Roman Empire Aurelian 1 Antoninianus

History

1 Antoninianus 270-275 AD, RIC# V-1 62, Roman Empire, Aurelian

Obverse. Photo © Sergei Novikov

Description

Aurelian (Lucius Domitius Aurelianus Augustus) was Roman Emperor from 270 to 275. Born in humble circumstances, he rose through the military ranks to become emperor. During his reign, he defeated the Alamanni after a devastating war. He also defeated the Goths, Vandals, Juthungi, Sarmatians, and Carpi. Aurelian restored the Empire's eastern provinces after his conquest of the Palmyrene Empire in 273. The following year he conquered the Gallic Empire in the west, reuniting the Empire in its entirety. He was also responsible for the construction of the Aurelian Walls in Rome, and the abandonment of the province of Dacia.

Obverse	Person (king, queen, tsar etc.) Aurelian Radiate, cuirassed bust of Aurelian, laureate, right. IMP AVRELIANVS AVG (Imperator Aurelianus Augustus) IMP AVRELIANVS AVG
Reverse	Deity (god, goddess etc.) Sol Military Captive Sol walking left, raising right hand and holding globe in left, treading down one of two captives. Sol was the solar deity in Ancient Roman religion. It was long thought that Rome actually had two different, consecutive sun gods. The first, Sol Indiges, was thought to have been unimportant, disappearing altogether at an early period. ORIENS AVG (Oriens Augustus): The Rising Sun for Emperor Mintmark XX in exergue. ORIENS AVG XX
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