Antoninianus - Tetricus II Virtvs

Tetricus II was elevated to Caesar by his father Tetricus I around 272 AD, making him nominally co-ruler of the breakaway Gallic Empire in its final, desperate years. By this point the Gallic mint at Cologne — and likely auxiliary operations elsewhere — was producing antoniniani with dramatically debased silver content, sometimes barely a surface wash over bronze. The coinage of Tetricus II is consequently prone to extreme die deterioration and heavy silvering loss, meaning that well-preserved examples represent interrupted hoarding rather than careful handling.

The empire fell to Aurelian at the Battle of Châlons in 274. Both Tetricuses were captured but, unusually, spared.