Post your USURPERS!

[Spaniard]

Clodius Albinus, as Caesar AD 193

Ob..D CLODIVS ALBINVS CAES, bare head right.

Rev..PROVID AVG COS, Providentia standing left,  holding sceptre and wand over globe at foot..RSC58

[Alegandron]

CAESAR - USPURPER of the Roman Republic


Roman Imperiatorial
Julius Caesar Lifetime
P Sepullius Macer
AR Denarius, 1st 2 weeks-Mar 44 BCE, 19 mm, 4.03g.
Obv: CAESAR – DICT PERPETVO Veiled and wreathed head of Caesar R.
Rev: P·SEPVLLIVS – MACER Venus standing l., holding Victory and sceptre resting on star.
Ref: Syd 1074a Sear Imperators 107e Crawford 480-14 R



Roman Republic
Iulius Caesar
AR Denarius
49 BCE
Traveling Mint
Elephant-P
ontificates
Sear 1399 Craw 443/1

[Magnus Maximus]

@Alegandron The Corsican Ogre!

[Alegandron]

23 minutes ago, Magnus Maximus said:

@Alegandron The Corsican Ogre!

LOL

 

[ValiantKnight]

Jovinus, Western Roman Empire
AR siliqua
Obv: D N IOVIN-VS P F AVG, Pearl-diademed, draped, and cuirassed bust right
Rev: VICTOR-IA AVGG, Roma seated left on stylized cuirass, holding Victory on globe and reversed spear
Mint: Lugdunum
Mintmark: SMLDV
Date: 411-413 AD
Ref: RIC X 1717

Poemenius in the name of Constantius II, Western Roman Empire
AE2
Obv: D N CONSTAN-TIVS P F AVG, pearl-diademed, draped, and cuirassed bust right
Rev: SALVS AVG NOSTRI, large Chi-Rho flanked by A-W
Mint: Trier
Mintmark: TRP
Date: 352 AD
Ref: RIC VIII 332

 

[Severus Alexander]

On 6/14/2022 at 7:45 AM, Magnus Maximus said:

Emperor Chadicus Maximus himself. To my knowedge he is the only usurper to get Imperial recognition from an Emperor. 

I think Clodius Albinus would count too... Sep Sev recognized him as Caesar for a few years.

It's a bit hard to know who exactly qualifies as a usurper, I'd say.  What about Galba, Otho, and Vitellius?  Well, they were accepted by the Senate, even if under duress and only briefly, so they don't count?  Lots like that of course.  What about Macrinus?  Personally I think Max Thrax was usurper all the way.  Killing Sev Alex, if you please, geez. 😡

Flavius Victor was given the title of Augustus by his father Magnus Maximus, so he certainly counts:

This coin of Libius Severus (461-65) has has magister militum Ricimer's monogram on the reverse.  Severus wasn't recognized in the East, and Ricimer was the one pulling the strings... so this could be thought of as representing either Severus or Ricimer, either or both counting as a usurper:

 

Here are some Byzantine guys who were arguably usurpers, all circling around the legitimate emperor and son of Constantine IV, Justinian II.  The first, Leontius (695-698) was Justinian II's general who seized power after breaking out of prison.  He cut off Justinian's nose and sent him packing to Cherson:

(hopefully there's some more detail hiding under all that dirt, but I haven't had a chance to clean it off yet.)

Next we have Tiberius III Apsimar (698-705), whom Leontius sent to retake Carthage.  Apsimar failed and his solution (or more his troops' solution) to avoiding punishment was to return to Constantinople and oust Leontius - again, without a nose.  Here he is; the undertype is noseless #2 himself, i.e. Leontius!

The point of denosing was that it was deemed beyond the pale for a disfigured individual to occupy the throne.  Justinian's solution was to have a golden nose made to fit, and surgically implanted.  Shiny new nose, I can be emperor again!  And with the help of the Bulgarian Khan, Tervel, that's what he did.  So we're back to a legitimate (if rather nasty) emperor at this point, in 705.  Justinian didn't waste any time executing both Leontius and Tiberius.

However, in 711, a general called Bardanes who had been exiled following the first revolt against Justinian rose up again, this time with the help of the Khazars.  Justinian went to Cherson to put the rebels down, but his own army mutinied and put Bardanes on the throne.  He took the name Philippicus (711-713).  Another usurper, yes?  (Perhaps because the troops were worried about further prostheses, Justinian was finally put six feet under.)

As you can see from his dates, Philippicus didn't last long.  Troops in Thrace rebelled, but this time no denosing.  They took Philippicus's eyes instead, raising Imperial Secretary Artemius, now Anastasius II (713-715), to the throne:

^ This is another overstrike, with a Justinian 2nd reign coin underneath (both Justinian and his son Tiberius are portrayed).  But we're not done with our 2-year usurpers.  The final one is Theodosius III of Adramytium, who was a tax collector chosen for some mysterious reason to be the new emperor by the Opsikion theme troops, then in Rhodes.  After a rather long siege Anastasius II was packed off to a monastery with all his major body parts intact.  (Possibly a mistake?  He reappears...)  In any case, here's that next guy, Theodosius III of Adramytium, who seems to have been just a puppet of powerful generals:

(The other coins have been from Constantinople, this ^ one is Syracuse mint.)  One of those generals was a Syrian called Konon, who had helped Justinian II regain the throne in 705.  Konon conspired with a colleague, Artavasdus (remember this name) to get rid of Theodosius and mounted the throne as Leo III 'The Isaurian' (717-741).  Here's a special coronation issue for his son Constantine (issued in 720), a 1/2 miliaresion, as part of a new silver coinage he introduced:

He also introduced iconoclasm (as intimated by the coin above), which went on to cause a LOT of trouble.  All of this was occurring in the context of a very serious threat from the Umayyads, culminating in a siege on Constantinople right away in August of the year Leo became emperor.  Here's an Umayyad dirhem issued in that very year, namely 717-18 = 99AH:

(Wasit mint.  Caliph Sulayman died during the siege and was succeeded by his cousin, Umar II.)  I would say the miliaresion (and rare half) were clearly meant to emulate the dirham of the successful Arabs.  Due to Leo's generalship and Anastasius II's prep work, the Byzantines withstood the attack and the Arabs withdrew in 718.  You can understand why Leo's troops supported his iconoclasm, which also emulated Arab practice.  Whatever works, right?!  (The Byzantines had been constantly losing, with few exceptions, in the previous 20 years when they set so much store by their icons.)

Here's my portrait of Leo III, also Syracuse mint (anyone have Constantinople?):

I guess he counts as a non-usurper because he lasted so long and founded a dynasty?  Almost not, though, because that full-nosed eye-retaining Anastasius II, banished to the monastery (possiby by Leo himself when a general) raised a revolt.  Leo put it down, though - and put Anastasius down too, round about where Justinian II was, under the dirt.  Much later Leo's buddy and son-in-law Artavasdus (remember him?) tried to usurp the throne from Leo's son Constantine V (shown on the reverse of the coin above).  He succeeded long enough to issue some coins, but I don't have one. (@voulgaroktonou does though!)  Constantine V re-established himself in Constantinople about a year later.  They rolled the dice and I guess it came up snake-eyes, 'cause that's the organ Artavasdus lost.  No mistakes this time.

Except... I never mentioned what happened to Theodosius III of Adramytium.  Leo III allowed him to retire to a monastery intact, and he behaved himself so well he eventually became Bishop of Ephesus, living into the 750's.  So you never know, eh?  (But was he really intact?  Maybe he lost something less... visible?  Hmm...)

Phew.  Leo III brought an end to the period known as The Twenty Years' Anarchy, and I'm finally done this comment.  Can't believe I wrote all that, but once I got on a roll...  Shoulda been an OP I guess. Oops. 🤷‍♂️

 

[Magnus Maximus]

@Severus Alexander Maximus is a bit different however as he usurped  against Gratian and had him killed, then was recognized as the legitimate Augustus of the WRE. While Clodius Albinus did rebel against Julianus and get himself acclaimed Caesar by Severus, he never overthrew an Emperor. 

[Egry]

I do have a few scarce usupers in my collection. This would be likely the most obscure of them.

 

Julian I of Pannonia BI Antoninianus. Siscia, circa AD 283-285. IMP C M AVR IVLIANVS P F AVG, radiate, draped and cuirassed bust to right / VICTORIA AVG, Victory standing to left, holding wreath and palm; S-A across fields; XXI in exergue. RIC V.2 5. 2.89g, 21mm, 6h. Some areas of weak strike; flan crack at 8h/10h.

[Egry]

On 6/14/2022 at 12:37 AM, Furryfrog02 said:

The brothers Magnentius and Decentius:

 

I didn’t know they were brothers. Cool. 

[Egry]

On 6/14/2022 at 4:50 AM, Alegandron said:

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

GALLIC EMPIRE
- (POSTUMUS prior post)

RI Postumus 259-268 CE Antoninianus Cologne Oriens ex tif

- 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 

PROCOPIUS

RI Procopius 365-366 AE3

 

Ah!  Thanks for the reminder!  I was able to edge in MY grody version, too!!!  😄 

Saturninus? Am I reading that right? 

[MrMonkeySwag96]

My humble antoninianus of the Gallic emperor Victorinus:

Victorinus, 268 - 271 AD AE Antoninianus, Colonia Agrippinensis Mint, 20mm, 2.97 grams Obverse: IMP C VICTORINVS P F AVG, Radiate, draped and cuirassed bust of Victorinus right. Reverse: VIRTVS AVG, Virtus standing right holding spear and shield. RIC 78

ex. Ken Dorney 

I also have a “barbarous Radiate” that imitates an antoninianus of Tetricus, another Gallic usurper:

Barbarous Radiates, 3rd Century AD AE 'Antoninianus', Mint in Britain or Gaul, 16mm, 1.64 grams Obverse: Radiate head of emperor right, blundered legend around. Reverse: Annona (?) standing left holding grain ears. RCV Vol. III, pg. 413

ex. Ken Dorney 

Technically, the warring generals during the Year of Four Emperors are usurpers against the Julio-Claudian dynasty:

Galba. 68-69 AD. AR Denarius (19mm; 2.84 gm; 6h). Rome mint. Struck August-October 68 AD. Obv: IMP SER GALBA AVG, bare head right. Rev: SPQR/OB/CS in three lines within oak-wreath. RIC I 167; RSC 287.

ex. Akropolis Coins

Vitellius, AR denarius, Civil War Issue AR 18mm/3.1gm Rome mint c. 69 AD Con/ Slightly off-struck to left, otherwise, Very Fine. Obv/ [A VITELLIVS] GERM IMP AVG TR P; laureate head right Rev/ XV VIR SACR FAC; Tripod-lebes with dolphin laying right above and raven standing right below Ref/ RIC Vol One, 109, RSC111, BCM39

ex. Noble Roman Coins

Edited June 26, 2022 by MrMonkeySwag96

[Alegandron]

1 hour ago, Egry said:

I do have a few scarce usupers in my collection. This would be likely the most obscure of them.

 

Julian I of Pannonia BI Antoninianus. Siscia, circa AD 283-285. IMP C M AVR IVLIANVS P F AVG, radiate, draped and cuirassed bust to right / VICTORIA AVG, Victory standing to left, holding wreath and palm; S-A across fields; XXI in exergue. RIC V.2 5. 2.89g, 21mm, 6h. Some areas of weak strike; flan crack at 8h/10h.

That is one I would really enjoy having.  Haven't seen one in my searches.

[Alegandron]

1 hour ago, Egry said:

Saturninus? Am I reading that right? 

Ex: Warren Etsy, @Valentinian

His attribution, Jan-2016: 

Macrianus, Roman emperor (usurper), summer 260 - early summer 261. Rare!
Base AR 22. 6:00. 4.42 grams.
IMP C FVL MACRIANVS PF AVG
SPES PVBLICA
* in field left
Struck at an uncertain Eastern mint. Typical surfaces. (In this period the metal is rarely better than this.)
Sear 3.10811.  RIC 13, page 581, "R2" (very rare)

Edited June 26, 2022 by Alegandron

[Furryfrog02]

14 hours ago, Egry said:

I didn’t know they were brothers. Cool. 

His wiki is pretty sparse:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Decentius

[dougsmit]

Several of the people listed above as usurpers had every bit as much claim to legitimate rule as some of the 'real' emperors but history is written by the victors and their fans.  Didius Julianus is called an emperor because he bought it from people with big knives.  This caused three legions to revolt and put their leaders into the purple.  In the end, revolting general Septimius Severus prevailed and history backdates his rule to when the revolt started.  Pescennius Niger and Clodius Albinus were in the same situation but located farther from Rome so usurper Septimius won the race to make the Senate an offer they can not refuse.   I have too many Septimius coins to show but loser Pescennius is below. 

[Ryro]

Good call! Here's my Pesky Pescennius and gullible Albinus:

And to further the point, why isn't Macrinus a usurper? He may have been in on the plot to kill Caracalla and then usurpered the throne!

[Egry]

I didn’t know Pescennius was considered a usurper.

here is mine.

 

[Prieure de Sion]

Macrinus * Silver Antoninianus Rome 217/218 n.Chr. RIC 63e * Av: IMP C M OPEL SEV MACRINVS AVG * Rv: FELICITAS TEMPORVM * Felicitas

If Macrinus was one, here my example 🙂

[Victor_Clark]

@BBA already posted an example. but here's my Domitius Domitianus

 

 

Domitius Domitianus
A.D. 295- 296
24mm 10.8g
IMP C L DOMITIVS DOMITIANVS AVG; laureate head right.
GENIO POPV-LI ROMANI; Genius standing left, modius on head, naked except for chlamys over left shoulder, holding patera and cornucopiae, eagle to left; A in right.
In ex. ALE
RIC VI Alexandria 20

 

 

 

 

[Nerosmyfavorite68]

On 6/20/2022 at 3:13 AM, Severus Alexander said:

Here's my portrait of Leo III, also Syracuse mint (anyone have Constantinople?):

 

 

 

S 1514, small module, Leo III Constantinople.

 

Tiberius Apsimar, Constantinople.  I have yet to look up the Sear number.

[Orange Julius]

On 6/25/2022 at 9:01 PM, Egry said:

Saturninus? Am I reading that right? 

@Alegandronwas referring to the Probus coin.

There was a FORVM thread awhile back about new research on a 4th eastern mint for certain Probus coins.

https://www.forumancientcoins.com/board/index.php?topic=107510.msg658159#msg658159

From my post in that old thread: An interesting “detail about this "4th eastern mint" is that, according to S. Estiot's paper, it's operation was a direct result of the revolt of the Syrian governor Saturninus in 280.

Translated (by google) from her paper linked below: "operation of the 4th East workshop whose existence (is) all circumstantial, was only due to the need to fight an usurper (Saturninus) - it only worked a few months, from mid-280 to early 281."

https://www.academia.edu/29744478/L_Empereur_et_l_usurpateur_un_4e_atelier_oriental_sous_Probus
To translate a pdf: https://translate.google.com/?tr=f&hl=en”

Here is mine:

Edited June 27, 2022 by Orange Julius

[Severus Alexander]

These Probus "fourth eastern mint" Saturninus revolt coins have a very distinctive portrait style:

[Alegandron]

14 hours ago, Orange Julius said:

@Alegandronwas referring to the Probus coin.

There was a FORVM thread awhile back about new research on a 4th eastern mint for certain Probus coins.

https://www.forumancientcoins.com/board/index.php?topic=107510.msg658159#msg658159

From my post in that old thread: An interesting “detail about this "4th eastern mint" is that, according to S. Estiot's paper, it's operation was a direct result of the revolt of the Syrian governor Saturninus in 280.

Translated (by google) from her paper linked below: "operation of the 4th East workshop whose existence (is) all circumstantial, was only due to the need to fight an usurper (Saturninus) - it only worked a few months, from mid-280 to early 281."

https://www.academia.edu/29744478/L_Empereur_et_l_usurpateur_un_4e_atelier_oriental_sous_Probus
To translate a pdf: https://translate.google.com/?tr=f&hl=en”

Here is mine:

Thanks for the clarity. Ah, so a possible Saturninus, cool. 

JETSONS

RI Probus Æ Ant 22mm 3.75g 280CE CLEMENTIA TEMP XXI Emperor receiving Victory from Jupiter UNKNOWN EASTERN MINT - fight Saturninus

Edited June 28, 2022 by Alegandron