Postvmvs' Top Ten for Twenty Twenty-Four

[Postvmvs]

Prepared for an onslaught of coins from the Gallic Empire?

Firstly, apologies for the photos. They are mix of seller photos and poor cellphone "in hand" shots. Resolution #1 for next year is to get a real camera, lens, et cetera and take proper photos.

It was hard for me to narrow it down to just ten coins. I haven't finished cataloging the coins acquired this year, and the year isn't fully over, but I did acquire *ahem* lets just say over a hundred coins this year... which brings me to Resolution #2 for next year: acquire fewer but higher quality coins.

10) TWO RARE DIANA MINOR VARIATIONS
Right off the bat I am going to break the "rules" and list two coins, but they are both rare minor variations of same type.

Standard Type: RICV.4# 285: DIANAE LVCIFERAE Diana walking right, holding a long-handled torch in both hands; quiver on her back
Rated C1

First variation: RICV.4# 286: DIANAE LVCIFERE Diana walking right, holding a long-handled torch in both hands; quiver on her back
Rated R1 in RICV.4, unlisted in AGK

Second variation: RICV.4# 284: DIANAE LVCIFERAE Diana walking right, holding a long-handled torch in both hands; no quiver
Rated R1 in RICV.4, unlisted in AGK

For completion: Postumus has two additional Diana types:
a) RICV.4#287: DIANAE LVCIFERE same as 286, but with the forepart of small stag running, at her feet
b) RICV.4#288: DIANAE REDVCI, Diana walking right, holding bow, leading stag
I do not own either type, but would like to someday.

9) PAX AVGVSTI

The Postumus antoninianus PAX AVG is a common type, but the same type with the expanded legend PAX AVGVSTI is much scarcer. The Cunetio hoard recorded 4 PAX AVGVSTI specimen, versus 303 PAX AVG and 511 PAX AVG with P in the field. While not an absolute rarity, where only a handful of specimens exist, in my experience most Postumus / PAX AVGVSTI have a weak strike. I was thrilled when I acquired this example with a nice strike on both sides AND great style on the portrait.

😎 ITSA ME, MARIUS!
Coins of Marius are not /rare/, but he did reign for only a short time, and they definitely sell at a premium. This is not the only Marius I acquired this year, but I chose to display this one because I liked the surfaces best. Different collectors value different things -- I am willing to overlook off-centering, ragged flan, cracks, deposits et cetera if the coin has original, honest-looking surfaces, with a nice strike and good details.

Marius - SAEC FELICITAS


7) A SLIGHT UPGRADE
Postumus - PM TRP VIIII COS IIII PP bow, club, Scythian quiver

I sometimes make bad buying decisions🙄. I bought this poor condition example of a rare Postumus reverse type.

And as it goes, less than a year later, I was able to acquire a much nicer example of the same type. While the obverse could be better, the reverse is definitely the "money side". It is wonderfully detailed with a clear cross-hatch pattern on the club and a Scythian quiver made up of points, giving it a stitched-together quality.


6) WHAT A DIFFERENCE A COLUMN MAKES
The Postumus with Providentia type is one of the most common. In the Cunetio hoard, which contained 12,991 Postumus ants, there are 538 of the PROVIDENTIA AVG with Providence standing type, making it the fifth most common type. Only MONETA AVG, HERC DEVSONIENSI, VICTORIA AVG, and FIDES MILITVM are more common. But there is a variation of the Providentia where she is leaning on a column. That's right, Malibu Stacy has a new hat! And there are 0 examples of the Providentia-leaning-on-a-column type in the Cunetio hoard!

I got this coin from group lot, which might make you think I got it for a really good price, but alas I was not the only one to recognize this rare coin. This came from a European auction with its own platform -- I wasn't familiar with it and was unclear when exactly it was going to sell, so I put in a strong pre-bid early. Then, I watched over the days as the current bid amount went up and up and up... gee, now I get the conspiracy theorists claim AH shill bidding, because sure enough the hammer was almost my maximum.

Postumus – PROVIDENTIA AVG leaning on column

5) MORE STRIKES EQUALS MORE BETTER!
As much as I am sucker Gallic Empire coins, I am also a sucker for error coins and this is a nice one. I love how far it has from the force of the striking an how clear the outer obverse legend is. The reverse is SALVS AVG with Salus standing right, feeding snake in right hand from patera held in left hand.


4) VERY RARE EARLY MARIUS-PORTRAIT OF VICTORINUS FROM TRIER
Victorinus 269 - 271 antoninianus, Trier ("Mint I"), first emission, struck 269
Obverse: IMP C M PIAVVONIVS VICTORINVS P F AVG bust of Marius, radiate, draped and cuirassed bust right
Reverse: PAX AVG Pax standing left, holding branch and sceptre. Cunetio 2513, AGK 12a (rated R3), RICV.4#498 (rated R2).

This earliest issue of Victorinus features his f-u-l-l n-a-m-e, but more interestingly has the most Marius-like portrait of any Victorinus coin. Per Bland and Besley (Cunetio), only the very first obverse die from Mint I has a Marius portrait and "all subsequent dies... bear a recognisable Victorinus portrait". In contrast, at "Mint II" (Cologne) "uncertainty over Victorinus's features lasted longer, and during this time several dozen obverse dies were cut", i.e. the Marius-influenced AEQVITAS AVG issue.

3) A GOOD MILAN POSTUMUS PORTRAIT

 

Earlier in my Postumus-collecting I shied away from the Milan mint issues for a variety of reasons: they are scarcer and sellers attribute the coins to "usurper Aureleous in the name of Postumus", making some one-coin-per-emperor collectors feel compelled to buy one, the metal is worse quality and the flans are often too short, and the portraits vary greatly in execution (think cartoonish Gallienus issues). But as I have acquired most of the easily attainable types from the main mints (Trier and Cologne), I find myself more drawn to the Milan issues, and while some portraits are not great, there are some that rival the main mint issues.

I got this coin from a dealer's independent website. I am pretty sure the dealer's photo was made on a flatbed scanner (strongly reminded me of eBay back in 1998), but the details looked strong, so I went ahead with the purchase. When I got the coin in hand I was very pleased. Other than areas of weak strike on both side, the surfaces are honest with hints of silvering, the flan is large, and above all, the style of portrait is superb!

On the collector's tag that came with the coin it notes "from a Normandy horde(sic)". I wonder if they really mean a hoard from the Normandy region of France, or could they have meant the Normanby hoard of 47,912 third century bronze coins found in 1985 and since sold on the open market?

2) MY FIRST R5 RARITY COIN
For those interested in Gallic Empire coins, I highly recommend the new RICV.4 by Jerome Mairat. One of the new types listed by Mairat is RICV.4 #216, a variation of the usual Mars with trophy reverse type, but instead of him holding a trophy over his shoulder, he instead has a long sceptre. Or at least "sceptre" is how it is charitably described in the listing, but let's be honest he's walking around with a plain old stick because he forget his trophy.

Comparing my coin to the plate coin, it is a die match for both the obverse and reverse. The R5 rating is the highest, indicating one specimen known to the author.

1) POSTUMUS SAVES THE WORLD 🌍
Postumus – REST ORBIS

Postumus, 260-269. Antoninianus 3.8g, Trier. IMP C POSTVMVS P F AVG Radiate, draped and cuirassed bust of Postumus to right. Rev. REST ORBIS Postumus, in military attire, standing right, holding long scepter with his left hand and extending his right to a female figure kneeling to left before him, holding a cornucopiae in her left hand. AGK 75. Cunetio -. Elmer 592. RICV.4 413. Rare!

I find the reverse, REST[ITVTOR] ORBIS, "restorer of the world" to be adorable for a usurper like Postumus, who never made any attempts to march on Rome. Postumus' earliest type was the much more tenable proclamation of SALVS PROVINCIARVM "welfare/safety of the provinces".

I acquired this from Numiscorner -- you may be familiar with them: high prices, terrible photographs, coins that never seem to sell. Well, I got lucky at one of biddr auctions. All the other Postumus in the same sale had opening bids above retail prices, except for one, this coin. For whatever reason, a mistake or maybe an intentional liquidation, but the opening bid was only 10EUR! I felt very lucky to win with a hammer of 290EUR, although I did have some lingering fears they would realize their "mistake" of selling a coin for a reasonable price, but everything went smoothly and now this Postumus REST ORBIS is in my grubby mutts.

Thanks for taking the time to look at my coins!

[Rand]

Congratulations!

Beatiful coins! Nice to see them as a series of the period.

[CPK]

As a generalist, I appreciate and enjoy seeing the dedication of specialist collectors. A very nice selection @Postvmvs! It's hard to pick a favorite but I love No. 7 with its beautifully crisp reverse.

[panzerman]

Your fotos are way better then mine!

I also am not very focused in collecting goals/ but I always loved the Gallic Empire coinage.  When I first saw a FDC Aureus of Laelinus in NFA catalogue/ I was fascinated by them. Postumus struck absolutely breath taking aurei.

Thanks so much for showing your coins.....

John

[Valentinian]

1 hour ago, Postvmvs said:

but the opening bid was only 10EUR! I felt very lucky to win with a hammer of 290EUR,

I am impressed by collectors who specialize enough to know when a particular coin type is worth a large premium. It impresses me even more when I think that there was not just one, but at least two collectors who specialize enough to know it was worth far more than the usual Postumus. 

I am pleased with some of mine, but not because they are rarities.

@Postvmvs noted above that this is one of the four most common types. I like it for being a reverse type unique to Postumus.
24-23 mm.3.72 grams.
HERC DEVSONIENSI
Old RIC V.II 64
Cunetio plate 29, 2383.1-3 (1088 pieces! Not rare!)
 

1 hour ago, Postvmvs said:

Postumus' earliest type was the much more tenable proclamation of SALVS PROVINCIARVM "welfare/safety of the provinces".

23 mm. 3.38 grams.
SALVS PROVINCIARVM
Note the river god is horned. The is a weak ship's prow behind his legs.
Cunetio 2372 (268 pieces)
Sear III 10991,.old RIC 329.

1 hour ago, Postvmvs said:

I find myself more drawn to the Milan issues, and while some portraits are not great, there are some that rival the main mint issues.

22-19 mm. 3.76 grams.
FIDES EQVIT
RIC V.II page 368, minor variety of #378 with "P" under the exergual line.
Cunetio 2479, plate 29, page 146.  53 very similar pieces. 

 

[Postvmvs]

@Valentinian Those are three very nice coins of Postumus!

The SALVS PROVINCIARVM type is usually poorly struck, but yours has a full flan and great detail on the river god.

[Qcumbor]

Most interesting specialized collection with top notch specimens. I like the Restitutor Orbis and the Scythian quiver best.

My Dianae Luciferae common example :

Postumus, Romano-Gallic Emperor, 260-269. Antoninianus - Cologne mint, 266 CE
IMP C POSTVMVS P F AVG Radiate, draped and cuirassed bust of Postumus to right
DIANAE LVCIFERAE Diana advancing right, holding long-handled lighted torch with both hands
Billon, 20 mm - 2.73 g - 12 h
Ref : RSC # 33, RCV # 10934, AGK (corr.) # 11, Cunetio # 2430, Elmer # 396, RIC # 299

Q

[Di Nomos]

My favourite is #5, the error coin. I like errors, they are interesting and surprisingly attractive, which yours definitely is.

[David Atherton]

Great list. I love seeing a specialist's year end favourites!

[mc9]

@Valentinian

I think your fides eqvit coin is for Aureolus.

[Sulla80]

An excellent write-up @Postvmvs.  Always fun to see the details from a specialists point of view.  I especially enjoy:

6) WHAT A DIFFERENCE A COLUMN MAKES - great catch on the unusual detail and a nice looking coin

7) A SLIGHT UPGRADE - a great looking coin that seems to recall some much older coins

and

your #1) POSTUMUS SAVES THE WORLD - for the reason you mention: the grandiosity of the claim 🙂

Thanks for posting and best wishes for 2025!

 

[Nerosmyfavorite68]

My favorite is the silvered Marius.  If I could only collect one type of Antoninianus it would be the Cologne mint series of Gallienus or the AR Ant's of Postumus.