Regalianus, usurper, 260. Antoninianus (Silver, 20 mm, 2.76 g, 12 h), Carnuntum. IM[P] C P C RE[GA]LIANVS AVG Radiate, draped and cuirassed bust of Regalian to right. Rev. ORIENS AVGG Sol standing front, head to left, raising his right hand in salute and holding whip in his left. MIR 1713f (same dies) RIC 7. Extremely rare. An attractive example with clear details and a mostly readable name. Somewhat double struck and porous, and with the ususal traces of overstriking and a flan crack, otherwise, very fine.
Regalianus was a Roman general who made his bid for power after Valerian I was captured by the Sasanians in 260. His base was Carnuntum on the Danube, from where he operated with some success against the Sarmatians before being slain by his own troops. Regalian's extremely rare coinage was struck in great haste: the style of his few known dies is very crude, and all of his antoniniani have been overstruck on earlier coins - in the case of our example, on a denarius of Septimius Severus