Trajan Decius AR Antoninianus A.D. 249-251 4.14 gms, 23 mm Obv: Rad. Bust of Trajan facing right. IMP.C.M.Q.TRAIANVS DECIVS AVG. Rev: Two Pannoniae standing side-by- side each holding a standard. PANNONIAE. Grade: gEF essentially as struck. Well centered on flan with all legends legible. Eye-catching planchet split at 2:00 does not affect any design. Other: Sear 2699, C.86., R.I.C. 21b. Ex Heritage Jan 2013 auction 3022 Lot #26321 From Eye Appealing Coins 9/2013. Trajan Decius invested his time fighting the Barbarians on the Northern frontier and rigorously persecuted Christians during his short reign.
Nice coin with a better reverse. Ive owned 3 in my ancient collecting time. Current which I like the best. Trajan Decius (249 - 251 A.D.) AR Antoninianus O: IMP C M Q TRAIANVS DECIVS AVG, Radiate, draped and cuirassed bust right. R: GENIVS EXERC ILLVRICIANI, Genius of the Army of Illyricum standing left holding patera and corucopia, standard to right. Rome 23mm 4.37g RIC 16c RSC 49
My favorites are from late in the reign when the emperor was well enough known that TRA DEC would do. There was a time that these were attributed to a different mint but I believe current scholarship returns them to Rome. The reverse of this one also saved on unnecessary lettering: GEN ILLVRICI My very favorite is this TRA DECIVS that was overstruck on a denarius of Geta doubling the value of the coin in the process. Visitors of my site may have seen the image where I point out details that allow the undertype to be identified. Finally, I no longer own a double sestertius of Decius but I do have this ugly little coin. It is the last appearance of the semis in the Roman series. Nicer ones exist. By this time a semis probably did not buy much so I wonder why it was issued.
AR Antoninianus OBV: IMP C M Q TRAIANVS DECIVS AVG, radiate, draped, cuirassed bust right REV: PANNONIAE The two Pannoniae, veiled and draped, standing to front, turning left and right, away from one another, each holding standard outwards Struck at Rome, 249-51 AD 3.7 g, 20.8mm RIC-IV_iii,21b; Cohen-86 AE Sestertius OBV: IMP C M Q TRAIANVS DECIVS AVG, radiate, draped, cuirassed bust right REV: PANNONIAE The two Pannoniae, veiled and draped, standing to front, turning left and right, away from one another, each holding standard outwards Struck at Rome, 249-51 AD 18.20 g, 30.1mm RIC-IV_iii, 124; Cohen-87
Nice coin & a very nice story. All they needed to do was take the old circulating coin & strike it with a new design and it was worth twice as much. It's like playing Blackjack & winning every hand that is dealt.
