Eugenius - Usurpers

After waiting with my fingers crossed my siliqua of Eugenius has finally arrived in the mail. I’m slowly accumulating a nice set for Roman Usurpers, but unfortunately the few I have remaining are becoming difficult to come across and potentially bank account draining once found or just simply out of reach for a pleb like me. So I was very surprised when I saw this little clipped siliqua on offer and gave it my best shot to get it.



Eugenius AR Siliqua. Mediolanum, AD 392-394. D N EVGENIVS P F AVG, pearl-diademed, draped and cuirassed bust right / VIRTVS ROMANORVM, Roma seated left on cuirass, holding Victory on globe and reverse spear; MDPS in exergue. RIC IX 32c; RSC 14†b. 1.16g, 16mm, 12h. Very Fine; toned, some deposits and clipped. Rare. From the collection of Z.P., Austria.

Please share coins of Eugenius you may have or any other Usurpers in your collection.

 

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Congrats, and very nice coin, @Egry .

EUGENIUS


RI Eugenius 392-394 CE AE 12mm 1.0g Aquileia SPES wreath palm Victory RIC59

And, I do have a bunch of Usurpers...

 

Here's one of Magnus Maximus, who rebelled against Theodosius in the West. He had an interesting name (great-greatest in Latin).

Magnus Maximus, 383 - 388 A.D.

AE 2, 24mm 5.7 grams

Obverse: DN MAG MAXIMVS PF AVG
Diademed head right, draped and cuirassed

Reverse: REPARATIO REIPVB
Maximus standing left, crowned by Victory, raising kneeled, turreted figure of a woman

Mintmark: TCON (Arles)

Reference: RIC IX, 26A, Sear 20650

 

I looked at that coin and thought, «oh, having that would have been nice».
It’s a really nice addition to an emperor set, congratulations!

 

When I was bidding I thought I bet someone from CT is doing the same. I’m just waiting for the day where I get outbid on a coin I really like then see it posted here on CT. At least I will know that it has gone to someone who would appreciate it.

This specific coin went for about £200 pounds more than I wanted to pay, especially after paying all the fees and taxes. But I thought what the the hell it might be a long time until I see one again, then they had a one in the next auction albeit it was damaged. Oh well, it just means it will be a little longer for my future purchase.

 

so I always thought he was an emperor, but my later readings refer to him as a usurper. What is the consensus here?

 

I have decided to use encyclopedia Britannica as my reference when it comes to those distinctions.
https://www.britannica.com/biography/Eugenius

He was more like a puppet of Arbogast, wasn’t he? I’d sort him under «usurpers»

 

Eugenius is considered a usurper, as he was never recognized by Theodosius, who was the legitimate emperor in the east. Soon after Valentinian II's death (murder by Arbogast or possibly suicide), Theodosius elevated his two year old son, Honorius, to Augustus. Honorius' elevation may be seen as the direct response to Eugenius' usurpation.

Here's my siliqua of the usurper

 

I agree. So maybe usurper isn’t the best title reference.

Regardless I still like rare “puppet emperors” and usurpers so so please share any.

 

Thanks for the clarity. Wow, absolutely beautiful coin!

 

Technically an usurper is anyone who takes power illegitimately or by force. That could apply to most emperors! I don't have Eugenius but I do have a few coins of 'usurpers' (emperors who didn't manage to keep power long enough to re-write the history books and be considered legitimate retrospectively).

Allectus, who usurped the usurper Carausius in Britannia:

Allectus Quinarius, 293-296

London. Bronze, 20mm, 2.9g. IMP C ALLECTVS P F AVG. Galley, QL (RIC 55).

Magnentius, usurper of Constans in Britannia, Gaul and Hispania:

Magnentius, 350s

Two Victories, 18mm, 2.69g (cf Sear Amiens 18815, RIC VIII 7).

Marius, usurper of Postumus, himself an usurper in Gaul:

Marius Antoninianus, 269

Mint I, Cologne. IMP C MARIVS P F AVG. SAEC FELICITAS. Ex Pamphill Hoard (S 11120).

 

I’ve got Magnus Maximus from that period, but he was no puppet, and resourceful enough to force the emperors to accept him as co-emperor. For a while. But you could call it a usurpation, I guess.

 

Nice. The Britannica article you shared referred to him as a usurper. I guess usurper could serve as both a verb and a noun.

 

@John Conduitt, I like the usurped the Usurper. Pretty much most emperors from the mid 3rd century onwards.

 

Thank you!

 

@Egry....Nice pick up, as you've said a really difficult usurper to acquire! Congrats..
I only have a Marius...
MARIUS. Romano-Gallic Emperor, 269 AD.
Obverse..IMP CM AVR MARIVS AVG, radiate, draped and cuirassed bust right.
Reverse..VICTORIA AVG, Victory standing left, holding wreath and palm.
RIC#17...Mint Trier?

 

Might as well show my Marius....and Macrianus below (usurper with Quietus) after Valerian's capture in 260. They cut a deal with the Persians and managed to squirrel away with the Imperial Treasury (that is what they didn't have to pay to buy off the Persians!) since Quietus' father was the paymaster for Valerian's army.

 

@ancient coin hunter very nice! Here are mine.



Macrianus Junior BI Antoninianus. Samosata, AD 260-1. IMP C FVL MACRIANVS P F AVG, radiate and cuirassed bust right / SPES PVBLICA, Spes advancing left, holding flower in her right hand and raising skirt with her left; star in left field. RIC 13; Cohen 13; MIR 1743b. 4.62g, 21mm, 11h. Good Very Fine



Marius Æ Antoninianus. Cologne, AD 268-269. IMP C M AVR MARIVS AVG, radiate and cuirassed bust right / VICTO[RIA] AVG, Victory standing left, holding wreath and palm. RIC 17. 2.70g, 20mm, 1h. Near Extremely Fine; an exceptional portrait, and excellent preservation of detail on both obv. and rev. Very Rare. Purchased from Fritz Rudolf Künker GmbH & Co. KG, March 2009.



Magnentius Æ Centenionalis. Arelate, AD 350-353. D N MAGNENTIVS P F AVG, pearl diademed, draped and cuirassed bust right / FELICITAS REIPVBLICE, emperor in military dress standing left, holding Victory on globe and standard; F in left field, PAR in exergue. RIC VIII 138. 5.35g, 23mm, 6h. Good Fine. Rare. Ex Roma Numismatics Ltd., E-Sale 39, 26 August 2017, lot 888;
Purchased from Fritz Rudolf Künker GmbH & Co. KG, September 2009.


Magnus Maximus AR Siliqua. Aquileia, AD 388. D N MAG MAXIMVS P F AVG, pearl-diademed, draped and cuirassed bust right / VIRTVS ROMANORVM, Roma seated, head left, on throne, holding globe and reversed spear; AQPS in exergue. RIC 54a. 1.47g, 17mm, 7h. Good Very Fine. Extremely Rare. Ex L. Rose Collection.

 

I have a few Usurpers that I can offer:

MAGNENTIUS

RI Magnentius 351-352 CE AE 1 CHI RHO

MAGNUS MAXIMUS

RI Magnus Maximus 383-388 CE AE Follis

VETRANIO

RI Vetranio 350 CE AE3 17mm Siscia mint Emp stdng hldg Standard and Spear

DECENTIUS

RI Decentius 350-353 CE AE19 VOT V

VABALATHUS

RI Vabalathus 271-272 CE and Aurelian

POSTUMUS

RI Postumus 259-268 CE Antoninianus Cologne Oriens ex tif

AUREOLUS?

RI Postumus struck by Aureolus 268 CE Revolt of Milan Concordia

LAELIANUS

RI Laelianus CE 269 AE Ant 19mm 3.4g Moguntiacum mint Radiate cuirassed Victory RIC Vb 9 p373 black

CLODIUS ALBINUS

RI Clodius Albinus 193-197 CE AR Denarius ROMAE AETERNAE Roma seated