Here's a coin I didnt think I'd be picking up this side of Christmas....Thanks Finn235! Marcus Aurelius Marius... Supposedly a Black smith by trade who joined the Roman army eventually achieving officer status. After the murder of the Emperor Postumus at Moguntiacum the army declared him the new Emperor...He quickly moved the army to Trier where he was eventually killed by Postumus' Praetorian Prefect Victorinus in 269AD after only 2-3 months of reign... MARIUS. Romano-Gallic Emperor, 269 AD. IMP CM AVR MARIVS AVG, radiate, draped and cuirassed bust right. VICTORIA AVG, Victory standing left, holding wreath and palm. RIC#17...Mint Trier? The coin has lovely detail in hand... I'd Love to see some 'Usurper' coins......
Thanks @Ancient Aussie... ...Nice coin...Although all his coins are quite uncommon the OP coin is probably seen the most.....Yours seems to be slightly rarer holding a higher price in general?..Thanks for posting
Virtus reverse, and clean shaven: Bronze Antoninianus Gallic Empire, unidentified mint Obv: IMP C M AVR MARIVS AVG Rev: VIRTVS AVG - Soldier with spear, leaning on shield RIC 19 20mm, 3.4g
Here are a few of mine... - MARIUS RI Marius 269 Gallic Usurper BI Ant CONCORD MILIT Clasped Hands - VICTORINUS RI Victorinus 269-270 CE BI Ant Gallic Empire Salus - TETRICUS I RI Tetricus I 271-274 CE Ant LAETITIA - TETRICUS II RI Tetricus II 273-274 CE BI Ant SPES w Flower ALLECTUS RI Allectus 293-296 CE AE Ant PAX CARAUSIUS RI Carausius usurper in Britain CE 287–293 BI Ant 4.7g 24mm London radiate cuirassed - PAX AVG Pax stndg l branch scepter S—P RIC V 475 SATURNINUS RI Probus Æ Ant 22mm 3.75g 280CE CLEMENTIA TEMP XXI Emperor receiving Victory from Jupiter UNKNOWN EASTERN MINT - fight Saturninus (see Doug Smith's Thread: https://www.cointalk.com/threads/spacefiller-saturninus.312705/ PROCOPIUS RI Procopius 365-366 AE3
I like the (probably untrue) story about blacksmith-turned-emperor Marius being killed by a sword of his own making. I'm still needing a decent coin of his. LAELIANUS AE Antoninianus. 3.55g, 22.9mm. Colonia Agrippinensis (Cologne) mint, AD 269. RIC 9; Mairat 231. O: IMP C LAELIANUS P F AVG, radiate and cuirassed bust right. R: VICTORIA AVG, Victory running right, holding wreath and palm frond.
Well, the budget portion was that I managed to get it for $160, which I think was a decent competitive price for the quality of the coin. I think my coin would easily sell on vcoins for $220 or so.
Nice coin! I would maybe do an angled shot as well - despite the rough patches, there is still a lot of nice luster left on it. That was the fourth Marius I've ever owned; these were the other two that have since moved on: And my current collection example I'm expecting a lot of coins soon with another curiosity... Victorinus with a Marius portrait!
From the Historia Augusta and in the public domain. Almost certainly Marius reigned for a period of two to three months according to modern historians, and as one can tell from the incorrect chronology, this source is not to be trusted: "After Victorinus, Lollianus and Postumus were slain, Marius, formerly a worker in iron, so it is said, held the imperial power, but only for three days. He who held the office as a substitute for six hours at midday was ridiculed by Cicero in the jest, "We have had a consul so stern and severe that during his term of office no one has breakfasted, no one has dined, and no one has slept," so the same, it would seem, can be said of Marius, who on the first day was made emperor, on the second seemed to rule, and on the third was slain. Because, forsooth, he was a worker in iron. But we have already said too much about this man, concerning whom it will be sufficient to add that there was no one whose hands were stronger, for either striking or thrusting, since he seemed to have not veins in his fingers, but sinews. For he is said to have thrust back on-coming wagons by means of his forefinger and with a single finger to have struck the strongest men so hard that they felt as much pain as though hit by a blow from wood or blunted iron; and he crushed many objects by the mere pressure of two of his fingers. He was slain by a soldier whom, because he had once been a worker in his smithy, he had treated with scorn either when he commanded troops or after he had taken the imperial power. His slayer is said to have added the words, "This is a sword which you yourself have forged." His first public harangue, it is said, was as follows: "I know well, fellow-soldiers, that I can be taunted with my former trade, of which all of you are my witnesses. However, let anyone say what he wishes. As for me, may I always labour with steel rather than ruin myself with wine and garlands and harlots and gluttony, as does Gallienus, unworthy of his father and the noble rank of his house. Let men taunt me with working with steel as long as foreign nations shall know from their losses that I have handled the steel. In short, I will strive to the utmost that all Alamannia and Germany and the nations round about shall deem the Roman people a steel-clad folk and that it shall be most of all the steel that they fear in us. But as for you, I wish you to rest assured that you have chosen as emperor one who will never know how to deal with aught but the steel. And this I say because I know that no charge can be brought against me by that pestiferous profligate save this, that I have been a forger of swords and armour."
Hi Spaniard..Very nice coin..I found Pacatian antoninian, Pax, 10 years ago.. It was worn out..But its always nice to have something rare..
MACRIANUS RI Macrianus 260-261 CE Usurper AR 22mm 4.4g BI Ant Spes Publica star Sear 3.10811. RIC 13 pg 581 R2 Rare QUIETUS RI Quietus usurper 260-261 CE Ant 3-74g Samasota mint Indulgentia patera scepter RIC V 5 EUGENIUS RI Eugenius 392-394 CE AE 12mm 1.0g Aquileia SPES wreath palm Victory RIC59
I apologize to the world for ever suggesting this coin as a substitute for a Saturninus. I wonder if this is how the business of Aureolus and Vetranio for coins clearly labeled Postumus and Constantus got started.
No need to apologize! I enjoy the history, and think it is a cool coin! Thanks for that original posting.
Great coins shown....Love the Caraucius @Alegandron and the Laelianus @zumbly . OOps sorry @Finn235 didnt realise I'd uploaded your photo....Here's mine but as a photo probably not that much better?..... Some historical scholars state he reigned for only 2 or 3ays...Moguntiacum (Mainz) is approx 90 miles from Treverorum (Trier) so would've taken a legion a little over 3 days to move from one to the other and on top they probably spent a few days at least ransacking Moguntiacum before marching?
LAELIANUS RI Laelianus CE 269 AE Ant 19mm 3.4g Moguntiacum mint Radiate cuirassed Victory RIC Vb 9 p373
I think you’re likely going to cause @dougsmit trauma every time post that eastern mint Probus as a Saturninus. Here’s mine from AMCC 1 last year:
LOL, yeah. I like to collect on the history aspect of coins, and liked the association with another obscure usurper.
I'm looking out for a nice tet of Domitius Domitianus in Egypt. They only come on the market infrequently at around $1500 per example. But it would be a nice add.
