My First Pacatianus the Usurper c. 248 A.D....from eBay...So Maybe...

[Marsyas Mike]

A fool and his money, as they say, which is to say a Pacatian antoninianus came my way via eBay.  Any coin of this guy is scarce or rare;  Pacatianus was a Roman general(?) who rebelled somewhere in Moesia c. 248-249, scaring Philip the Arab so badly he told the Senate he was willing to resign.  Very little is known about the man, his coins being one of the main proofs of his existence. 

I won't go into the background here, since @Ocatarinetabellatchitchix  posted an excellent article on this usurper and his coins on Coin Talk here:  https://www.cointalk.com/threads/pacatianvs-chronicles.363222/

As for my new purchase, RIC/OCRE has seven types total (numismatics.org/ocre/results?q=portrait_facet%3A"Pacatianus") but mine is not one of these.  Which is worrisome, to say the least.  But I did find another one, on Wildwinds, which came from a Gerhard Hirsch Nachfolger auction in 2014.  Here is the Wildwinds photo (note the double-struck obverse; mine isn't like that):

 

 

Gerhard Hirsch Nachfolger Auction 298; Lot 761; 07.05.2014

Description RÖMISCHE MÜNZEN, RÖMISCHES KAISERREICH PACATIANUS. 248-, Viminacium.Antoninian. IMP TI CL MAR PACATIANVS [..A]VG Drapierte Büste mit Strahlenkrone r. Rs: FIDES EXERC Concordia-Fides thront l. mit Patera und Zepter. Im Abschnitt P. C. -. R.I.C. -. HCC -. 3.34g, Schöne Tönung. Randlich gelocht, Uned.? ss-vz https://www.acsearch.info/search.html?id=1947765 

Wildwinds

Pacatian. ca AD 248-249. AR Antoninianus 3.34 g. Viminacium mint. IMP TI CL MAR PACATIANVS ..AVG, radiate, draped and cuirassed bust right / FIDES EXERC, Fides seated left, holding patera and sceptre. P in exergue. Not in RIC; RSC; Cohen; ERIC -. Apparently unpublished. Hirsch auction 298, lot 761.

It was great to find another example and die-match, but there are a couple of things about mine I don't like, mostly the low weight and the fact it "feels" more like a thin, silver-wash type issued a bit later by Gallienus and not something issued by Philip I or Gordian III.  The other Pacatians I see weigh 3 grams or more, mine is only 2.3 grams.  Coinage of this era was erratic in fabric and fineness, of course, but mine seems especially crappy.  These have been faked, of course, starting with Becker, but I couldn't find this one in particular as a fake.  The Wildwinds/Gerhard Hirsch Nachfolger coin has a very wildly double-struck obverse; the reverse matches mine quite well, which is why I decided to take the plunge. 

 So what would you do?  It was listed on eBay, as a Gordian III (specifically, RIC 70, Roma seated).  Seller's photo: 

It was listed as an auction, not a buy-it-now, with a starting bid of $70.00 way too much for a low-grade Gordian III; but I'll look at anything on eBay.  There was not much by way of description - no weight, size, etc. The portrait immediately looked off for Gordian - too old - Philip I, Trebonianus Gallus or Trajan Decius, I thought, until I looked at the legend:  IMP TI CL MAR PACATIA[NVS AV]G.  I immediately went to OCRE, acsearch, etc. and started looking.  $70 for a Pacatian is quite a bargain.  But as noted above, I did find one on Wildwinds/Gerhard Hirsch Nachfolger auction, which is why I figured it was worth a gamble. 

I mulled it over for a few days and shot the seller an offer (his auction had the "Make an Offer" option) of $50.  It was the day after my birthday, and I thought starting a new decade off buying fakes off eBay is the way to start things right!  The seller took my offer, shipped right away.  And so that's its "provenance" if you can call it that. 

Here is mine, with somewhat improved photos, and attribution (though the seller's photos give a better idea of its silver-wash Gallienus-esque appearance):

Pacatianus Antoninianus (c. 248-249 A.D.) Viminacium Mint? See notes IMP TI CL MAR PACATIA[NVS AV]G, radiate, draped and cuirassed bust right / FIDES E[XER]C, Fides seated  left, holding patera and sceptre, P in exergue. Not in RIC IV (see notes) (2.32 grams / 22 x 20 mm) eBay Nov. 2023        

Note:  Not in RIC; one other  specimen that is a die-match: 

Die-Match Obverse? & Reverse:

Gerhard Hirsch Nachfolger Auct. 298; Lot 761; 07.05.2014 P. C. -. R.I.C. -. HCC -. 3.34g,  Uned.?

Wildwinds (same coin) This specimen is double-struck obverse, thus unsure of obverse die-match.

Issue Notes:  British Museum  Curator's comments:  "The coinage of Pacatian is usually attributed to a mint at Viminacium in the province of Moesia Superior, but it should be noted that this mint did not produce its usual provincial bronze coinage for the usurper."

https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/C_1988-1201-19

Here is mine compared to the Wildwinds/Gerhard Hirsch Nachfolger (double-struck obverse) specimen - I rather like the slight smile he's wearing - kind of like Postumus - although I wouldn't thing being a Roman usurper would give you much to smile about:

A final observation; coins of Pacatian are not as scarce as they used to be, I think.  While researching this one, I came across references to there being only about 100 coins known in collections and museums total.  However, acsearch pulls up over 700 of them (some duplicate auctions for the same coin, but still way more than 100).  My guess is the huge numbers of coins coming out of the Balkans in recent years (not counting Bulgarian fakes!) include Pacatians from time to time. 

I welcome any and all comments, if any, on this coin.  I'd especially love to have the selling price on the original Gerhard Hirsch Nachfolger auction referenced above (I don't have an acsearch account).  You won't hurt my feelings if you think it's a fake.  And for sure, share those Pacatians if you have 'em. 

[Xeno]

Awesome write-up on a rare type I was totally ignorant of. I certainly don't feel confident on weighing in on the authenticity but I am really hoping you won big on this one! Very cool little piece of history thank you for informing me.

[ominus1]

..purdy kool coin MM...i can see this guy wasn't afraid to stamp over an emperors coin in his name..^^...until now i did't know about him:))

[Ancient Coin Hunter]

Great find @Marsyas Mike. It's a bit like winning the lottery. As for me, I have to still get an Aemilianus, whose coins are not that rare, just scarce. If I can get Pacatian, Jotapian, Sponsianus. etc. I'd be very happy,.

 

Edited December 6, 2023 by Ancient Coin Hunter

[Dwarf]

The Hirsch coin sold for 6.500 Euro net against an estimate of 3.200 Euro
Coinarchives gives 212 hits since 2010 - but this includes just mentioning the name in descriptions of other lots, too

Prices have gone down a bit. I would put something around 3.000 Euro to your coin - congratulations.

Regards
Klaus

[Ocatarinetabellatchitchix]

Hey Mike, very interesting discovery. It’s funny because I’m working right now on a paper I will publish in French soon. So here are the specimens sold in 2023, the last one is a Becker’s forgery. I’m not skilled enough to judge about authenticity, but I can surely see some ressemblance between your coin and the Elsen’s one. Or maybe not ? Perhaps it would be a good idea to send it to Barry Murphy ?

 

GERHARD HIRSCH NACHFOLGER, AUCTION 383 (2023): 5,500 euros

 NUMISMATICA ARS CLASSICA NAC AG, AUCTION 138 (2023): 4,000 CHF

ROMA NUMISMATICS LIMITED, E-LIVE AUCTION 6 (2023): 1,800 GBP

LEU NUMISMATIK, WEB AUCTION 25 (2023): 4,200 CHF

CLASSICAL NUMISMATIC GROUP, INC., TRITON XXVI (2023): 3,225 USD

JEAN ELSEN & SES FILS S.A., AUCTION 153 (2022): 300 euros [Becker’s forgery]

 

[Harry G]

This could very well be the first genuine antoninianus of Pacatian ever sold on eBay. Great score! Definitely one of my grails.

[Greekcoin21]

Good article, there’s hope for us all.

[panzerman]

I cannot add anything/ since I do not own one. But I am super happy for you/ thats an amazing catch! Sometimes it pays off doing a lot of scouting sites to find hidden gems.

[CPK]

Wow what a score! I really hope it is a genuine coin. 

[Tejas]

Wow, what a catch! I can't say anything about authenticity, but this looks pretty encouraging so far. Well done!

[Ryro]

Coingrats... maybe😉 Pardon the reservation. But I sure hope you're sending it off for verification. I will be excited to read what David Sear or Barry Murphy have to say about it.

[JayAg47]

What a score! I think it's actually real, given the eyes and lips on yours and the double struck one look similar. 

Edited December 7, 2023 by JayAg47

[Marsyas Mike]

Thank you all for your helpful, and kind, comments:  @Xeno @Ancient Coin Hunter @ominus1 @Harry G @Greekcoin21 @panzerman @CPK @Tejas @Ryro @JayAg47 

Special shout-out to @Dwarf for providing that auction sale price info.  For what it's worth, I agree that the price on something like this would be lower now - I suspect that there are a lot more of Pacatianus coins on the market nowadays than 2014.  Thank you, metal detectors.  

And thank you @Ocatarinetabellatchitchix - your article on CT (linked in the OP) was the most overall informative piece I found.  Best of luck with your latest project with these.  More information is certainly needed in this area.  My French, unfortunately, consists of oui and merci.  

One of the best things about this hobby is the sharing these finds with such a great group of fellow collectors.  

[JeandAcre]

Brilliant, @Marsyas Mike, just as a speculative thought-experiment, at the price, even if it's not genuine.  Which, to

@JayAg47's point, I reflexively have to think it is.  

...From an earlier-medieval kind of place, you eventually learn not to blink at variants (at least) that aren't published.  Thank you, it's reducible to the limitations of the existing documentation, rather than what's actually there in real time, on (or recently out of) the ground.

It's hard not to suppose that even for the earlier phases of the Roman 'Anarchy,' the rarity of this issue (complementing the paucity of references to Pacatian himself) would go a good distance toward replicating a similar phenomenon.  ...From here, your example looks nothing like the Becker.  The remarkably clear engraving and strike of the obverse legend, evoking issues going back to, for instance, the Antonines, tallies with the other genuine issues I got a quick look at online. 

It's even fun to speculate that, under the immediate circumstances of the usurpation, the coin's composition might have anticipated  the silver washes of Gallienus, et al.  Given the steady downward slide of the silver content in denarii over a couple centuries --a trend only accelerated by Caracalla's introduction of the antoninianus (right, just in terms of its weight, effectively a scam from its inception) --the interval involved seems at least plausible.  ...As of the end of the 240's, with the ongoing political crisis nearer to (R/-)home already converging with the Germanic incursions, did Moesia amount to much more than a frontier province?  Even regarding mintage --or available siver, such as it was-- the more usual infrastructure might just not have been in place.  

Edited December 7, 2023 by JeandAcre

[Qcumbor]

I can't but have a bad feeling about it : very "cheeky" and Valerian like portrait and the name PACATIAN  highlighted while the rest of the legend is worn are the things I don't like.

On the other hand, if proven legit, Wow, just Wow on a fabulous acquisition !

I'm far from a Pacatian expert though, hence my comment should be taken with a grain of salt

Q

[Furryfrog02]

I have never heard of Pacatian until this post....
An interesting coin but, like @Qcumbor, I don't get a warm fuzzy. Mostly for the same reasons. PACATIAN stands out against the rest of the obverse legend. Something about the reverse just seems off to me as well.
 

I hope that it's real because at $50 it seems like a steal. 

Now I need to learn more about Pacatian...always something in this hobby... 😛

 

[Ancient Coin Hunter]

I looked up the Historia Augusta but unfortunately there is no coverage of reigns from Gordian III to the time of Valerian and Gallienus. This is the famously inaccurate and speculative work of a number of later historians. So I am not sure what source deals with Pacatian. I think he is mentioned in the work of Edward Gibbon though.

[Marsyas Mike]

2 hours ago, Ancient Coin Hunter said:

I looked up the Historia Augusta but unfortunately there is no coverage of reigns from Gordian III to the time of Valerian and Gallienus. This is the famously inaccurate and speculative work of a number of later historians. So I am not sure what source deals with Pacatian. I think he is mentioned in the work of Edward Gibbon though.

Check out the @Ocatarinetabellatchitchix article on Coin Talk here:  https://www.cointalk.com/threads/pacatianvs-chronicles.363222/   It seems Zosimus is the main source for anything other than coins about this guy.  

[Marsyas Mike]

4 hours ago, Furryfrog02 said:

I have never heard of Pacatian until this post....
An interesting coin but, like @Qcumbor, I don't get a warm fuzzy. Mostly for the same reasons. PACATIAN stands out against the rest of the obverse legend. Something about the reverse just seems off to me as well.
 

I hope that it's real because at $50 it seems like a steal. 

Now I need to learn more about Pacatian...always something in this hobby... 😛

 

Soon to follow, a post from a fellow NF member who is also thinking this is not genuine - he's been PM'ing me, but I asked him to "go public" with his doubts.  I'd like it to be the real deal, for sure, but I'd like to know as much as possible, even if the news is not good.  Thank you for sharing your doubts.  I have some doubts about it too!  

 

[Marsyas Mike]

6 hours ago, Qcumbor said:

I can't but have a bad feeling about it : very "cheeky" and Valerian like portrait and the name PACATIAN  highlighted while the rest of the legend is worn are the things I don't like.

Yeah, I'm not entirely convinced either...though the portrait is not is much of a concern as other aspects of it.  As noted above, some more extensive doubts about it soon to come - including legends and portrait.  Thank you for your insights!  

 

[Marsyas Mike]

10 hours ago, JeandAcre said:

just as a speculative thought-experiment, at the price, even if it's not genuine.

Thank you for your comments, @JeandAcre.  You are absolutely right - I've already had at least $50 worth of fun researching this coin and reading all the responses it provoked.  Undescribed or misdescribed ancients are pretty much my favorite way to collect these days, and this one has been a real thrill (though of course I'd rather it was really a Pacatianus!). 

[Nerosmyfavorite68]

Do Ants of that  period come that worn?  Looking at vcoins' offerings of Decius and Philip, there's only one really worn Decius, and it has a more uniform wear pattern.  There's less of worn Philip Ants there.

The rapid debasement would have caused 'silver' Ants to be hoarded somewhat quickly.

I'm hoping it's real.

[Marsyas Mike]

15 minutes ago, Nerosmyfavorite68 said:

Do Ants of that  period come that worn?  Looking at vcoins' offerings of Decius and Philip, there's only one really worn Decius, and it has a more uniform wear pattern.  There's less of worn Philip Ants there.

The rapid debasement would have caused 'silver' Ants to be hoarded somewhat quickly.

I'm hoping it's real.

You're right - ants from that period seem to have been hoarded right away, since the silver content was going so low so fast.  If Pacatianus issues were more debased than, say Philip's, it is possible that, like Marc Antony denarii, they circulated more, since they were inferior.  

But sometimes ants did circulate - one of my favorite Gordians is this one, VG or so from wear (not worn-out dies):

 

 

 

[Claudius_Gothicus]

As @Marsyas Mike said above, I have been suspicious of this coin since the moment I saw it, and I privately voiced with him my concerns about it. He has encouraged me to post them publicly, and I shall do so in hope that others can weigh in with their opinions and add something to the discussion. I will abstain from definitely condemning the coin, but I will provide all the evidence I found that makes me doubt it's genuine - I will only focus on coin itself, since I do not think that we should dismiss something as fake by default just because it came from a dubious source; Pacatian is rare, but not that rare, and I wouldn't be surprised if at least one authentic coin of his had been sold for cheap in the past due to being misdescribed.

Now, back to the coin:

1) Firstly, as @Ocatarinetabellatchitchix said, several Becker forgeries of these coins are known, and I'm pretty sure that the Hirsch example is an obverse die match to one, though it's hard to tell; while I haven't found an obverse die match to @Marsyas Mike's example, the fact that the Hirsch specimen is a reverse die match to the one in this thread casts serious doubts on its authenticity by default.

2) While the appearance of a previously unrecorded reverse type for Pacatian wouldn't be too strange, the fact that it features an officina letter in the exergue while no other coin of his has one is quite odd; what's even stranger is the fact that, in this time period, officina letters on Roman Imperial coinage had just been introduced by Philip I, and what is more, they were represented by either Greek letters or Roman numerals. To see Roman letters being used to indicate an officina we have to wait for the joint reign of Valerian I and Gallienus; moreover, the letter cannot have been copied from the Viminacium provincials, either, since they never used markings for the officinae, so unless the engraver was a time traveller...

3) Finally, there are several technical and stylistical factors that make me doubt the authenticity of this coin, and I will post some authentic examples to illustrate my points: firstly, the dotted border on @Marsyas Mike's example not only differs in diametre between the obverse and the reverse, but is also very prominent and with large beads, while on authentic examples it's thinner and the beads are considerably less round.

The letters are also noticeably different, since on authentic coins the obverse legend is always cluttered, with very little space between the letters, which in turn are also often blundered (notably the letter A, which on authentic examples usually lacks the central bar and looks more like a Greek Delta) and varying in size, which is completely different from the clear and tidy obverse legend used on @Marsyas Mike's coin.

Finally, the portrait itself feels slightly off to me, since the proportions of its various features don't match up perfectly, at least to me, with those of the authentic coins, whose portraits are very consistent in style; by contrast, the portrait of @Marsyas Mike's coin reminds me much more of an emperor like Valerian.

Let me know what you think!