June 7th: FLORIAN is Emperor.

The history
There were Aurelian and Probus, but between them two Emperors who ruled briefly: Tacitus (7 months ?) and Florian (2-3 months) . After the unexpected death of his half- brother (?), Florian was elevated as the Emperor by the Senate June 7th 276 AD, but was unable to stand against the superior power and popularity of Probus. The armies of Syria and Egypt refuse to acknowledge him, and he led a large force to Taurus, expecting to easily crush the smaller army that Probus might field. His opponent, however, merely delayed the battle for supremacy, and wisely waited as the parching heat and his own agents to wore down the morale of Florian's troops. He was finally killed by his own men at the end of the summer after a reign of 2-3 months.



The coinage
Even if he had a very short reign, Florian issued an industrial quantity of coins baring his name and portrait. His coins were produced by all the mints except Antioch and Tripolis, which, no doubt, fell at once into the hands of his opponent Probus. The antoninianii are showing him wearing a radiate crown, while on other denomination he is depicted wearing a laurel wreath. He also struck a few quinarii in the silver series, and a few asses, but no sestertii or dupondii; rare denarii have also been produced. Florian restored the old senatorial letters S-C on his bronze coinage, but he is not credited with either consular or trebunician power. The more than seventy reverse types are, with few exceptions, lacking of originality, and such as are suggestive of peace, prosperity and good government.


Harmony with the soldiers ? Pathetically, he was executed by his own soldiers!

The one military event of this period of time, the Asiatic victory, is celebrated by the reverses VICTORIA PERPETVA and VICTORIAE AVGVSTI, testifying that Florian shared the victory with his predecessor Tacitus. In 1876 in Italy, one of the largest late third century hoards (45,000 coins) was discovered, and the whole hoard was acquired intact by the local museum in Verona to be studied. The hoard, contained many very rare or otherwise unpublished varieties for this Emperor. S.Estiot published in 1987 a volume analyzing the Tacitus and Florianus specimens; no wonder why many references of these Emperors have a "La Venera" or "Estiot" number. If you are a fan of Florian, you got to buy "The complete coinage of Emperor Florian" by Rasiel Suarez (@Suarez); this work now takes an exhaustive survey to list nearly 1,000 varieties of this ruler. Interesting detail: coins continued to be minted after his death, possibly until late September or early October.


Septimius Severus is the first Emperor to whom the title of PACATOR ORBIS is conferred, in the inscription of their coins, and later Caracalla, Gallienus, Postumus, Marius, Aurelianus, Florianus, Numerian used the same reverse type, but no longer by hope that by reality, because the world has never been at peace under any of these rulers... Savior of the world...but Florian could't save his own life...
Please show me your coins of Florian, and why not, of his victorious enemy Probus !

 

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Great write up and coins! Now, is it just me or does that Florian bust remind anyone of an emperor whoes name rhymes with Plaraplalla?

 

@Ocatarinetabellatchitchix , always a great post! Thank you.


FLORIAN
AE23mm 3.54g
Antoninian/Aurelian (VF, patina, deposits)
AV: IMP C M AN FLORIANVS P AVG; radiate, cuirassed and draped with paludamentum, seen from rear bust r.
REV: CONCORD MILIT; Emperor togate stg. r., clasping the hand of Concordia stg. l.
EXE: S
REF: LV 2738; RIC V-1 57var (unlisted bust type), RIC Online #4294 7 specs listed, only one in La Venera, and only 2 from prior sales; 1st issue for Siscia mint, 2nd officina, july-august 276AD.
A rare coin from a very brief reign, as Florian has only reigned for a couple of months in the summer of 276AD.
Ex: @seth77

 

Great post, @Ocatarinetabellatchitchix! Not only is this a chance to show off this Florian ...


Florian, AD 276.
Roman billon Aurelianus, 3.28 g, 21.2 mm, 12 h.
Cyzicus, officina 3; issue 1, AD 276.
Obv: IMP FLORIANVS AVG, Bust right, radiate, cuirassed and draped with paludamentum.
Rev: CONCORDIA MILITVM, Victory stg. r., holding wreath in r. hand and palm against l. shoulder, facing Emperor in military dress stg. l., r. hand outstretched and holding long sceptre in l. hand; T in exergue.
Refs: RIC 116; MER/RIC temp #4530; Cohen 15; CBN 1982-3; RCV 11853; Hunter 20.

... but also a chance to celebrate that Kraftwerk, co-created by that other late, great Florian -- Florian Schneider ...



... has been inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame!

 

I don't have a Florian but I do have his successor, Probus.
Perhaps this reverse is a nod to the fact that he was in harmony with those soldiers that removed the last guy?


Probus
AE Antoninianus
Cyzicus mint
280 AD
Obverse: IMP C M AVR PROBVS AVG, radiate, draped and cuirassed bust right
Reverse: CONCORDIA MILITVM, Victory standing right holding palm, presenting wreath to emperor standing left, holding spear; officina letter between, XXIMC below.

 

Florian. 276 AD. Antoninianus (22mm, 3.79 gm, 12h). Serdica mint. Obv: IMP C M ANN FLORIANVS AVG, radiate and cuirassed bust right. Rev: PRO-VIDEN DE - OR, Providentia on left standing right, holding ensign in either hand, facing Sol on right, standing left, raising right hand and holding globe in left; ✴ in lower field; KAB in exergue. RIC V 112. Unusual legend break of DE - OR (vs. D - EOR) on reverse legend.

 

PROBUS


RI
Probus 276-282 CE
Ant 21mm
Rome mint
captive on ground, Riding Horse (SPLIT HORSE!)
in ex R-Thunderbolt-Z
RIC 155

 

FLORIANUS
Silvered Antoninianus
OBVERSE: IMP FLORIANVS AVG, radiate, cuirassed and draped with paludamentum bust r
REVERSE: CONCORDIA MILITVM; Victory stg. r., holding wreath in r. hand and palm against l. shoulder, facing Emperor in military dress stg. l., r. hand outstretched and holding long sceptre in l. hand Q in ex.
Struck at 4th officina, Cyzicus mint, July-August 276AD.
4.4g, 20mm
RIC V-1 116, RIC Online #4533

FLORIANUS
Antoninianus
OBVERSE: IMP FLORIANVS AVG, radiate, draped & cuirassed bust right
REVERSE: CONCORDIA MILITVM, Victory standing right presenting wreath to Florian standing left. Q in ex.
Struck at Cyzicus, 276 AD
2.9g, 21mm
RIC 116q

 

TACITUS


RI
Tacitus
275-276
CE AE
Ant
Providentia

 

Florian (276 A.D.)
Æ(S) Antoninianus
O: IMP C M ANN FLORIANVS AVG, radiate and cuirassed bust right.
R: PROVIDEN DEOR, Providentia standing right, holding two ensigns, facing Sol standing left, raising right hand and holding globe; star in lower centre, mintmark –/–//KA(•)Γ(•).
Serdica Mint
22.6mm
3.56g
RIC 111, BNC p.408

http://www.ric.mom.fr/en/coin/4480?idType=4480

Published on Wildwinds!

 

Mean looking character - quite amazing to see many of his coins reflect the bust you have shown. I do not own a Florian as of yet .. but now I have to look for one!!

 

It is a shame that neither Tacitus nor Florian issued Sestertii, but the artistry the celators were still capable of in these troubled times can be seen on their extremely rare Medallions. These two here are in the Berlin coin cabinett:


IMP C M CL TACITVS AVG / IMP C M CL TACITVS AVG
AE-Medallion, Rome 275/276
41 mm / 57,36 gr


IMP C M AN FLORIANVS P AVG / RESTITVTOR SAECVLI VOT X
AE Medallion, Rome 276
39 mm / 23,01 gr

 

I don’t know why… but I’ve always chased coins of Florian. I just have always wanted a few really nice examples but am never up to spend what it takes to get them… so I bid and lose, bid and lose. But I did manage to get one pretty nice one and about 4 terrible coins that I won’t show here.

 

Florian - Felicitas

Florian - Providentia

 

My nicest Florian:-

Obv:- IMP C M AN FLORIANVS AVG, Radiate, draped and cuirassed bust right
Rev:- VIRTVS AVGVSTI, Emperor advancing right, holding a shield and spear, treading down captive.
Minted in Lugdunum (IIII in exe) Emission 3 Officina 4, from September to October A.D. 276
Reference:- Cohen 107. Bastien 150. RIC 16 Bust type C

 

I haven't seen a Salus reverse posted yet, so here's mine:

Billon Antoninianus
Rome mint
Obv: IMP C FLORIANVS AVG
Rev: SALVS AVG - Salus, standing left, holding scepter and feeding snake rising up from altar
XXIΔ in exergue
RIC 40
23mm, 3.7g.

 

Florianus (A.D. 275-276)


Type: Silvered AE antoninianus, 23mm 4.1 grams, bulk of silvering intact.

Obverse: IMP FLORIANVS AVG, Radiate portrait right, draped and cuirassed.

Reverse: CONCORDIA MILITVM, Victory standing right, presenting wreath of victory to Florian standing opposite and holding spear.

Mintmark: S. (Cyzicus)

Reference: Cohen 15; Sear 11853.

 

Not the easiest of emperors, Florian.
Like many others, I have the CONCORD MILIT.

 

Great write-up, so much I didn't know about Florianus and his brief reign.

I have three Ants of Florian, from different mints, with very different bust types and different reverses: