new additions - Claudius II , Aurelian and Probus

Hello, I would like to share with you eight antoniniani that I bought in early October.
The first four coins are scarce types, instead the others four are more common but very desired by collectors , as we saw in the recent ''PROBUS death'' thread.

This first antoninianus has an unusual mint mark ''SPQR'' used by some eastern mints(possibly Cyzicus) during the time of Gallienus to Claudius II.
Claudius II , AE Antoninianus. Cyzicus mint. RIC 234
IMP CLAVDIVS P F AVG, radiate, draped bust right, one dot under bust. /
FORTUNA REDUX, Fortuna standing left holding rudder and cornucopiae. Mintmark SPQR.
20,5 mm/ 2g


I bought this second coin for two main reasons , it's a pre-reform coin of Aurelian , with a Claudius II looks like portrait, struck on a small and thin flan. The second reason is the nice Concordia reverse. It's the only example I found with a lateral ''P'' mintmark(generally is under under the exergual line). Moving the ''P'' lateral has left more space to better represent Concordia.
Aurelian , Antoninianus. Milan mint. RIC 117
IMP AVRELIANVS AVG, radiate, draped bust right /
CONCORD LEGI, Concordia standing left, holding two standards. Mintmark P lateral right.
20 mm/ 2 g


Also a pre-reform coin of Aurelian, it's also small but the flan is much ticker and Aurelian looks more like him
Aurelian , AE Antoninianus. Siscia mint, AD 272-274. RIC 227
IMP AVRELIANVS AVG, radiate, draped, cuirassed bust right /
IOVI CONSERVATORI, emperor standing right, receiving globe from Jupiter, standing left, holding sceptre. mintmark: star P
20,5mm/ 3,5g


The left facing busts of Aurelian are much harder to find than Gallienus or Claudius II , and what is making the example more special is that the KA mintmark is missing.
Aurelian , AE Antoninianus. Tripolis(or uncertain) mint, ca AD 274-275. RIC V-I 390
IMP C AVRELIANVS AVG, radiate, cuirassed bust left /
SOLI INVICTO, Sol standing left, captive at foot, holding globe and raising right hand. Star in left field. No Mintmark.
22mm/ 2,9g


Aurelian , AE Antoninianus. Serdica mint. RIC 279
IMP AVRELIANVS AVG, radiate, cuirassed bust right / ORIENS AVG, Sol walking left, holding globe and raising right hand, foot on one of two bound captives. Mintmark XXIP
22,5mm/ 3.2g


Probus , Silvered AE Antoninianus. Rome mint. RIC 158
PROBVS P F AVG, radiate, cuirassed bust right /
ADVENTVS AVG, emperor on horseback, riding down an enemy, R(thunderbolt)Z below.
23 mm/ 4,7g


I always wanted to have a ''facing quadriga'' of Probus , this coin will pair with a ''lateral view quadriga'' that I bought some years ago.
Probus , Silvered AE Antoninianus. Rome mint, 280 AD. RIC 205
IMP C M AVR PROBVS P F AVG, radiate, mantled bust left holding eagle-tipped sceptre /
SOLI INVICTO, Sol in spread quadriga facing. Mintmark R.
23-25mm/ 4g


Probus , Silvered AE Antoninianus, Ticinum, 277 AD , RIC 388
VIRTVS PROBI AVG Radiate, helmeted, cuirassed bust left holding spear and shield. Bust type G. /
IOVI CONSERVAT Emperor standing right, receiving globe from Jupiter standing left.
Mintmark: // VXXT
24,5mm/ 4g


Please post similar types!

 

Log in or Sign up to hide this ad.

Nice group of coins, congrats.

 

Thank you!

 

Nice additions to the collection, you have some fine examples there.

 

Thank you !

 

Lovely. The amount of silvering still extant on the quadriga is astounding!

 

Thanks ! Except the first one, unfortunately most of the coins here have only silver remains.

 

..great group of fine coins!

 

The pre-reform coin of Aurelian is quite good, maybe too good for what I wanted to show when I bought mine. Aurelian's reform was driven by his displeasure with the mint management and lead to the revolt of Felicissimus. Your coin does not scream poor workmanship like my first one does. See how I try to say a bad coin is better than a nice one?

My second one with lateral officina is better but not a lot and nothing like what we get post reform.


Post-reform coins are easier to find well struck.

 

Congrats singig , I especially like the Probus Adventus.

Here are my favorite Probus, Aurelius and Claudius II Folli:

No silver left on this one:

 

Thank you !

 

Thank you ! , when I started to identify the coins I found your interesting Aurelian article on the forum, with a lot of important information about its reforms of the currency. https://www.forumancientcoins.com/dougsmith/aurelian.html

I have one question about the slivering method used on the antoniniani form this period . The silver layer applied on antoniniani is much thinner and fragile that the one we see on the fourrée denarii. For denarii the copper flan was covered with silver and struck after , was the method used for antoniniani different ? , why their silver layer is lost so easy and they still preserve excellent details ?

 

Thank you ! , your coin Aurelian with Vaballathus is a nice type to have.

 

I wish I knew. I am not even convinced that all mints and all periods in the hundred years the coins were silvered did it the same way. There is a great deal of difference in the appearance of silvered coins. Some of this is certainly due to how the coin was buried and cleaned but some, I believe, shows that some mints did a better job applying the silver. The thin silver was not a bonded foil like the best fourrees but more likely applied chemically. When I worked in a old fashion photographic laboratory, we would place copper cents in well used fixer chemicals and plate them with silver. Someone back then discovered a way but I do not know the details. Does anyone?

 

A fun and attractive group, @singig! I will post one coin of each of these emperors, choosing some I haven't posted in a while.

Claudius II. Lanky Neptune holding a little dolphin. What's not to like?

Claudius II, AD 268-270.
Roman billon Antoninianus, 4.12 g, 20.6 mm, 5 h.
Antioch, 1st emission, AD 268-269.
Obv: IMP C CLAVDIVS AVG, radiate and draped bust of Claudius Gothicus, right.
Rev: NEPTVN AVG, Neptune, standing left, holding dolphin in right hand and trident in left hand; A in exergue.
Refs: RIC 214; MER/RIC temp 1018; Cohen 183; RCV 11353; Hunter 78; Huvelin 1990, 5.

Pre-reform Aurelian. This shows the decline in quality control didn't affect all mints.

Aurelian AD 270-275.
Roman silvered billon Antoninianus, 4.29 gm, 23.4 mm.
Uncertain Balkan mint, issue 1, AD 271-272.
Obv: IMP AVRELIANVS AVG, radiate, cuirassed bust, right.
Rev: LIBERT AVG, Libertas standing left, holding pileus and scepter.
Refs: RIC 396; MER/RIC temp 2447; CBN 958; Sear 11555; MIR 270a; Cohen 119.

My favorite and most photogenic Probus:

Probus, AD 276-282.
Roman billon antoninianus, 4.96 g, 23.2 mm, 7 h.
Lugdunum, fourth emission, mid-to late AD 277.
Obv: IMP C PROBVS·P·F·AVG, radiate and cuirassed bust, right.
Rev: ABVNDANTIA AVG, Abundantia standing right, emptying cornucopiae held in both hands; IIII (officina 4) in exergue.
Refs: RIC 17; Bastien 195.

 

Thanks for your answer !, this morning I found an interesting experimental investigation done by British Museum and the University of Bradford on 128 silvered coins(antoniniani, tetrarchic nummi and debased nummi) from the period 260 A.D. to 350 A.D. They are presenting and testing some possible methods for the production of the plating.

Experimental investigation of silvering in late Roman coinage
https://www.researchgate.net/profil...gation-of-silvering-in-late-Roman-coinage.pdf

 

Great clutch of captures, @singig !

Here are a few of mine:

Dough dropped on the floor

RI Claudius II Gothicus 268-270 BI Ant Fortuna


Aurelian

RI Aurelian 270-275 CE AE Ant receiving Globe from Jupiter


Probus

RI Probus 276-282 CE BI Ant 2.80g captives l and r Cohen 768

 

Thank you !, you did a nice selection .
I looked more at the Milan mint pre-reform coins, I think they did a nice job.
I'm watching a nice Probus from Lugdunum , with Felicitas , I hope to buy it in January.

 

Thank you , nice portraits !

 

I might suggest if your bread dough looks like this, you need a bit more water and kneading.

Properly hydrated dough dropped on the floor with Diana and Apollo SALVS AVG
Note the light dusting of flour silvering.