The Hortensia Hoard

[GordianAppreciator101]

Hello everyone and welcome to a little research I’ve been conducting for a few days. I recently learned of the existence of a new Hoard that emerged not very long ago in a French Auction house and got some coins (and some history) to share of the Hoard in question. 

To give a little context before going into the coins themselves, the treasure known as the “Hortensia Hoard” (Or in French Tresor d’Hortensia) originates from a woman of the same name, who played bridge in the Côte d’Azur in Southern France and sadly passed in 1998, leaving a “sack” of 13 whole kilos of Antoniniani to her nephew, who kept them stored until 2022 not thinking anything about them. That’s a whole 24 years of a bag full of Antoniniani stuck in a cellar. Sadly the nephew didn’t know where they came from and so, the origin of the Hoard is uncertain. The Regional Archeology Service under the French DRAC (Direction régionale des Affaires culturelles) then investigates the coins, the 4.000 of them, and doesn’t find anything interesting, returning all of the coins to the nephew. The nephew then decided to sell them away: The Rossini Auction in Paris is chosen, and the date: 7th of July, 2022. 

The Antoniniani were grouped by Emperor in the auction:
- Gordian III (238-244) (1 coin)
- Decius (249-251) (few coins)
- Trebonianus Gallus (251-253) (few coins)
- Aemilian (253) (1 coin)
- Valerian (251-260) and Mariniana (a few dozen coins)
- Gallienus (253-268) (in large numbers, including the majority of the Treveri/Trier mint) and Salonina (268 )
- Their children Valérien II (256-259) and Salonin (260)
- Macrianus, usurper (261) (2 coins) 
- Postumus (260-269) (The most represented emperor), including a few copies in his name minted at Milan by Aureolus, Gallienus’ rogue cavalry commander..
- Marius (269) (a few coins )
- Victorinus (269-271) (a few dozen coins), under whose reign this lot must have been buried.

Sources:
https://www.rossini.fr/actualite/87450 (In French)
https://www.lamoneta.it/topic/208186-tresor-dhortensia/ (In Italian)

Link to the Rossini Auction Results

In the next post we’ll take a look at the coins themselves.

Edited March 2, 2023 by GordianAppreciator101

[GordianAppreciator101]

These three coins of mine that I just got today have been the inspiration for this post, as I knew nothing about the hoard itself when I got them. They came from the bigger lots and have been cleaned between 2022 and 2023.

1. Gallienus (253-268) Minted 255-256 | Silver Antoninianus from Samosata    
            IMP C P LIC GALLIENVS P F AVG        
            VIRTVS AVGG        
            RIC V 456a From the Hortensia Hoard

2. Gallienus (253-268) Minted 264-265    | Billon Antoninianus from Mediolanum                                                          

          GALLIENVS AVG    
          PAX AVG 
          RIC V 501k From the Hortensia Hoard

3. Postumus (260-269)    Minted 260-269 | Silver Antoninianus from Treveris
          IMP C POSTVMVS P F AVG    
          PAX AVG 
          Not on RIC From the Hortensia Hoard

 

Here’s how the lots looked like at the time of the sale (My three coins may not be in there, the lots are pretty similar)

And to end the research, a few of the more interesting pieces (None of the coins are mine, pics are taken from the Rossini Auction)

 

This Antoninianus of Postumus of Hercules has been the main image of the hoard in every place I’ve seen, so I thought it necessary to share it. The reverse is nothing special, just the typical Iovi Statori type. 

A well struck Macrianus.

And finally, a nice Gallienus Antoninianus commemorating the Legio I Minervia. Ironically enough, this Legion would switch sides and join Postumus in 260.

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So with this said, do you folks own any coins from this Hoard?

 

[Lhevae]

Great post and coins, with a cool provenance (😇).