The Roman Empire
Domitian


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Coin Details

  

Set Details
Coin Description:
Grade: NGC MS Strike: 4/5 Surface: 4/5
Owner: Kohaku
 
Set Category: Ancients
Set Name: The Roman Empire
Slot Name: Domitian
Research: Currently not available

Owner's Description

In 251 AD, the young Gaius Vibius Volusianus (235? – 253 AD) was growing up in the Roman province of Moesia. His childhood was probably one of privilege; after all, he was son of the local governor, Trebionus Gallus. His situation changed dramatically when he heard the news that his father was declared Emperor by the local troops, and Volusian would now have to transfer to Rome, where a terrible plague was rampant. Only in his early teens, Voluian had to grow up fast. Almost immediately, he was proclaimed as Caesar, or heir to the throne. He had barely acclimated to his new imperial surroundings, when his father’s co-Augusti, Hostilian, died of plague. Suddenly, Volusian held the title of co-Augusti. The youngster must have been horrified to see the suffering of the Roman people, the death toll increasing daily. Volusian and his father gave the situation their full attention, providing for proper burials, even for those too poor to afford it. These sympathetic actions were well received by the Roman people. However, the co-Augusti’s lack of attention towards other matters, particular on the foreign front, was not appreciated. In 252 AD, the eastern frontier came under attack by Persia. Within a year, the Persian defeated the local Roman forces and controled most of Syria, including the capital of Antioch. They didn’t stop there, further challenging the eastern Roman territories. Rather than heading east to join in defense of the Empire’s borders, the co-Augusti stayed in Rome to deal with the plague. Sometime in 252-253 AD, workers within the vast city mints struck this double denarius. The obverse depicts the bust of Volusian, draped and cuirassed, and wearing the radiate crown popular for the period. His visage is stern and determined, much older than his years (perhaps an accurate portrayal, since the teenager already experienced a lifetime of successes and tragedies). On the verso is Volusian himself, holding a scepter and a patera (an offering bowl), praying at a tripod alter, perhaps in respect for fellow Romans who had perished by plague. While the co-Augsuti focused on Rome, troubles at the Empire’s borders raged. In addition to the Persian problem on the eastern front, the Empire was also attacked by the Goths along the Danube. The current Moesian governor, Aemilianus, fought valiantly and keep things under control; as a reward, his troops elevated their governor to Augustus. Aemilianus accepted the promotion, and marched off to Rome with a large and battle-savvy contingency. Gallus and Volusianus, realizing their peril, gathered their own army and headed north to meet the oncoming rival Augustus. Their pace was slow, as they awaited reinforcements – which never arrived. The imperial troops, already frustrated they were mobilized – finally - not to fight bordering enemies, but fellow Romans, now feared for their lives. Inevitably, the reign of Volusianus and his father came to an end at the hands of their own disaffected troops. Coin Details: ROMAN EMPIRE, Volusian, AR Antoninianus (3.54 g, 21mm), Rome Mint, 252-253 AD, NGC Grade: MS, Strike: 4/5, Surface: 4/5, Obverse: Radiate, draped and cuirassed bust of Volusian right, IMP CAE C VIB VOLVSIANO AVG, Reverse: Emperor standing left, holding patera and scepter; at feet to left, tripod-altar, P M TR P IIII COS II, References: RIC: 141; RSC 94.

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