the last affordable sestertius

[Nerosmyfavorite68]

I finally picked up a nice example of the last affordable sestertius, that of Aurelian.  It came from my favorite dealer.  There was a rare goof/accident. It was really nicely packed and boxed, but the Aurelian somehow came out of the mini-flip (I don't know how) and it was under the tape.  There doesn't seem to be any harm, however.

I wasn't looking for an Aurelian sestertius - it was just an opportunity buy. I only had a grotty example. There's some slight crustiness, but the coin has a nice, variegated olive green patina.

Aurelian. 270-275 AD. AE Sestertius (8.22g, 27mm). Rome mint. Struck 275 AD. Obv.: IMP AVRELIANVS AVG, laureate and cuirassed bust right. Rev.: CONCORDIA AVG, Aurelian and Severina clasping hands; in field above them, radiate head of Sol. RIC 80 (As); MIR 145d0; BN 299-300 (As).

The next time was something which I wouldn't have anticipated buying; an Antioch Antoninianus of Valerian.  I don't buy a lot of Valerian Ant's (maybe 3 or 4 in 30 years), and I really dislike the Antioch mint of the time, with the bug-eyed portraits.  The reverse toning looked intriguing in the picture, and in person both sides have nice toning.

Valerian I. 253-260 AD. AR Antoninianus (3.53g, 21mm). Antioch mint. Struck 257 AD. Obv.: IMP VALERIANVS AVG, radiate, draped and cuirassed bust right. Rev.: P M TR P V COS IIII P P, Valerian and Gallienus standing facing each other, holding shields between them; two upright spears behind. RIC 277; RSC 169; Göbl 1598a. Flatness, gVF.

Herennia Etruscilla, Augusta. 249-251 AD. AR Antoninianus (4.24g, 24mm). Rome mint. Struck 250 AD. Obv.: HER ETRVSCILLA AVG, diademed and draped bust right on crescent. Rev.: PVDICITIA AVG, Pudicitia, veiled, seated left, with right hand drawing veil and holding transverse sceptre in left hand. RIC 59b (Trajan Decius); Cohen 19. gVF.

 

Feel free to post any post-Gallienus sestertii.

[Molag Bal]

Nice buys Nero. I don't have any post Gallienus sestertii so nothing to show on my end. The toning on that Valerian looks spectacular! 

[CPK]

Nice, I've always wanted to add one of those Aurelian AE's to my collection (is it an as or sestertius?)

Edited November 19, 2024 by CPK

[Nerosmyfavorite68]

It's most likely a reduced sestertius.  An as (1/32 Antoninianus) would have made no sense, at that point.

[Ryro]

Excellent portrait of one of my top 5 Augustii, intriguing reverse, floating severed head, sprinkled with deposits of find dirt, ooh, and that green patina. This coin checks a lot of my boxes. BIG CONGRATS Nero!

I very recently just finished listening to this biography on the life and times of THE restorer of the world on audible and highly recommend it. 

[wuntbedruv]

4 hours ago, Nerosmyfavorite68 said:

I finally picked up a nice example of the last affordable sestertius, that of Aurelian.  It came from my favorite dealer.  There was a rare goof/accident. It was really nicely packed and boxed, but the Aurelian somehow came out of the mini-flip (I don't know how) and it was under the tape.  There doesn't seem to be any harm, however.

I wasn't looking for an Aurelian sestertius - it was just an opportunity buy. I only had a grotty example. There's some slight crustiness, but the coin has a nice, variegated olive green patina.

Aurelian. 270-275 AD. AE Sestertius (8.22g, 27mm). Rome mint. Struck 275 AD. Obv.: IMP AVRELIANVS AVG, laureate and cuirassed bust right. Rev.: CONCORDIA AVG, Aurelian and Severina clasping hands; in field above them, radiate head of Sol. RIC 80 (As); MIR 145d0; BN 299-300 (As).

The next time was something which I wouldn't have anticipated buying; an Antioch Antoninianus of Valerian.  I don't buy a lot of Valerian Ant's (maybe 3 or 4 in 30 years), and I really dislike the Antioch mint of the time, with the bug-eyed portraits.  The reverse toning looked intriguing in the picture, and in person both sides have nice toning.

Valerian I. 253-260 AD. AR Antoninianus (3.53g, 21mm). Antioch mint. Struck 257 AD. Obv.: IMP VALERIANVS AVG, radiate, draped and cuirassed bust right. Rev.: P M TR P V COS IIII P P, Valerian and Gallienus standing facing each other, holding shields between them; two upright spears behind. RIC 277; RSC 169; Göbl 1598a. Flatness, gVF.

Herennia Etruscilla, Augusta. 249-251 AD. AR Antoninianus (4.24g, 24mm). Rome mint. Struck 250 AD. Obv.: HER ETRVSCILLA AVG, diademed and draped bust right on crescent. Rev.: PVDICITIA AVG, Pudicitia, veiled, seated left, with right hand drawing veil and holding transverse sceptre in left hand. RIC 59b (Trajan Decius); Cohen 19. gVF.

 

Feel free to post any post-Gallienus sestertii.

Great coin.

How rare are these aurelian sestertii?

[Nerosmyfavorite68]

Not too rare.

[Qcumbor]

Even though it's disputed to know whether the following is a dupondius or a double sestertius, the comparison with the OP sestertius (8,22 gr) leads me to conclude at a double sestertius :

Aurelian and Severina, Double sestertius - Rome mint, 274-275 CE
IMP AVRELIANVS AVG, radiate and cuirassed bust of Aurelian right
SEVERINA AVG, diademed and draped bust of Severina right, on crescent
11.18 gr
Ref : Cohen # 1, RIC # 2, RCV # 11696

Q

[rasiel]

6 hours ago, Qcumbor said:

Even though it's disputed to know whether the following is a dupondius or a double sestertius, the comparison with the OP sestertius (8,22 gr) leads me to conclude at a double sestertius :

Aurelian and Severina, Double sestertius - Rome mint, 274-275 CE
IMP AVRELIANVS AVG, radiate and cuirassed bust of Aurelian right
SEVERINA AVG, diademed and draped bust of Severina right, on crescent
11.18 gr
Ref : Cohen # 1, RIC # 2, RCV # 11696

Q

I agree. These served as "monetary anchors" to justify the hyperinflation of the ants. As the state was caught between the need to keep a semblance of economic normality and the stark reality of an exhausted treasury, they produced a limited run of these frankly anachronistic coins to basically paper over the financial crisis. The very limited production of these nominally lesser valuable sestertii was an effort to lessen the risk of a total loss of confidence in the base coinage, the "people's money" as it were. Even though they were disbursed as sestertii, or even double sestertii (it's actually almost irrelevant), it's almost certainly the case that they traded at the marketplace for the same value as vintage asses. In any case, to what extent the masses didn't see through this fiction is hard to tell but the fact that Aurelian ended up a popular emperor, and the ant went on to live for another generation, should lead us to think that whatever the measures they took it was successful enough to prevent a total collapse.

It's interesting to note that there are parallels even to the present day. Like Aurelian's mints, our own government pumps out a deluge of basically worthless pennies. Except for the occasional Boomer who isn't aware or doesn't mind pissing off the cashier and the line of people behind at the grocery, these coins rarely see the purpose they were designed for and today mostly end up in jars or thrown out. It's a government expense taken to in a very literal sense distract you from the fact that our dollar is a depreciating asset. Hell, the very fact that they're not even copper is all the proof you need of this conceit. And, like back in the day of Aurelian, we mostly just go along with it without much more than the occasional grumble.

Rasiel

[Nerosmyfavorite68]

Cool!  A double sestertius.  I've had a highly tooled one, for many years.

One wonders how long the double sestertii of Postumus circulated.  Some of those have at least 40 or 50 years of wear.