A thing for usurpers

[rasiel]

The siren call of historical nobodies! Every Roman coin collector would love to get their hands on a Saturninus someday but, realistically, we have to make do with slightly more accessible personages. Here's some recent additions of Romans whose dreams of riding a chariot through downtown Rome to the wild acclaim of thousands fell a bit short.

Rasiel

Here's Pacatian. His only claim to fame was... having pudgy cheeks.

 

Quietus. Poor guy was such a loser he didn't even have the chance to have what little limelight there was all to himself as he had to share the wannabe title with his brother Macrianus. At least his coins are cheap and easy to find.

Then there's Jovinus who like Quietus has a brother to share in his 15 minutes of fame. But unlike Quietus his coins are neither cheap nor easy to find. Ouch!

And we'll close out with Nepotian who though not technically a usurper - for we can assume he 'enjoyed' the approval of the Senate because his takeover was within Rome itself - had all of 30 days to enjoy the perks of bossing around underlings and taking selfies in a bad-ass purple cape for his Instagrammus and Facialiber fans.

 

 

[John Conduitt]

Those are guys you don't see very often.

If you look up 'Roman usurpers' you get all sorts of emperors included - Constantine I, Diocletian, Vespasian, Septimius Severus, Probus, Julian, Valentinian I...pretty much the bedrock of the Roman Empire. The likes of Postumus and Carausius didn't become Roman Emperors but were rulers of their own empires. As you've said, instead we think of an usurper as someone who had a go but failed.

Procopius Nummus, 365-366. Tried and failed to overthrow Valens.

Heraclea, 1st officina. Bronze, 18mm, 2.67g. Diademed, draped and cuirassed bust left; D N PROCOPIVS P F AVG. Procopius standing facing, head right, holding labarum and resting hand upon shield; pellet to left, Chi-Rho to upper right; REPARATIO FEL TEMP; SMHA in exergue (RIC IX, 7.4).

Clodius Albinus Sestertius, 194-195. Tried and failed to overthrow Septimius Severus.

Rome. Bronze, 29mm, 17.97g. Head of Clodius Albinus, bare, right; D CLOD SEPT ALBIN CAES. Minerva, helmeted, draped, standing left, holding olive-branch in right hand and shield set on ground in left hand; spear rests against left arm; MINER PACIF COS II; S C (RIC IV, 54A). Found near Wisbech.

[Ancient Coin Hunter]

Macrianus and Quietus, the pair who stole the Imperial treasury upon the capture of Valerian along with Macrianus senior. Met a sad ending against Gallienus' forces.

The Quietus coin is actually silver appearing.

Albinus, one time Caesar under Severus but only until Severus could declare him a public enemy and marshal the resources to destroy him in the West.

The former blacksmith Marius, who ruled only a few months after the overthrow of Postumus and was killed by a sword of his own manufacture.

These usurpers add an interesting twist to a collection yet all can be had for a few hundred dollars apiece.

 

Edited August 29, 2024 by Ancient Coin Hunter

[ominus1]

1 hour ago, John Conduitt said:

If you look up 'Roman usurpers' you get all sorts of emperors included

that's exactly correct..there's quite a large group of those...

 

1 hour ago, John Conduitt said:

Clodius Albinus Sestertius, 194-195. Tried and failed to overthrow Septimius Severus.

..that's not entirely true John...Sept. Severus made Clodius A. Caesar with the understanding he, Clodius, would become emperor after Sept. Severus so he didnt have to fight all contenders at or about the same time ...  according to what i've read it anyway..

[ominus1]

...the 'Year of the Five Emperors' (family portrait Sept. Severus)...all usurpers..  just some with the senates blessing.(they wanted stability) ...at this moment i'm bidding on a Pescennius Niger coin to complete the set...:)

[ambr0zie]

I have two usurpers that I wanted to get:

23 mm, 7,45 g.
Bithynia, Nicaea. Macrianus. Usurper, 260-261 AD. Ӕ.
ΤΙ(Τ) ΦΟΥΛ ΙΟΥ ΜΑΚΡΙΑΝΟϹ ϹΕΒ, radiate, draped and cuirassed bust of Macrianus, right, seen from front / ΝΙΚΑΙΕΩΝ, bird's eye view of city with gates front and back flanked by two towers.
RG 867; RPC X, — (unassigned; ID 74609); SNG von Aulock 733; BMC 157.

 

and a Marius that's so bad that it almost looks good 

20 mm, 3,57 g.
Marius. Usurper in Gaul 269 AD. Billon antononianus. Treveri (Cunetio attribution) / Cologne (RIC attribution).
IMP C MARIVS P F AVG, radiate, draped and cuirassed bust of Marius to right / CONCORDIA MILITVM, clasped right hands.
AGK (corr.) 1b; Cunetio 2503; Elmer 633; RIC 6.

 

A beat up Magnentius with Spock like ears 

21,3 mm, 4,24 g.
Magnentius. Usurper 350-353 AD). Ӕ. Treveri. 352.
D N MAGNEN-TIVS P F AVG, bust of Magnentius, bare-headed, draped, cuirassed, right; A behind bust / VICTORIAE DD NN AVG ET CAE, two Victories, winged, draped, facing each other, holding between them a wreath inscribed VOT/V/MVLT/X/. Mintmark TRP.
RIC VIII Treveri 312.

Technically Postumus is an usurper also (along with the Gallic emperors)

19,9 mm, 2,38 g.
Postumus. Usurper in Gaul 260-269. Billon antoninianus. Colonia Agrippina (Cologne, Germany). 260-261 AD.
IMP C POSTVMVS P F AVG, radiate, draped and cuirassed bust of Postumus right / IOVI VICTORI, Jupiter walking right, hurling a thunderbolt.
RIC V Postumus 311.

 

21 mm, 3,33 g.
Postumus. Usurper in Gaul 260-269. AR antoninianus. Cologne.
IMP C POSTVMVS P F AVG, bust of Postumus, radiate, draped, right, or bust of Postumus, radiate, draped, cuirassed, right / SERAPI COMITI AVG, Serapis, draped, standing left, raising right hand and holding sceptre in left hand.
RIC V Postumus 329; RSC 360a.

 

13,9 mm, 1,38 g.
Barbarous imitation of Tetricus I 271-274 AD. Ӕ antoninianus.
IMP C TETRICVS P F AVG or IMP C TETRICVS P F AV, bust of Tetricus I, radiate, draped, cuirassed, right / SALVS AVG, Salus, draped, standing left, feeding snake rising from altar with right hand and holding sceptre or anchor in left hand.
Cf RIC V Tetricus I 121.

 

19 mm, 2,19 g.
Tetricus II, as Caesar. 273-274. Æ antoninianus. Treveri.
C PIV ESV TETRICVS CAES, bust of Tetricus II, radiate, draped, right / PIETAS AVGVSTOR, pontifical implements.
RIC V Tetricus I 258.

20 mm, 2,31 g.
Victorinus 269-271. Ӕ antoninianus. Colonia Agippinensium (Cologne).
IMP C VICTORINVS P F AVG, bust of Victorinus, radiate, draped, right / PROVIDENTIA AVG, Providentia, draped, standing left, holding baton in right hand and sceptre in left hand; at foot, globe.
RIC V Victorinus 61.

[John Conduitt]

2 hours ago, ominus1 said:

that's exactly correct..there's quite a large group of those...

 

..that's not entirely true John...Sept. Severus made Clodius A. Caesar with the understanding he, Clodius, would become emperor after Sept. Severus so he didnt have to fight all contenders at or about the same time ...  according to what i've read it anyway..

Yes it's a bit unfair on Clodius to call him an usurper of Severus, given they were both usurpers and Severus originally promised him power. Only when Severus betrayed him did Clodius attack, but he did, and he lost.

[Alegandron]

WOW, @rasiel... a PACATIAN!  Nice!

I have a few Usurpers that I can offer:

MAGNENTIUS

RI Magnentius 351-352 CE AE 1 CHI RHO

MAGNUS MAXIMUS

RI Magnus Maximus 383-388 CE AE Follis

VETRANIO

RI Vetranio 350 CE AE3 17mm Siscia mint Emp stdng hldg Standard and Spear

DECENTIUS

RI Decentius 350-353 CE AE19 VOT V

VABALATHUS

RI Vabalathus 271-272 CE and Aurelian

POSTUMUS

RI Postumus 259-268 CE Antoninianus Cologne Oriens ex tif

AUREOLUS?

RI Postumus struck by Aureolus 268 CE Revolt of Milan Concordia

LAELIANUS

RI Laelianus CE 269 AE Ant 19mm 3.4g Moguntiacum mint Radiate cuirassed Victory RIC Vb 9 p373 black

CLODIUS ALBINUS

RI Clodius Albinus 193-197 CE AR Denarius ROMAE AETERNAE Roma seated

 

 

[Alegandron]

Some more Usurpers:

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

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

[Alegandron]

PROCOPIUS

RI Procopius 365-366 AE3


POEMENIUS:


RI Poemenius in name of Constantius II summer 353 Trier XP RIC VIII Trier 332 RARE
(mixes bust of Constantius II with Chi Rho of Magnentius - enemy of CII)
Ex: @seth77


Perhaps, these should count as he stopped the Julio-Claudians, and enabled Galba to come forward...

VINDEX


RI
Civil War Revolt of Vindex
CE 68-69 AR Denarius
ROMA RESTITVTA -
IVPITER LIBERATOR Jupiter seated r Tbolt Scepter
17mm 3.02g
RIC I 62 RSC 374-RARE



Roman Principate
Civil War
VINDEX 68-69 CE
AR Denarius 3.22g
Gallic mint
SALVS GENERIS HVMANI Victory l globe -
SPQR in wreath RIC 72 BMCRE 34-36 RSC 420
RARE

 

LAELIANUS

RI Laelianus CE 269 AE Ant 19mm 3.4g Moguntiacum mint Radiate cuirassed Victory RIC Vb 9 p373 black

 

EUGENIUS


RI Eugenius 392-394 CE AE 12mm 1.0g Aquileia SPES wreath palm Victory RIC59

[Sulla80]

This general stationed in Gaul, challenged Constantius II with his brother Magnentius. This is an unusual coin - possibly unique? with the alpha, omega, S and * all on the reverse.  I have yet to see another or a reference to this coin which is from the Lugdunum (Lyon) mint. Not listed in RIC, not in Wildwinds, .

[Orange Julius]

BUT WHAT ABOUT THE GREATEST OF THEM ALL, SPONSIANUS?!?! 😂

[Ancient Coin Hunter]

I thought I'd share a Decentius, 350-353 C.E.

Type: Bronze AE2 Weight: 5.39 g Diameter: 24.00 mm

Obverse: DN DECENTIVS CAESAR, bareheaded cuirassed bust of Decentius right

Reverse: VICTORIAE DD NN AVG ET CAE, two Victories holding shield inscribed VOT / V / MVLT X 

"Best Wishes for 5 years, continuing for 10."

Earthen patina

Edited September 2, 2024 by Ancient Coin Hunter

[maridvnvm]

I think that showing coins of Clodius Albinus as Caesar doesn't quite hit the mark as a usurper but once be called himself Augustus is a different story...

Clodius Albinus Denarius

Obv:- IMP CAES D CLO SEP ALBIN AVG, Laureate, draped and cuirassed bust right
Rev:- GEN LVG COS II, Genius of Lugdunum, standing facing, towered head left, vertical scepter in right hand, cornucopiae in left, eagle at feet to left and looking upward right
Minted in Lugdunum. November A.D. 195 to 19th February A.D. 196
Reference:- RIC 23d (R2)