Postumus Antoninianus RIC V Postumus 318

Monetary Context and Imperial Policy

The establishment of the Gallic Empire in AD 260 by Postumus occurred against a backdrop of deep structural strain across the Roman monetary apparatus. Under the central reign of Gallienus, double denarii (antoniniani) suffered steep reductions in both weight and silver purity. Seeking to legitimize his regime and secure the loyalty of the Rhine legions, Postumus initiated a monetary reform in Gaul that prioritized quality. The billon antoniniani struck at the opening of his reign contained noticeably superior silver contents, often exceeding fifteen to twenty percent fine silver, alongside an average striking weight centered near three grams. RIC V Postumus 318 represents an essential vehicle for this policy, maintaining high standards of metallurgic integrity before progressive economic pressures compelled later debasements toward the end of the 260s AD.

Mint Organization and Production Techniques

Postumus established primary minting operations in the northern provinces, initially identified by modern numismatists as Cologne and Trier (frequently designated as Mint I and Mint II in corpus studies). RIC V Postumus 318 is traditionally catalogued under Cologne, though modern studies by Georg Elmer and subsequent revisions by Jerome Mairat demonstrate that workshops operated with flexible staffing and transferred dies. Production relied on high-relief engraving, well-annealed billon planchets, and manual striking with heavy hammers. The dies for RIC V Postumus 318 show high stylistic consistency, characterized by a naturalistic portrait style and clean epigraphy, reflecting the employment of experienced engravers diverted from imperial administrative facilities.

Obverse Iconography and Attributes

The obverse of RIC V Postumus 318 displays the mature portrait of Postumus facing right, wearing the radiate solar crown indicative of the double-denarius denomination. In accordance with catalogued variations of this type, the imperial bust is represented either as draped or as both draped and cuirassed. Postumus is characterized by a full, neatly trimmed square beard, prominent facial features, and pronounced hair curls, conveying a deliberate image of mature military competence and classical Roman dignity. The die cutters avoided the hyper-stylized forms seen in later third-century radiates, offering instead a solid and dignified physical presence that reinforced imperial gravitas.

Reverse Iconography and Political Symbolism

The reverse iconography of RIC V Postumus 318 illustrates Pax, the personification of peace, standing turned toward the left. She is draped in long classical garments, holding an extended olive branch in her raised right hand and cradling a tall vertical sceptre in her left arm. In the political climate of the 260s AD, this imagery presented an explicit programmatic statement: peace achieved and maintained through military vigilance along the Rhine and internal order across Gaul, Britain, and Hispania. Pax did not denote passive tranquility but victorious resolution, promising security to provincial populations exhausted by Germanic incursions and civil division.

Epigraphy and Legend Structure

The legends on RIC V Postumus 318 are straightforward, cleanly executed, and free of extraneous workshop control marks. The obverse reads IMP C POSTVMVS P F AVG, abbreviating 'Imperator Caesar Postumus Pius Felix Augustus', a formula asserting lawful constitutional authority equal to that of the Roman Senate and people. The reverse legend reads PAX AVG, shortening 'Pax Augusti' (the Peace of the Augustus). The lettering is regular, with well-formed serifs and standard Roman third-century letter forms, lacking field marks, letters, or exergual symbols on the standard catalogued entry for this base type.

Typology and Chronological Classification

While Roman Imperial Coinage Volume V assigned RIC V Postumus 318 broadly across the entire reign (AD 260 to 269), specialized studies have situated the issue within specific emission sequences. Georg Elmer placed the primary PAX AVG series among the core intermediate issues of the Cologne workshop around AD 265 to 268, distinguishing earlier heavy-flan radiates from later reduced specimens. Later re-evaluations, including work on the Cunetio hoard and systematic analyses of Gallic hoards, align this type with sustained regular issues produced to maintain soldier pay and bureaucratic expenditure. Minor stylistic variations in bust drapery and the angle of the sceptre distinguish early dies from late production runs.

Hoard Evidence and Circulation Range

Antoniniani of the RIC V Postumus 318 type circulated widely throughout the western territories under Gallic imperial jurisdiction, including northern and southern Gaul, Britain, and the Germanies, with occasional penetration into northern Italy and the Iberian peninsula. Extensive numbers have been recorded in major hoards such as the Cunetio and Normanby deposits in Britain, as well as continental French and German finds. Due to its superior early alloy, the coinage of Postumus was frequently hoarded in preference to the severely degraded radiates of Gallienus and Claudius II, remaining in circulation alongside official central issues well into the 270s AD before being demonetized during the Aurelianic monetary adjustments.

References

1. The Cunetio Treasure: Roman Coinage of the Third Century AD. pp. 35-48
2. Die Kleinsilbermünzen von Noricum bis zum Ende der gallischen Sonderreichszeit. Bonner Jahrbücher 146
3. The Post-Reform Antoniniani of Postumus. British Museum Occasional Papers
4. Online Coins of the Roman Empire: RIC V Postumus 318. ric.5.post.318
5. The Roman Imperial Coinage, Volume V, Part II. p. 362, no. 318