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<p>[QUOTE="Roman Collector, post: 3250690, member: 75937"]I was the lucky winner of this one in [USER=84744]@Severus Alexander[/USER] 's first Ancient and Medieval Coins Canada auction and I just couldn't wait to post about it. Up until now, I had only had a "space-filler" example and this one is quite nice for the type -- the obverse legend, while partially off the flan, has a clear QVINTILLVS and it's pleasing to the eye.</p><p><br /></p><p>We don't know a whole lot with certainty about Quintillus. He and his older brother Claudius II Gothicus came from a low-born family from Illyricum (the green area along the Adriatic in the map, below).</p><p>[ATTACH=full]852877[/ATTACH]</p><p><br /></p><p>Quintillus rose to prominence when his brother became emperor in 268. Some ancient sources report he served as Procurator of Sardinia during his brother's reign. He was acclaimed as emperor by his soldiers immediately following his brother's death, then confirmed by the Senate. However, the legions campaigning along the Danube were either unaware or disapproved of Quintillus' elevation. They instead elevated their general Aurelian as emperor. Outnumbered by Aurelian's troops and seeing the handwriting on the wall, Quintillus' troops deserted him. </p><p><br /></p><p>The few records of Quintillus' reign disagree on the cause of his death. The notoriously unreliable <i>Historia Augusta</i> reports that he was murdered by his own soldiers in reaction to his strict military discipline. Jerome implies that he was killed in conflict with Aurelian. John of Antioch and Joannes Zonaras report Quintillus committed suicide by bleeding himself to death. John reports his suicide was assisted by a physician. All records agree he died at Aquileia.</p><p><br /></p><p>These ancient sources also disagree on the length of his reign, variously reported to have lasted as few as 17 days and as many as 177 days. However, there is good reason to believe his reign lasted 77 days.* In any event, "a few months" seems reasonable. While coins of Quintillus are not plentiful, they aren't hard to come by, either, and there were too many different types issued to suggest a reign of only a few weeks' duration.</p><p><br /></p><p>*See Banchich, note 4, <a href="https://www.roman-emperors.org/quintil.htm" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://www.roman-emperors.org/quintil.htm" rel="nofollow">here</a>. </p><p><br /></p><p>But on to the coin! Post your coins of Quintillus!</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]852879[/ATTACH] </p><p>Quintillus, AD 270.</p><p>Roman billon antoninianus, 2.95 g, 20 mm.</p><p>Rome, 11th officina, issue 1, end AD 270.</p><p>Obv: IMP C M AVR CL QVINTILLVS AVG, bust right, radiate, cuirassed and draped with paludamentum, seen from the front.</p><p>Rev: SECVRIT AVG, Securitas standing left, legs crossed, holding short scepter in right hand, leaning on column with left elbow; officina mark XI in right field.</p><p>Refs: RIC 31; MER/RIC temp 1194; Cohen 63; RCV 11451; Normanby 1197; Hunter 17.</p><p>Notes: MER/RIC lists 10 varieties of this coin, differing somewhat in bust type and presence or absence and placement of the officina mark.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>
[QUOTE="Roman Collector, post: 3250690, member: 75937"]I was the lucky winner of this one in [USER=84744]@Severus Alexander[/USER] 's first Ancient and Medieval Coins Canada auction and I just couldn't wait to post about it. Up until now, I had only had a "space-filler" example and this one is quite nice for the type -- the obverse legend, while partially off the flan, has a clear QVINTILLVS and it's pleasing to the eye. We don't know a whole lot with certainty about Quintillus. He and his older brother Claudius II Gothicus came from a low-born family from Illyricum (the green area along the Adriatic in the map, below). [ATTACH=full]852877[/ATTACH] Quintillus rose to prominence when his brother became emperor in 268. Some ancient sources report he served as Procurator of Sardinia during his brother's reign. He was acclaimed as emperor by his soldiers immediately following his brother's death, then confirmed by the Senate. However, the legions campaigning along the Danube were either unaware or disapproved of Quintillus' elevation. They instead elevated their general Aurelian as emperor. Outnumbered by Aurelian's troops and seeing the handwriting on the wall, Quintillus' troops deserted him. The few records of Quintillus' reign disagree on the cause of his death. The notoriously unreliable [I]Historia Augusta[/I] reports that he was murdered by his own soldiers in reaction to his strict military discipline. Jerome implies that he was killed in conflict with Aurelian. John of Antioch and Joannes Zonaras report Quintillus committed suicide by bleeding himself to death. John reports his suicide was assisted by a physician. All records agree he died at Aquileia. These ancient sources also disagree on the length of his reign, variously reported to have lasted as few as 17 days and as many as 177 days. However, there is good reason to believe his reign lasted 77 days.* In any event, "a few months" seems reasonable. While coins of Quintillus are not plentiful, they aren't hard to come by, either, and there were too many different types issued to suggest a reign of only a few weeks' duration. *See Banchich, note 4, [URL='https://www.roman-emperors.org/quintil.htm']here[/URL]. But on to the coin! Post your coins of Quintillus! [ATTACH=full]852879[/ATTACH] Quintillus, AD 270. Roman billon antoninianus, 2.95 g, 20 mm. Rome, 11th officina, issue 1, end AD 270. Obv: IMP C M AVR CL QVINTILLVS AVG, bust right, radiate, cuirassed and draped with paludamentum, seen from the front. Rev: SECVRIT AVG, Securitas standing left, legs crossed, holding short scepter in right hand, leaning on column with left elbow; officina mark XI in right field. Refs: RIC 31; MER/RIC temp 1194; Cohen 63; RCV 11451; Normanby 1197; Hunter 17. Notes: MER/RIC lists 10 varieties of this coin, differing somewhat in bust type and presence or absence and placement of the officina mark.[/QUOTE]
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