Antoninianus - Tetricus I PAX AVG; Barbarous imitation

Barbarous radiates imitating Tetricus I flooded the northwestern provinces in the years following the collapse of the Gallic Empire in 274 AD, when Aurelian's reintegration disrupted local coin supply without immediately replacing it. These copies — struck from improvised dies by non-official hands — filled a genuine transactional void, particularly in Britain and northern Gaul where official coinage moved slowly. The PAX AVG type was among the most frequently imitated, its simple reverse making it easy to approximate.

At 1.38g, this piece sits at the lighter end of the barbarous radiate spectrum, consistent with progressive weight reduction as copyists worked further from any official standard.