Aurelian, 270-275. Antoninianus (Bronze, 21 mm, 3.42 g, 5 h),

Aurelian, 270-275. Antoninianus (Bronze, 21 mm, 3.42 g, 5 h), Antiochia, May-June 272. IMP C AVBLLIANVS (sic!) AVG Radiate, draped and cuirassed bust of Aurelian to left, raising his right hand in salute and holding globe in his left. Rev. APOLLI SALVT Apollo standing front, head to left, holding branch in his right hand and resting his left on lyre set on ground. Cohen -. Gysen -. RIC -. RIC V online -. Apparently unpublished and of great historical interest, with a hitherto unrecorded bust and reverse type for Aurelian. Minor weakness and some deposits and with a small scratch on the obverse, otherwise, very fine.


From a European collection, formed before 2005.

The discovery of this piece is very exciting, for it shows a hitherto unrecorded bust type and a new reverse type for Aurelian. The coin belongs to the earliest, faulty emission of antoniniani struck after the recapture of Antioch from Zenobia and Vabalathus in the early summer 272. Inspired by coins from Cyzicus issued by Claudius Gothicus and Quintillus (RIC V online 889, 893 and 1263), the obverse shows Aurelian holding a globe and raising his right hand - the so-called gestus imperatorius, representing the emperor addressing his victorious troops. On the other hand, the reverse mixes a new legend with Claudius' SALVS AVG reverse showing Apollo.

Other faulty coins from this emission include an equally odd antoninianus with Aurelian in a quadriga on the reverse (RIC V online 3135) known in two examples: these coins have similarly blundered legends and are also of rather clumsy style. RIC V online suggests that they may represent trial strikes ('offstrikes') for aurei (or biniones) intended to be handed out to the army to celebrate the first decisive Roman victory after years of military disasters, namely the defeat of Zenobia and Vabalathus, which marked the first step in Aurelian's restitutio orbis. However, no gold coins of these types have yet come to light. Perhaps the dies were considered to be too poorly made to be of use, and/or they were soon replaced when Aurelian's court set up a more comprehensive iconographical strategy centered around the RESTITVT ORBIS-types.