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Search Advanced Search Search By Coin ID     Home ANCIENT/BYZANTINE Ancient Spain (872) Byzantine (753) MEDIEVAL/EARLY WORLD Germany (30) MODERN WORLD COUNTERFEITS AND IMITATIONS   Submit New Coin(s)   Sponsors page Terms of Service Contact Us About Us FAQ Page Coin Detail Click here to see enlarged image. ID:     24-185      [UNVERIFIED] Type:     Roman Imperial Issuer:     Hostilian Date Ruled:     A.D. 251 Metal:     Gold Denomination:     Aureus Struck / Cast:     struck Date Struck:     AD circa 251 Weight:     3.57 g Obverse Legend:     G VALE QVT M OSTILIAN N C Obverse Description:     Laureate and draped bust right Reverse Legend:     PROVIDENTIA AVG Reverse Description:     Providentia standing left, holding globe in right hand and sceptre in left Mint:     Rome Primary Reference:     RIC - Reference2:     Vagi 2214 Reference3:     Calico 3320 Photograph Credit:     Numismatic Ars Classica NAC AG Source:     http://www.arsclassicacoins.com/ Price Sold For:     32000 Swiss Franc Date Sold:     12/5/02 Notes:     NAC Auction 24, Lot 185 RIC -, cf. p. 144, footnote to 181 (this obverse die) and pl. 13, 11 (aureus of Trebonianus Gallus, this reverse die). C -. Leu 45, 1988, 368 = NAC 5, 1992, 592 = Sotheby's 5.7.1995, 156 sales (these dies). Of the highest rarity, only the second specimen known of this extremely interesting issue struck under Trebonianus Gallus and utilising one of his reverse die. A very appealing and unusual portrait, extremely fine Ex NAC sale 15, 1999, 441. This coin illustrates the great confusion into which the Rome mint, or at least the precious metal section, had fallen during the outbreak of plague which was ravaging the empire at this time. Hybrids are common, with early obverses of Decius, for example, being found with late reverses of Gallus. The reverse belongs to the first, brief (say, June 51) issue of Gallus aug. and Hostilian caes., Volusian not yet being caes. The laureate obverse indicates that a die had been prepared for Hostilian aug. (with which would have been associated dies for Volusian caes., RIC 129-130), but the legend is stuck half-way between his style as Caesar and a tentative one as Augustus, and is moreover in composition absolutely irregular, even though the letters themselves are perfectly normal, since (a) "Hostilian's" cognomen was Quintus, cf. sestertius RIC 222, QVINTO FELIX, and his style usually a form of C. Val. Host. Mes. Quintus, HOSTILIAN, and still less, MOSTILIAN, being unacceptable, (b) the contractions for VALENS are VAL. or VALES, not VALE ("farewell") and (c) C. (Gaius) is never written as here, G, i.e., as pronounced. The legend is therefore no more than incompetent apprentice work as arranged, applied with normal letter punches to a die properly prepared with a portrait of Hostilian Augustus.

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