Born on this day, September 9, 214 A.D. was Aurelian. Lets post YOUR coins of him to mark the day! Aurelian (270 - 275 A.D.) Æ Antoninianus O: IMP C AVRELIANVS AVG, Radiate and cuirassed bust right. R: ORIENS AVG , Sol advancing left, raising right hand, globe in left, flanked by two captives at feet, txxt in ex Ticinum Mint 2nd Emission. 3rd Officina 3.81g RIC 151 Aurelian, Latin in full Lucius Domitius Aurelianus (born c. September 9, 215—died 275, near Byzantium [now Istanbul, Turkey]), Roman emperor from 270 to 275. By reuniting the empire, which had virtually disintegrated under the pressure of invasions and internal revolts, he earned his self-adopted title restitutor orbis (“restorer of the world”). Aurelian, born near the Danube River, had established himself as an army officer when, about 260, from outside pressure and internal fragmentation of authority, the frontiers of the empire suddenly collapsed. With his compatriot Claudius, Aurelian led the cavalry of the emperor Gallienus (253–268), and, upon Gallienus’s assassination in 268, Claudius became emperor. The new ruler quickly suppressed the rebellion of the usurper Aureolus, but, after a reign of 18 months, Claudius died. His brother Quintillus, who ruled about three months, died or was killed, and in September 270 Aurelian succeeded as emperor. Aurelian quickly set about restoring Roman authority in Europe. He turned back the Vandals from Pannonia (in present-day central Europe) and after a series of battles expelled the Alemanni and Juthungi from northern Italy and chased the Juthungi across the Danube. Returning to Rome, he quelled a revolt at the imperial mint. For protection against tribal incursions, the emperor ordered the construction of a new city wall around Rome, much of which still stands and still bears his name. In 271 he sought to recover the eastern provinces, which for 10 years had obeyed the rule of the princes of Palmyra. He besieged Palmyra and captured Septimia Zenobia, regent for her young son Wahballat (called Vaballathus in Latin); shortly afterward the capital surrendered. Aurelian then marched to the Danube, where he defeated the Carpi. When Palmyra revolted a second time in 273, Aurelian recaptured and destroyed the city. In 274 he returned west to confront Tetricus, the rival emperor, who controlled Gaul, Spain, and Britain. Beset by a German invasion and by internal conspiracies, Tetricus concluded a secret treaty with Aurelian, deserting to him at the Battle of Châlons. The leaderless army of the Rhine was swiftly defeated, and Tetricus was rewarded with the governorship of Lucania but only after marching in Aurelian’s triumph alongside Zenobia. Thus the vast empire was again ruled by a central authority. In 274, with the empire temporarily united, Aurelian made the momentous decision to withdraw Roman troops from Dacia and resettle soldiers and settlers south of the Danube. He understood that defensible boundaries were essential for the long-term survival of the empire. Aurelian was an outstanding general and a severe and uncompromising administrator. By increasing the distribution of free food at Rome, he did more for the plebeians than almost any other emperor. His attempt to reform the silver coinage, debased for more than 40 years, met with only limited success. He sought to subordinate the divergent religions of the empire to the cult of the Unconquered Sun (Sol Invictus) and so create the kind of religious unity that came only later with Constantine. Early in 275, while marching to open a campaign against Persia, Aurelian was murdered by a group of officers who had allegedly been misled by his secretary into believing themselves marked for execution. The government was continued in the name of Aurelian’s widow, Ulpia Severina, until, after six months, the Senate appointed the elderly Marcus Claudius Tacitus to the throne. The empire remained divided and chaotic until Diocletian’s ascension (ad 284).
Siscia - spread bust Concordia Militum Rome - Lion mintmark Oriens Tripolis Sol Uncertain Balkan mint - dolphin mintmark Romae Aeternae Rome denarius Victory http://www.forumancientcoins.com/dougsmith/aurelian.html
AURELIAN Antoninianus OBVERSE: IMP AVRELIANVS AVG Radiate, cuirassed bust right REVERSE: VICTORIA AVG, Victory facing, wings spread, rising up between two shields, pearl diadem in hands star over P in right field. first officinae Siscia Struck at Siscia, 270-5 AD 4.1g, 21mm RIC 238 AURELIAN Antoninianus OBVERSE: IMP AVRELIANVS AVG, radiate cuirassed bust right REVERSE: IOVI CONSER, emperor standing right, holding short sceptre, receiving globe from Jupiter, standing left, holding long sceptre. Q in ex Struck at Siscia, 272-4 AD 3.5g, 20mm RIC V 225
AURELIAN Antoninianus OBVERSE: IMP C AVRELIANVS AVG, radiate bust right REVERSE: RESTITVT ORBIS, female on the left presents a wreath to Aurelian, holding a sceptre, Gamma in ex. Struck at Antioch,270-5 AD 3.6g, 22mm RIC V 386 AURELIAN Tetradrahm OBVERSE: AUT K L D AURHLIANOC CEB, laureate, draped and cuirassed bust right REVERSE: Eagle standing left on thunderbolt, wreath in beak, D/L (year 4) left, star right Struck at Alexandria, Egypt, 29 Aug 272 - 28 Aug 273 A.D. 7.73g, 21mm Dattari (Savio) 5470-1; Milne 4381-2; Emmett 3922
I might as well add one of my Lugdunum examples. Aurelian Ant. 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
Nice thread, Mat - nice write-up, and nice coins everyone! Bing, that second coin in your first post has a great strike, particularly on the obverse. I had a handful of common Aurelian types which I sold, leaving me with this one scarcer coin. (The CONCORDIA MILI types are more common on the coins of Severina.) Aurelian, 214 or 215 - 275 AD AE Antoninianus, 20mm, 3.5g, Siscia mint Obv.: IMP C AVRELIANVS AVG; radiate and draped bust right Rev.: CONCORDIA MILI; Concordia standing half left, holding two standards / S Reference: RIC V(a) Aurelian 193 (p. 286)
Aurelian, denarius Obv:– IMP C AVRELIANVS AVG, Laureate, cuirassed bust right Rev:– VICTORIA AVG, Victory walking left, holding wreath and palm. Minted in Rome, (B _ //VSV). Allocated by Estiot to Emission 10 dating to end A.D. 274. Reference:– Paris-185, Gobl-135f2 (9 spec.), RIC-71, C-250 (Elberling, 6 Fr.).
Doug, We don't know. The most recent article on the subject that I am aware of is available as an offprint here:- http://www.academia.edu/7070172/Aurelian_and_the_Mark_VSV_Some_Neglected_Possibilities My coin was used as an illustration in the article. Regards, Martin
It is always good to see someone say they don't know when they don't know. I like V(eniens) S(ol) V(icit) but would feel a lot better about it if it had been used on antoniniani as well as the small coins.
nice write up mat, and nice coins everyone. i only have 1 poor aurelian, and have lost my pictures of it. not really worth reshooting it.
*DRAT*!! => every fricken year I forget to buy Aurelian a damn gift!! (great, now he's gonna pout and mope around for another year!!) Oh well, here is my example (Happy B-day, A-Dawg!!) ... shame about your neck, brother Mat => WOW!! ... that's a super addition (geeesh, you've moved from babes to long-necked studs!!?) .... and although I've always respected your chase for lovely ladies, I love your new addition (congrats, coin-bro)
Happy Birthday, Aurelian! Nice write up, Mat. AURELIAN Antoninianus 4.2g, 22mm Serdica mint, 273-274 AD RIC 264 var (bust) O: IMP AVRELIANVS P AVG, radiate cuirassed bust right. R: IOVI CONSER Emperor standing right, holding scepter, recieving globe from Jupiter standing left and holding scepter. S in ex. AURELIAN As 7.0g, 24mm Rome mint, 275 AD RIC 80, Sear 11646 O: IMP AVRELIANVS AVG, laureate and cuirassed bust right. R: CONCORDIA AVG, Aurelian and Severina clasping hands, radiate bust of Sol, right, above them, A in ex. AURELIAN Antoninianus 4.1g, 22mm Serdica mint, 270-275 AD RIC 290 O: AVRELANVS AVG, radiate cuirassed bust right. R: RESTITVT ORBIS, female figure (Terra?) with corn ears on her head, standing right, presenting wreath to Aurelian standing left, star between them, KA.B. in ex.
Belated HBD, Aurelian! Here are a couple of Provincial representations. This one was from the group lot that had makeup on many, apparently an attempt at mimicking a sandy patina. Pre-cleaning picture.
