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Antoninianus - Marius VIRTVS AVG, Uncertain mint
| Issuer | Gallic Empire |
|---|---|
| Year | 269 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Antoninianus (1) |
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| Obverse description | Radiate, draped, and cuirassed bust of Emperor Marius facing right, with the radiate crown characteristic of the antoninianus denomination clearly visible. The emperor is depicted with a short beard and strong facial features, wearing imperial military dress. The encircling Latin legend reads IMP C M AVR MARIVS AVG, distributed around the periphery of the flan. The portrait is rendered in the vigorous, somewhat compact style typical of the short-lived Gallic Empire usurpers. The flan is irregular in shape, as is common for struck billon antoninianii of this period. |
|---|---|
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| Edge | Plain |
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| Additional information |
Marius ruled for somewhere between two days and three months in 269 AD — ancient sources disagree, but no modern scholar argues for longer. A former blacksmith or armor-maker elevated by the troops who had just murdered Victorinus's predecessor Postumus, he was himself killed almost immediately, possibly by soldiers who recognized him from his old trade and resented taking orders from a man who had made their equipment. The brevity of the reign makes any surviving issue scarce by default, with production almost certainly confined to Cologne.