Antoninianus, imitation - Tetricus I VIRTVS AVG

Barbarous radiates imitating Tetricus I flooded the northwestern provinces during the final years of the Gallic Empire, produced by unofficial mints — some barely more than workshops — filling a vacuum left by the collapse of regular coin supply to Britain and northern Gaul. When Aurelian reunified the empire in 274 and Tetricus surrendered at the Battle of Châlons, the official series ended abruptly. These imitations, already circulating in enormous numbers, continued to pass for decades afterward, gradually shrinking and debasing beyond any official prototype.