Ancient imitations of Roman coins of Trajan Decius (AD 249-251) and Trebonianus Gallus (AD 251-253)

    Imitations from this period are uncommon. It was probably becoming harder to profit from making silver-plated coins when the official pieces were alredy rather low in silver content.

Trajan Decius (AD 249-251)
brass radiate Trajan Decius/DACIA  21 mm.  5:30.  3.89 grams
Yellow brass, without traces of silver. Worn looking, perhaps a cast. However, the edge shows no seam.
IMP C M Q TRAIANVS DECIVS AVG
    /DACIA, Dacia standing holding staff with "draco" military standard.
RIC 12b, page 121, "249-251".

Trajan Decius fourreofficial Trajan Decius/DACIA
21 mm. 12:00. 2.14 grams. Remarkably thin fourre.                                Its prototype.
IMP [C M Q TRAI]ANVS DECIVS AVG
    /DACIA, Dacia standing holding staff with "draco" military standard.
Prototype: RIC 12b, page 121, "249-251".  AR22.  6:00.

small imitation Trajan Decius  19-18 mm.  6:00. 2.16 grams
Hybrid. Distinctly small. Little silver remains, but clearly fourre.
IMP C M Q TRAIANVS DECIVS AVG
    /VIRTVS AVGG, Virtus standing right holding vertical spear behind
Reverse type of Philip II or Treboniainus Gallus, but not Decius.
Prier IV (6/26/1998) lot 310 was from the same dies, and the same size. It was a very similar coin but for the weight.
 

Trebonianus Gallus (AD 251-253)
large flan imitation Gallus  24 mm. 12:00. 3.36 grams
A larger (!) flan than the official pieces, but thin.
IMP C C VIB TREB GALLVS AVG    (poorly struck, so it is hard to read, but it is there)
    /female figure seated left holding out arm with ? and vertical sceptre
    /legned illegible, maybe with VI and ending AVG
A common obverse legend of Gallus.

Treb Gallus, PAX AETERNA  20 mm. 5:30. 3.53 grams.
Legend correct but lettering unevenly formed -- clearly irregular, but a very nice example.
IMP C C VIB TREB GALLVS AVG
    /PAX AETERNA, Pax standing left holding olive branch and sceptre (or cornucopiae)
Prototype:  Sear 2788. RIC 71, page 166, "mint of Milan" undated 251-253. 

T G   20 mm. 5:30. 3.38 grams.
 IMP C C VIB TREB GALLVS AVG
   /PIETAS AVG, Pietas standing, raising both hands. Altar at feet left.
Prototype:  Sear 3.9242 (no photo), RIC 72 (Milan) page 166, plate 13.16. 

    Gallus is pretty late for silver-plated imitations. The profit must have been diminishing -- there was less and less silver in the official coins!

Return to the page on third-century imitations.

Return to the main page on ancient Roman imitations.