Trebonianus Gallus BI Antoninianus. AD 251-253.

Rome mint. Draped bust of Venus to right, wearing stephane / Dove standing to right; S C below. RIC II 24; Cohen 10. 2.41gr, 15mm, 12h.

Near Very Fine.

Ex 'V' gentleman's collection, Switzerland. From the property of a North London, UK, gentleman.

Struck at the frontiers of the empire, based on an issue minted in Rome under Septimius Severus and Caracalla, AD 200-205. P SEPT GETA CAES PONT, young, bareheaded and draped bust to right / PRI-NC IV-VENTVTIS, Geta, in military dress, standing to left, holding baton and sceptre; trophy to right. For prototype: RIC IV 18 var. (branch instead of baton); RSC 157b. 2.56gr, 18mm, 12h.

Good Very Fine.

Acquired from the vendor's grandfather in the 1990s. Property of an Essex collector.

'Limes Denarii' (misnomer) are more or less faithful bronze copies of silver Denarii, minted on the fringes of the empire out of necessity. Perhaps they may be officially sanctioned issues for use in regions where political unrest made it hazardous to ship large amounts of silver. These low value issues could have served troops on the front and been redeemable for good coinage when they returned to the stable regions. Were they a form of military scrip meant to keep large quantities of precious metal from falling into enemy hands in the event of a defeat?

Siscia mint; struck AD 320. 3rd officina. CONSTAN-TINVS AVG, laureate head to right / D N CONSTANTINI MAX AVG, VOT • XX in three lines within laurel wreath, jewel at apex; ΓSIS in exergue. RIC VII 148. 2.62gr, 18mm, 6h.

Extremely Fine.

Property of a Cambridgeshire, UK, gentleman.