We live in strange times. Russia is looking to attract conservative expats from Canada and America wishing to flee from their oppressive governments. Timur Beslangurov, a lawyer for the St. Petersburg International Legal Forum (SPBILF), believes 200 families will “want to emigrate for ideological reasons.” Furthermore, this representative said that they “very strongly believe in […]

@starseed65♬ original sound – Starseed65 Those who see what is coming are beginning to resist the Great Reset. Ultimately, their plan to create a one-world government will fail but it will take firm resistance. As one reader mentioned, English residents of Oxford began protesting the 15-minute city concept in March. Thousands of people took to […]

This is a set of six silver Antoninianii between Gordian III – 238-244AD  to Trebonianus Gallus – 251-253AD  just before the major debasement begins following the capture of Valerian I – 253-260AD  in 260AD. This set reflects the inflation where this denomination was introduced by Caracalla – 198-217AD which was a DOUBLE Denarius showing how inflation had reduced the purchasing power of the denarius which had been introduced in 211BC.

These are hand-selected and are generally in Extremely Fine condition, far above the normal quality of this period.

This is a Set of three coins of Gallienus is a floating frame illustrating the debasement of the collapse of Rome. Included, will be an autographed copy of this chart which has become so widely cited as the image of just how fast Rome truly fell.

Publius Licinius Egnatius Gallienus was the son of the emperor Valerian I. Gallienus was raised to the rank of co-emperor (Augustus) soon after his father was hailed Augustus by his troops. He was in charge of defending against the German hordes invading from the North. His father went off to defend against the East where the Persians were invading. In battle, Valerian I was captured and turned into a Royal Slave in 260AD. Upon his death, he is said to have been stuffed as a trophy. It took just 8.6 years for the collapse of the Roman Monetary System. The barbarians in the North assumed if the Persians could capture the emperor, then so could they, and invaded to the point they reached Milan. Subsequently, Aurelian who came to power in 270AD constructed the wall around Rome.

The collapse in the Roman Monetary System I put together by actually testing the coins minted each year is reflected in this table between 253AD and 268AD when Gallienus was effectively assassinated because of the monetary collapse. Christian persecutions became a major effort as the Romans blamed the Christians for angering the gods.

253 0.5145
254 0.40425
255 0.40425
256 0.40425
257 0.35
258 0.33
259 0.33
260 0.3135
261 0.297
262 0.264
263 0.231
264 0.198
265 0.165
266 0.091
267 0.022
268 0.022

Flavius Julius Constantius II was the second son of Constantine I and Fausta. Constantius was born in 317 AD and given the rank of Caesar 324AD. He was named after his grandfather Constantius I Chlorus.

Following the death of his father in 337 AD, the Empire was divided among the three sons – Constantine II, Constantius II and Constans. Constantius received the Eastern provinces as his share of the inheritance, which included Constantinople as his capital. In 340 AD, Constantine II invaded Italy in an attempt to conquer the territory of the youngest brother Constans. Nonetheless, Constantine II was killed and the Empire was then divided between Constantius and Constans.

In January 350 AD, Magnentius led a rebellion in the West against Constans. With most of the Western legions defecting to Magnentius’ cause, Constans fled in the direction of Spain, but was overtaken and killed by Magnentius. With the Empire in chaos, Constantia (sister of Constanius II) persuaded the leader of the Balkin legions, Vetranio, to proclaim himself as co-emperor and to keep Magnentius’ legions in check until her brother arrived from the East. Vetranio complied and upon Constantius II’ arrival, Vetranio abdicated. Constantius then moved against Magnentius inflicting a major defeat in September 351 AD. Eventually, Magnentius was completely defeated in 353 AD.

This is a small hoard of AE Bronze Numis of Constantius II who had been elevated to the rank of Caesar, the sole surviving male descendant of Constantius I and Theodora, Flavius Claudius Julianus. Julian was given responsibility for the defense of Gaul, where he distinguished himself as a good military leader. Fearing the popularity of Julian, Constantius ordered Julian to send his best troops to the East in support of the war against the Persians. Julian’s troops rebelled and proclaimed him Emperor while at his winter quarters at Paris in February, 360 AD. Julian strove to obtain recognition of his new status from his cousin Constantius and continued issuing coinage in the senior Emperor’s name. However, Constantius would have no part of sharing the rule.

In 361 AD, Constantius set out to meet Julian in battle. However, while he was advancing through Cilicia, Constantius became gravely ill and died at Mopucrene on November 3rd, 361 AD. Julian entered the gates of Constantinople unopposed as ruler of the Roman Empire. The House of Theodora had prevailed.

Flavius Claudius Constantinus was the eldest son of Constantine I the Great and Fausta. Constantine II was born in 314 AD and was given the rank of Caesar in 317 AD when he was obviously very young. Nonetheless, Constantine II appears to have inherited at least his father’s ambitions. By the age of eighteen, Constantine II had already distinguished himself militarily in a campaign against the Goths.

Following the death of his father, Constantine II was perhaps the main instigator in what has become known as the “palace massacre” during which most family members born of his step-grandmother Theodora were murdered. Few were spared and those were only due to their extremely young age, particularly the future Emperor Julian II.

Constantine II thus inherited Spain, Gaul, and Britain as his portion of the Empire in 337 AD. However, Constantine II was not happy with his share and soon invaded the territory ruled by his younger brother, Constans. Constantine II crossed the Alps and invaded Italy in 340 AD. He was killed in an ambush near Aquileia.

Generally VF to XF

Silver Antoninianus of Postumus (260-268AD). When his adversary Gallienus, Emperor of Rome, was assassinated in 268AD, he, too, fell to a coup and was also assassinated.

We have obtained a hoard of the earliest coinage of the first French Emperor of the break-away Empire of 260AD - Marcus Cassianius Latinius Postumus  (260-268AD) of the Gallic Empire. This hoard is exceptional insofar as (1) we are looking at the earliest coinage where they are still silver, and (2) the quality is rather an exception for this period of nearly Extremely Fine+, implying this hoard was put away when the fighting probably first began.

Interestingly, the later issues of Postumus are debased and will appear to be merely bronze. As Rome debased its coinage between 260 and 268, the Gallic Empire was also forced to do the same because their coinage was being hoarded in this early state. These later debased issues will generally sell for between $50 in low grade and $75-$100 in high grade. The earlier silver issue has often sold for as high as $250 in XF condition, but they are hard to come by.

We have put a few hoards up in the Store that are available. We will put others up tomorrow

From around 510-500 BC, Darius I introduced the image of the Persian king as the archer. This is the first coin ever issued with the intended image of a king. Around 500 BC, a clay tablet, issued in year 22 of the reign of Darius I (circa 500 BC), contained the impression on the clay of two Type II Sigloi ("King shooting arrow"), showing that the new Sigloi had already been issued by that date. Because of these and other discoveries, the creation of these Sigloi with the image of Darius is dated to the last decade of the 6th century BC, during the reign of Darius I.

Darius I is also known to history as Darius the Great, (born 550 BC—died 486). He was the famous king of Persia (522–486 BC), and was one of the greatest rulers of the Achaemenid dynasty. He was distinguished for his administrative genius and for his great building projects. Yet many remember Darius for his failed several attempts to conquer Greece; his fleet was destroyed by a storm in 492BC, and the Athenians defeated his army at the famous Battle of Marathon in 490BC. It was that victory that began to pass the title of Financial Capital of the World from Persia to Greece.

This small hoard of Siglos is all worn and was most likely a hoard buried from the Battle of Marathon and its owner never returned to retrieve them. However, this hoard also shows punch marks of the earlier foreign exchange dealers in history. To verify that the coins were genuine, the FX dealer would apply his punch mark to the coin so that any time it would pass through his hands, he knew it was real.