Postumus

Early aureus, HERCULI DEUSONIENSI, BM	aureus, AD 265, with reverse showing Mercury & Postumus - BM
"Festemmission" aureus,- BM	"Festemmission" aureus, - BM

Antoniniani - Trier Mint

The very first issue of this denomination by Postumus has the obverse legend IMP C M CASS LAT POSTIMVS P F AVG (NB “Postimus”) combined with two reverses, SALVS PROVINCIARVM (reclining figure of the river god) and VICTORIA AVG (Victory running left). The statement in the Cunetio report by Bland and Besley that the spelling mistake in this first obverse legend had not been noticed before before is not quite correct, though it is extremely unlikely that they would have been aware of this. During my study of Gallic Empire coins in the late 1960s/early 1970s I came across one of these coins and showed it to Carson and Kent at the British Museum, who, because of the spelling mistake and its style and fabric, were convinced that it was a contemporary forgery. I am ashamed to admit that I agreed with this assessment but would offer in my defence that at the time it was the only specimen known to me, whereas in Cunetio there were 44 coins with this legend.

Practically all subsequent issues have the obverse legend IMP C POSTVMVS P F AVG combined with a radiate draped and cuirassed bust facing right. On coins of the early issues, several include separating dots in the legend, i.e. IMP C POSTVMVS•P•F•AVG. Usually these dots are very faint and are easily overlooked. The exception to this standard obverse are some rare coins in issue 5 that have the legend POSTVMVS AVG and a portrait bust facing left, in which Postumus is shown as Hercules, bare-chested, holding a club over his right shoulder and wearing a lion skin on his left. These date to AD 267 and are probably associated with the gold aurei of the Festemission.

Bland and Besley identify seven different issues, most of them divided into smaller groups. There is no intention to emulate this pattern here and anyone interested is advised to read the Cunetio report, What follows is a summary. All but the last two of these issues are silver in appearance, but part way through the sixth issue there is a sharp decline in the silver content that ends with antoniniani of the same metallic standard as those of Gallienus.

In the table below, only the first major example of that particular type listed in Cunetio is shown, but not all the possible variations. The RIC V references are as listed, irrespective of the mint, also RIC does not include any of the obverse legends with dots so the nearest equivalent will be shown instead. Although RIC lists both draped and cuirassed and just draped busts, close examination supports the view that there are always elements of a cuirass present. RIC 289 and 305 are the only antoniniani of Postumus shown with a cuirassed bust, but no example of either has been seen during my research.

Trier Mint
Issue	Date	Obverse		Reverse		Elmer		RIC V		Cunetio
1(a)	Late 259	IMP C M CASS LAT POSTIMVS P F AVG Radiate, draped and cuirassed bust, right		SALVS PROVINCIARVM VICTORIA AVG		117 corr. 118 corr.		- -		2367 2369
1(b)	260	IMP C POSTVMVS•P•F•AVG Radiate, draped and cuirassed bust, right	HERC DEVSONIENSI SALVS PROVINCIARVM VICTORIA AVG VIRTVS AVG		124 123 125 126		cf. 64 cf. 87 cf. 89 cf. 92		2279 2372 2375 2377
1(c)	260-261	IMP C POSTVMVS•P•F•AVG or IMP C POSTVMVS P F AVG Radiate, draped and cuirassed bust, right	FIDES MILITVM HERC DEVSONIENSI LAETITIA AVG P M TR P COS II P P VICTORIA AVG		133 131 130 129 132		59 64 73 54 89		2386 2383 2385 2387 2381
2	262	IMP C POSTVMVS P F AVG Radiate, draped and cuirassed bust, right	HERCVLI MAGVSANO HERC PACIFERO IOVI PROPVGNATORI MONETA AVG MINER FAVTR NEPTVNO REDVCI P M TR P COS III P P SALVS AVG VIRTVS AVG		287 299 289 336 313 314 288 301 190		68 67 72 75 74 76 55 85 93		2394 2401 2404 2396 2398 2391 2392 2400
3	263	IMP C POSTVMVS P F AVG Radiate, draped and cuirassed bust, right	FELICITAS AVG FORTVNA REDVX (seated) HERC DEVSONIENSI (Temple) PAX AVG P M TR P IIII COS III PP PROVIDENTIA AVG SPEI PERPETVAE VICTORIA GERMANICA		335 315 316 333 332 337 312 317		58 62 66 78 57 81 88 91		2414 2408 2409 2405 2406 2412
4	263-265	IMP C POSTVMVS P F AVG Radiate, draped and cuirassed bust, right	DIANA LVCIFERAE DIANA REDVCI FIDES EXERCITVS FORTVNA AVG INTERNVTIVS DEOR MARS VICTOR MERCVRIO FELICI PIETAS AVG SAECVLO FRVGIFERO SALVS AVG SALVS EXERCITI SALVS POSTVMI AVG SERAPI COMITI AVG VIRTVS AVG		396 398 417 385 389 413 395 381 415 418 414 382 291		299 300 303 304 312 313 320 84 86 327 328 329 331		2430 2429 2432 2425 2420 2422 2419 2428 2426 2435 2433 2423 2421 2427
	266	IMP C POSTVMVS P F AVG Radiate, draped and cuirassed bust, right	PAX AVGVSTI SAECVLI FELICITAS VBERITAS AVG VBERTAS AVG VIRTVTI AVGVSTI		300 593 394 394a 390 var.		79 83 330 330 333		2438 2439 2440 2442
5(a)	267	POSTVMVS AVG Radiate, left, holding a club over shoulder and wearing a lion’s skin	HERCVLI ROMANO AVG IOVI STATORI PAX AVG P M TR P VIIII COS IIII P P		558 562 564 560		307 310 319 292		2446 2445
5(b)	267	IMP C POSTVMVS P F AVG Radiate, draped and cuirassed bust, right	HERCVLI ROMANO AVG IOVI STATORI ORIENS AVG PAX AVG P M TR P VIIII COS IIII P P RESTITVTOR GALLIAR REST GALLIAR REST ORBIS		559 563 569 565 561 587 588 592		306 309 316 318 291 82 82 324		2449 2451 2450 2445 2452
6	267-268	IMP C POSTVMVS P F AVG Radiate, draped and cuirassed bust, right	COS IIII ORIENS AVG   P |    PAX AVG    P |		586 568 566		287318 316 318		2455 2453 2454
7	268	IMP C POSTVMVS P F AVG	PACATOR ORBIS COS V IMP X COS V		599 591 597		317 288 289		2465 2461 2464

Cologne Mint
Issue	Date	Obverse	Reverse	Elmer	RIC V	Cunetio
1	267	IMP C POSTVMVS P F AVG	COL CL AGRIP COS IIII C C A A COS IIII IOVI VICTORI  C | A  IOVI VICTORI	584 585 570 571	286 285 311 311	2466 2467 2468
2	268	IMP C POSTVMVS P F AVG	P M TR P X COS V P P (Victory) P M TR P X COS V P P (Emperor)	595 596	295 294	2469 2470