Postumus, Romano-Gallic Emperor, 260-269. Antoninianus (Billon, 19 mm, 2.68 g, 1 h), barbarous imitation, Gaul, struck after 263 and prior to circa 271. [...]VS AV (blundered). Radiate, draped and cuirassed bust of Postumus to right. Rev. AVAV[...] (blundered). Pax advancing left, holding branch in right hand and scepter in left. Cf. Cohen 1. S. Estiot, Probus et les 'tyrans minuscules' Proculus et Bonosus. Que dit la monnaie?, in: Historiae Augustae. Colloquium Nanceiense, Vol. XII, Bari 2014, p. 221, fig. 11-13 (same obverse die, but differing reverse die) and RIC -, cf. pl. XX, 15 (same obverse die). An interesting and well preserved example. Professionally cleand by the late Markus R. Weder. Struck on a short flan as usual and with some weakness on the reverse, otherwise, very fine.


This is a particularly interesting issue as it has been at the center of a debate about the usurper Bonosus for over a century. In 280, Bonosus proclaimed himself Roman emperor in Cologne, together with Proculus, but he quickly committed suicide after a devastating defeat against Probus. Based upon a misreading of the obverse legend, several authors in the past suggested that this issue was, in fact, struck by Bonosus. In 1988, following this theory, Numismatic Fine Arts even offered such an example for sale (NFA XX, 9-10 March 1988, 440, estimated at 8'000-10'000 USD but unsold). There is, however, little doubt that S. Estiot was correct in refusing this idea based upon style and technique. Her strongest argument against such an attribution comes, however, from the Malicorne hoard of 1050 coins: with a closing date of circa 270/1, it included six imitations that share the obverse die with our specimen. The hoard therefore serves as a tempus ante quem for the issue, making an attribution to Bonosus impossible. We can safely assume that it is a simple 'barbarous' Postumus, but quite likely the 'barbarous' imitation with the most interesting history in the modern era!