Safe arrival

[wittwolff]

First I want to thank @Ocatarinetabellatchitchixagain for organizing his quiz and giving out these generous prizes!

The two prize coins arrived here safely and pretty fast making a trip of around 6000 Km in around a week. To add a little funfact: that is around the distance you would have to drive if you would want to drive your ancient mule cart from the Hadrians Wall to Egypt.

Both coins are good quality pieces from the reign of Emperor Postumus who increased the silver quality of his coinage quite noticibly after his breakaway from the central empire from 5-8% to around 15%. Postumus seems to have been a competent man with honest goals and his usurpation didnt have the goal to depose Gallienus but to stabilize the western provinces and this is what he did. Two themes return often on his coinage and those are: The defense of the Rhine frontier and Hercules - and this is also what my two new Postumus coins are all about:

1. The return of Neptune

So based on my research the first coin comes from the early part of his reign and was minted in Treverorum (Modern day Trier - Germany). The coin is dedicated to the Return of Neptune so possibly celebrates success against German incursions over the Rhine or against Pirates. Postumus made his main objective to protect the Rhine frontier so he was able to do a much better job here than Gallienus who constantly had to travel from battle to battle throughout the whole Empire. A little but interesting detail on the coin is the ships prow to Neptunes feet. It is speculated that this is meant to be a Navis Lusoria - so a roman river warship like it was used on the Rhine. Today there are some replicas of those ships in museums and some are even in use. Looking a some pictures of those ships its more likely to depict the stern of such a ship in my opinion: (Not my picture but here one of those replicas with a good look on the stern)

2. Hercules the Peacemaker

The second coin features the most prominent god on the coinage of Postumus: Hecules. Instead of declaring himself the newly reborn Hercules like Commodus did Postumus did suggest a strong partnership between himself and Hecules on his coinage and the half god is appearing often with various messages. In this case Hercules is not here to crush the enemies of Postumus but to declare peace. I have seen the suggestion that these coins where struck after Gallienus had to abandon his war against Postumus and where minted in Lugdunum (Modern day Lyon - France)

For some extra information I'll add the two data cards I created for these coins:

Thanks again to Ocatarinetabellatchitchix for gifting me these coins and everyone may feel free to post some Postumus coins of themselves here.

[expat]

A great competition, good fun for all who participated, and a wonderful prize. Enjoy. Kudos to @Ocatarinetabellatchitchix for his generosity

Edited September 4, 2022 by expat

[shanxi]

10 minutes ago, wittwolff said:

everyone may feel free to post some Postumus coins

Great game, nice prize and a nice presentation

Here is another Postumus:

Postumus
AR-Antoninian
Obv.: IMP C POSTVMVS P F AVG Radiate, draped and cuirassed bust of Postumus to right.
Rev.: DIANAE LVCIFERAE Diana walking right, holding a long-handled torch in both hands; quiver on her back.
Ag, 3.66g, 20mm
Ref.. RIC 299, Cunetio 2430

Edited September 4, 2022 by shanxi

[Ocatarinetabellatchitchix]

16 minutes ago, wittwolff said:

feel free to post some Postumus coins of themselves here.

Happy the coins arrived so fast and safely. Very nice research and presentation too. I’m working on another quiz that will be posted soon. Here’s my most unusual Postumus, I never managed to identify its reverse type…

[Spaniard]

@wittwolff...Congrats on winning those two beauties and thanks for the informative write ups. 

@Ocatarinetabellatchitchix...Thanks for the interesting quiz I thoroughly enjoyed it and your generosity with the coin prizes...

Here's my only Postumus with Serapis reverse....

 

[Roman Collector]

I wonder if admin can move this to Roman Imperial instead of Republic.

Here's a Postumus:

Postumus, AD 260-269.
Roman Billon Antoninianus, 2.84 g, 21.1 mm.
Cologne, AD 265-68.
Obv: IMP C POSTVMVS PF AVG, radiate, draped and cuirassed bust, right.
Rev: SALVS AVG, Aesculapius standing facing, head left, holding snake-entwined staff; globe at feet, right.
Refs: RIC 86; Hunter 85, 86; Cohen 336; Sear 10985; DeWitte 280.

[ambr0zie]

Congrats again! 2 Postumus coins in my album

[Agrippa]

Nice @Ocatarinetabellatchitchix created a new Postumus enthusiast. 👍😀

Here some of my Postumus coins:

 

 

[Ocatarinetabellatchitchix]

7 hours ago, Agrippa said:

Here some of my Postumus coins:

Welcome to this forum Jos. (For those of you who don’t know him, he’s the # 1 and most prolific collector of Gallic coins in the Netherlands ! 😮

[Edessa]

Postumus. Romano-Gallic Emperor, AD 260-269. AR Antoninianus (22.5mm, 3.28g, 12h). Treveri (Trier) mint. 1st emission, 2nd phase, mid AD 260-261. Obv:  IMP C POSTVMVS P F AVG; Radiate, draped, and cuirassed bust right. Rev: SALVS PROVINCIARVM; Rhine, wearing horns on head, reclining left, resting on urn, holding anchor and resting hand on forepart of boat. Ref:  RIC V 87; Mairat 1-5; AGK 88c; RSC 355b. Toned. Good Very Fine. Ex Kurpfälzische Münzhandlung 75 (10 December 2008), Lot 96. Ex CNG eAuction 510 (23 Feb 2022), Lot 821.