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Aureus - Postumus Colonia
| Issuer | Gallic Empire (Roman splinter states) |
|---|---|
| Year | 258-260 |
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| Currency | Antoninianus (260-274) |
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| Obverse description | Radiate, draped, and cuirassed bust of Postumus facing right, rendered in high relief with finely detailed hair beneath the radiate crown and a short beard. The emperor's paludamentum is visible at the shoulder, secured by a fibula, conveying military authority. A beaded border frames the design. The encircling legend reads IMP C POSTVMVS P F AVG in raised Latin capitals, identifying the emperor as Commander, Caesar, Postumus, Most Pius and Blessed Augustus. |
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| Obverse lettering | IMP C POSTVMVS P F AVG (Translation: Emperor and Caesar Postumus, Most Pius and Blessed Augustus) |
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| Additional information |
Postumus seized power in 260 AD following the capture of Emperor Valerian by the Sassanid Persians — a catastrophic humiliation that left the western provinces effectively ungoverned. He killed Gallienus's son Saloninus at Cologne and ruled his breakaway state for nearly a decade, maintaining Roman administrative forms with enough competence that many provincials preferred him to the legitimate court at Mediolanum. The Colonia mint — almost certainly Cologne — was his primary production center throughout his reign.
Elmer 135 is a relatively early type, placing it close to the foundation of the regime.