Message:

<p>[QUOTE=&quot;Mr.MonkeySwag96, post: 8251825, member: 100951&quot;]I started collecting ancient coins 2 years ago. Before that, I primarily collected US coins. Due to my inexperience with ancients at that time, I got my feet wet by purchasing this inexpensive antoninianus of emperor Aurelian as my first ancient coin. I believe Aurelian’s antoninianii are an excellent first coin for novice collectors due to their affordability and the historical importance of Aurelian’s reign. The Restitutor Orbis is one of my favorite emperors due to his role in saving the Roman Empire during the 3rd Century Crisis, which is why I picked his antoninianus as my first ancient coin. </p><p><br /></p><p>Aurelian was also an important figure in numismatics. An official of the Rome mint, Felicissimus, was charged by Aurelian with corrupt act of adulterating the antoninianus coinage. This led Felicissimus to incite the Roman mint workers to revolt against Aurelian in 271 AD. After putting down the revolt, Aurelian enacted important reforms regarding the antoninianus. First of all, the Rome mint was temporarily shut down in which the various provincial mints played a greater role in antoninianus production. Aurelian’s reforms slightly increased the antoninianus’s silver purity to 5% while also increasing the coin’s overall weight and diameter. Although the antoninianus never recovered its purchasing power, Aurelian’s reformed antoninianus was superior to his predecessors’s coinage and served to increase the morale of the Roman public. The reformed antoninianii are distinguished by a XXI mark on the reverse indicating the silver content. In a way Aurelian’s reformed antoninianii served as the prototype for the Late Roman follis of the Tetrachy. </p><p><br /></p><p><img src="https://collectivecoin.imgix.net/ldhyWD9Tu21gHnWD8WTj_3Ff7YcG.jpg" class="bbCodeImage wysiwygImage" alt="" unselectable="on" /></p><p><br /></p><p>Aurelian, 270 - 275 AD AE Antoninianus, Siscia Mint, 22mm, 3.98 grams Obverse: IMP C AVRELIANVS AVG, Radiate and cuirassed bust of Aurelian right. Reverse: CONCORDIA MILITVM, Aurelian standing on left clasping hands with Concordia who stands on right, S in field between, XXIT in exergue. RIC 244</p><p><br /></p><p>Ex. Ken Dorney</p><p><br /></p><p>I’m planning to get a higher grade specimen in the near future, preferably with full silvering intact. </p><p><br /></p><p>Please share the first ancient coin that started your collection![/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

Your name or email address:

Do you already have an account?

• No, create an account now.
• Yes, my password is:
• Forgot your password?

Stay logged in