Uranius Antoninus, 253 – 254
Aureus, Emesa 253-254, AV 5.84 g. L IVL AVR SVLP VRA ANTONINVS Laureate, draped and cuirassed bust r. Rev. FE – CVND – ITAS AVG Fortuna standing l., holding rudder and cornucopia. C 3. RIC 3a. Baldus, Uranius Antoninus, 66 (this coin illustrated). Mazzini 3 (this coin). R. Delbrueck, Uranius at Emesa, NC 1948, p. 17, 8-9 (these dies). Calicó 3385 (these dies).
Extremely rare and in exceptional condition for the issue, undoubtedly among the finest
specimens known. A very interesting portrait perfectly struck in high relief.
Virtually as struck and almost Fdc

Ex NAC 2, 1990, 783 and Leu 93, 2005, Perfectionist, 95 sales. From the Mazzini collection and from the Homs hoard.

Graded MS* Strike 5/5 Surface 4/5, NGC certification number 6556714-033

Uranius Antoninus, the hereditary priest of Aphrodite and the sun-god El-Gabal in Emesa, was hailed emperor in the midst of a Sasanian invasion of Roman territories. His extraordinary coinage includes imperial-style aurei (and very rare denarii struck from aureus dies) and three types of provincial-style coinage, and can be dated to 253/4 due to the fortunate use of a Seleucid Era date on a provincial bronze. All of his aurei bear Latin inscriptions, and since they do not display any imperial titles they are able to record (in abbreviated form) his full name, Lucius Julius Aurelius Sulpicius Uranius Antoninus. By contrast, his provincial coins have Greek inscriptions that bear the Greek versions of the titles imperator and Augustus, and generally provide him only with the name Sulpicius Antoninus. His aurei were struck at a heavy standard for the period – something between 55 and 60 per Roman pound. His contemporaries lagged far behind: Trebonianus Gallus (251-253) struck aurei at 1/90th of a pound, and even in their accession year of 253/254, when aurei of Valerian and Gallienus were struck at the heaviest standard of their reigns, they were only 1/70th of a pound. Since Uranius Antoninus' silver 'tetradrachms' are about 90 percent pure and weigh about eight grams they likely were valued at ten per aureus. The aurei bear an interesting array of reverse types, some distinctive and others which are borrowed from imperial coins that would have been found in circulation. Others, instead, refer to local religion and reflect the close link between Principi Sacerdotes of Emesa and the great local god Elagabal, or the Baal of Emesa.