twofielder

[twofielder]

Coin of the Day #442 (7/20/2025)

A nice looking provincial…

Roman Province - Phrygia

AE25 - 7.84g

Antoninus Pius 138-161 AD

Ancyra Mint

Obverse ΑΥ ΚΑΙ Τ ΑΙΛΟC ΑΝΤΩΝΕΙΝΟC

Head of Antoninus Pius right

Reverse ΕΠΙ ΛΙΚΙΝΙΟΥ ΑΡΧ ΑΝΚΥΡΑΝΩΝ

Zeus standing left, holding anchor and long sceptre

RPC IV 1722

[twofielder]

Coin of the Day #441 (7/19/2025)

My big recent acquisition! An incredibly rare issue of the usurper Macrianus Minor with a previously unknown obverse die.

Roman Province - Pisidia

AE21 - 4.49g

Macrianus Minor 260-261 AD

Antioch Mint

Obverse IMP CAE T FOL ION MACPIANOS

Bust of Macrianus right, radiate, draped, cuirassed, from behind

Reverse ANTIOCHI CL S R

Vexillum topped by eagle, flanked by standards

RPC X 63358

You’re also going to get a ton of info about this one!

For historical context (basic info, mostly from Wikipedia tbh): Roman emperor Valerian was captured in 260 AD at the Battle of Edessa during his campaign against the Sassanids and Shapur I. Valerian’s son and co-emperor, Gallienus, was alive and well but occupied by revolts in the eastern part of empire. With the lawful sole emperor distracted, one of Valerian’s fiscal officers, Fulvius Macrianus, took control in the west as the remnants of the Roman army successfully drove back the Sassanids. Fulvius Macrianus was not able to assume the purple because a deformity in one of his legs, but had his two sons (Macrianus Minor and Quietus) elevated to the throne. This usurpation managed to gain recognition throughout much of Egypt, Syria, and Asia Minor for nearly a year. Macrianus Major and Minor would later march to Rome to take control of the whole empire but they were defeated by Gallienus’s forces in Thrace in 261 AD. Quietus, soon after the loss of his father and brother, lost control of the local provinces who now favored Palmyrene king Septimius Odaenathus. Quietus was besieged by the Palmyrene king after he fled to Emesa Syria, where he was killed by its inhabitants.

Despite their usurpation lasting just over a year and the wide area that recognized them to some degree, only a few mints issued coins in the names of Macrianus Minor and Quietus. These are the imperial mints previously held by Valerian in Antioch Syria and Samosata, the mint for the Egyptian province in Alexandria, and the civic mints in Antioch (Pisidia), Heraclea Pontica and Nicaea (Bithynia).

This coin is a new discovery! Previously there was only one known obverse die of Macrianus used in Antioch Pisidia. This new die appears to be the first die used of Macrianus as it is paired with a reverse used with Valerian issues while the later die is sometimes paired with a reverse used in Gallienus’s sole reign.

This discovery is a huge piece of evidence for those trying to arrange issues of Valerian and Gallienus from Antioch Pisidia (me). Though I already assumed it to be true based on stylistic similarities to sole reign issues of Gallienus, the Valerian obverse that shares a reverse die with this coin can now be dated with good confidence to the very end of Valerian’s reign, c. 260 AD.

Here’s a chart of the die pairings of Macrianus and related issues of Valerian and Gallienus. Arrows represent a known die pairing, red arrows represent die pairings that I own an example of. The numbering of the obverse dies (Macrianus 1, Gallienus 11, etc.) is not a reference to anything, just an arbitrary numbering for my notes. Known pairings are sourced from Oxford’s Roman Provincial Coinage project, Krzyzanowksa’s Monnaies coloniales d’Antioche de Pisidie, and my personal collection.

Oddly, there are no known coins of Quietus from Antioch Pisidia. This is the only mint that issued coins for Macrianus but none for Quietus. Are there some out there waiting to be discovered? Maybe not. This mint rarely issued coins for more than one ruler at a time after the Severan period, even if there were co-emperors. It doesn’t appear that Antioch Pisidia ever issued coins of Gallienus during his joint reign with Valerian based on die marriages. That is, except for ONE coin (RPC X unassigned, ID 85148) which has a reverse that is also paired with an obverse of Valerian. Though to add some confusion and doubt to this one coin, that Gallienus obverse was primarily used in Iconium Lycaonia (an adjacent city allied with Antioch Pisidia).

[twofielder]

Coin of the Day #440 (7/18/2025)

A new highlight of my Antioch Pisidia collection. I love this reverse!

Roman Province - Pisidia

AE24 - 6.85g

Volusian 251-253 AD

Antioch Mint

Obverse IMP C VIMP GALVSSIANO AVG

Bust of Volusian right, radiate, draped, cuirassed, from behind

Reverse ANTIOCHI OCLA S R

Volusian standing left, head right, holding standard and sceptre, two standards right

RPC IX 1297

[twofielder]

I bought a coin in an auction a few weeks ago that ended up being the highest price I’ve paid for a single coin. It MIGHT get delivered tomorrow. 😱

I’m very ready to see it in hand.

[twofielder]

Coin of the Day #439 (7/17/2025)

Let’s have another big Cilician bronze today…

Roman Province - Cilicia

AE34 - 25.67g

Philip I 244-249 AD

Tarsus Mint

Obverse ΑΥΤ ΚΑΙ ΙΟΥ ΦΙΛΙΠΠΟC ΕΥΤ ΕΥC CΕ Π Π

Bust of Philip I right, radiate, draped, cuirassed, from behind

Reverse ΤΑΡCΟΥ ΜΗΤΡΟΠΟΛΕΩC Α Μ Κ Γ Β

Artemis standing right, drawing arrow from quiver and holding bow

RPC VIII 3269

[twofielder]

Coin of the Day #438 (7/16/2025)

Doesn’t look like much, but certainly a fun one to attribute!

Roman Province - Cilicia

AE31 - 14.61g

Herennius Etruscus as Caesar 250-251 AD

Mallus Mint

Obverse HEREN ETRVSC MES DECIVM CAES

Bust of Herennius Etruscus right, radiate, draped, cuirassed, from front

Reverse MALLO COLONIA

Fortuna seated on rock left, holding ear of corn, vexillum inscribed S C left and right, two river gods at feet

RPC IX 1434

[twofielder]

Coin of the Day #437 (7/15/2025)

An oddball Roman, listed in RIC as a mule but maybe an imitation…

Roman Empire

BI Antoninianus - 22mm 2.53g

Gordian III mule with reverse of Volusian 251-253 AD

Antioch Mint (though maybe imitative)

Obverse IMP GORDIANVS PIVS FEL AVG

Bust of Gordian III right, radiate, draped, cuirassed

Reverse CONCORDIA AVGG

Concordia seated left, holding patera and double cornucopiae

RIC IV 244

[twofielder]

Coin of the Day #436 (7/14/2025)

Actually I got two really nice Gallienus coins…

Roman Empire

AR Antoninianus - 20mm 2.30g

Gallienus 259 AD

Mediolanum Mint

Obverse IMP GALLIENVS P AVG

Head of Gallienus right, radiate

Reverse P M TR P VII COS

Gallienus seated left, holding globe and sceptre, MS below

RIC V 311, Göbl 1340

[twofielder]

Coin of the Day #435 (7/13/2025)

Picked up this really nice Gallienus recently…

Roman Empire

BI Antoninianus - 23mm 4.91g

Gallienus 260-268 AD

Rome Mint

Obverse GALLIENVS AVG

Head of Gallienus right, radiate

Reverse AETERNITAS AVG

Sol standing left, raising hand and holding globe, Γ left

RIC V 160, Göbl 577

[twofielder]

Coin of the Day #434 (7/12/2025)

Late night post = Late Roman bronze

Roman Empire

AE21 - 5.12g

Theodosius I 392-395 AD

Nicomedia Mint

Obverse D N THEODOSIVS P F AVG

Bust of Theodosius I right, pearl-diademed, draped, cuirassed

Reverse GLORIA ROMANORVM

Emperor standing front, holding standard and globe, SMNA mint

RIC IX 46A

[twofielder]

Coin of the Day #433 (7/11/2025)

An oddball provincial…

Roman Province - Sarmatia

AE26 - 7.20g

High Priest Al… Late 1st Century AD

Olbia Mint

Obverse ΟΛΒΙΟΠΟΛΕΙ

Head of Apollo right, laureate, countermarks: winged caduceus (GIC 390) and Δ (GIC 787)

Reverse ΑΡΧ ΑΛ

Eagle on dolphin right

RPC II 490

[twofielder]

Coin of the Day #432 (7/10/2025)

From the coins I wish were in better condition so I could appreciate the design…

Roman Province - Cilicia

AE36 - 27.54g

Maximinus I Thrax 235-238 AD

Tarsus Mint

Obverse ΑΥΤ Κ Γ ΙΟΥ ΟΥΗ ΜΑΞΙΜΕΙΝΟC CΕ Π Π

Bust of Maximinus I right, laureate, draped, cuirassed, from behind

Reverse ΤΑΡCΟΥ ΜΗΤΡ Α Μ Κ Γ Β

Hygieia standing right, feeding serpent from patera, Asclepius standing left, holding serpent-staff, small Telesphorus standing front between them

RPC VI 7099

[twofielder]

Coin of the Day #431 (7/9/2025)

Another Syrian bronze for today…

Roman Province - Syria

AE25 - 12.04g

Hadrian 117-138 AD

Chalcis ad Belum Mint

Obverse ΑΥΤΟΚΡ ΚΑΙC ΤΡΑΙΑΝΟC ΑΔΡΙΑΝΟC

Head of Hadrian right, laureate, drapery on shoulder

Reverse ΦΛ ΧΑΛΚΙΔΕWΝ ΚΕ

In laurel wreath

RPC III 3472

[twofielder]

Coin of the Day #430 (7/8/2025)

A chunky Antoninus Pius…

Roman Province - Syria

AE22 - 7.65g

Antoninus Pius 138-161 AD

Hierapolis Mint

Obverse ΑΥΤΟ ΚΑΙ ΤΙΤ ΑΙΛ ΑΔΡΙ ΑΝΤWΝΕΙΝΟC CΕΒ ΕΥCΕ

Head of Antoninus Pius right, laureate

Reverse ΘΕΑC CΥΡΙΑC ΙΕΡΟΠΟ …

In laurel wreath

RPC IV ?

[twofielder]

Coin of the Day #429 (7/7/2025)

A late Byzantine for today…

Byzantine Empire

AE Follis - 22mm 3.92g

Class I Anonymous (Attributed to Nikephoros III) 1078-1081 AD

Constantinople Mint

Obverse IC XC

Bust of Christ front, nimbate, right hand raised, holding book of Gospels

Reverse Latin cross with X at center, globe and two dots at ends of each arm, crescent at top left and right, floral ornaments at lower left and right

SB 1889

[twofielder]

seething rn. lmao

Not to brag but...

...I have both halves (1575 Hungarian Denier)

[twofielder]

Coin of the Day #428 (7/6/2025)

I don’t get many Nervas so of course I got half of one…

Roman Empire

Cut AE As - 26mm 5.91g

Nerva 97 AD

Rome Mint

Obverse IMP NERVA CAES AVG P M TR P II COS III P P

Head of Nerva right, laureate

Reverse CONCORDIA EXERCITVVM S C

Clasped hands

RIC II 95