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Bronze Antoninianus - Æ 14 wide & 16 high - 4 grams - Die axis 06:00.
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1. |
[IMP C TETRI]CVS PF AVG (Imperator Caius Tetricus Pius Felix (Pious and Happy) Augustus).
Emperor, bearded and cuirassed, facing right, wearing the radiate crown. Comparison is made on basis of the very well cut bust and the 'Gallic' beard. What is left of the lettering is 'CVS' making it a Tetricus.
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2. |
HILARITAS AVGG (Hilaritas Augustii - Cheerfulness / Lightheartedness of the Augustii).
Goddess, in Stola, standing full front facing left. Holding large palm leaf in right hand and (probably) cornucopiae in her left. Possibly child at her side.
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In reality this coin's obverse is even better ... In my humble opinion a beautiful cut
obverse with nice detail. Therefore making it almost easily identifiable if we hadn't had
a bit more or better lettering.
Stephen Minnoch informed me that : "All the common Gallic emperors are bearded.
But they all have quite distinctive portraits, at least after the start of their reign. I
recognise here the later portrait of Tetricus, probably late AD 273-274. In his earliest ones he
looks like Victorinus. I think the type is from his main mint, which was possibly at Treveri
(Trier). The AVGG point sit to be from among the last issues of his reign. My feeling is
that yours is an official issue, but contemporary copies are numerous" ... The Hilaritas type
holding branch and cornucopia only occurs (officially) for Tetricus out of all the Gallo-Roman
emperors".
Obv. : Very good of what is left - Rev. : Good if better cleaned.
Coin is reverse egg-shaped - The whole rim seems torn off - Thick feel. |
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