Antoninianus - Tetricus II SALVS AVGG; Barbarous imitation

Barbarous radiates imitating Tetricus II circulated across the northwestern provinces in enormous quantities after the collapse of the Gallic Empire in 274 AD, filling a vacuum left when legitimate coinage failed to penetrate rural Britain and northern Gaul in sufficient volume. The SALVS AVGG type was among the most copied, its relatively simple reverse making it an easy model for local die-cutters working without official sanction. At 1.15 g, this piece sits at the lighter end of the imitative range — progressive die degradation and metal shortages pushed these copies progressively smaller through the late third century.