examples cited). RIC 6 Bust Type F