The Gallic Empire (260-274): Rome Breaks Apart Six Silver Coins Collection An empire fractures Roman chariots All coins in each set are protected in an archival capsule and beautifully displayed in a mahogany-like box. The box set is accompanied with a story card, certificate of authenticity, and a black gift box. By the middle of the third century, the Roman Empire began to show signs of collapse. A parade of emperors took the throne, mostly from the ranks of the military. Years of civil war and open revolt led to an erosion of territory. In the year 260, in a battle on the Eastern front, the emperor Valerian was taken prisoner by the hated Persians. He died in captivity, and his corpse was stuffed and hung on the wall of the palace of the Persian king. Valerian’s capture threw the already-fractured empire into complete disarray. His son and co-emperor, Gallienus, was unable to quell the unrest. Charismatic generals sought to consolidate their own power, but none was as powerful, or as ambitious, as Postumus. Born in an outpost of the Empire, of common stock, Postumus rose swiftly through the ranks, eventually commanding Roman forces “among the Celts”—a territory that included modern-day France, Belgium, Holland, and England. In the aftermath of Valerian’s abduction in 260, his soldiers proclaimed Postumus emperor. Thus was born the so-called Gallic Empire. After nine years of relative peace and prosperity, Postumus was murdered by his own troops, and the Gallic Empire, which had depended on the force of his personality, began to crumble. Claudius II Gothicus, who succeeded Gallienus after the latter’s death in 268, set out to reunify the Roman Empire. While he won major victories over the hated Goths, earning him his nickname, he died of plague in 270. His short-lived successor, Quintillus, also failed to reunify the empire. It was left to Aurelian to bring the breakaway Gallic Empire back into the fold, which he did in 274. The boundaries of the Empire may have approached what they once were, but the economy remained broken. Each of the many emperors who took the throne in the Third Century had to pay off the troop—which was accomplished by debasing the silver in the coins. The properties of silver are such that it can be mixed with other metals and still produce a silvery coin—up to a point. Once the fineness dips below 15 percent or so, the coins take on a gray or coppery appearance. In the days of Valerian, the coins were still silvery; by the time of Claudius II Gothicus, the fineness was just three percent. This collection features coins from five of the Roman emperors in the days of the breakup of the Empire, as well as the founder of the Gallic Empire. Portrait and legend are on the obverse; reverses vary, but tend to feature personifications or military themes. The instability at the top had a dismal impact on the economy, a downward spiral of hyperinflation and currency devaluation that was reflected in the coinage. Later in this period, silver content dropped so low that coins had the appearance of bronze. These coins show typical grades. The Coins Ruler 1. Valerian I Year of issue 253-260 AD Country Rome Denomination Antoninianus Material Silver Weight 3-4.7 g Diameter 21.9-23 mm Obverse Portrait and legend Reverse Various personifications or military themes Ruler 2. Gallienus Year of issue 253-268 AD Country Rome Denomination Antoninianus Material Silver Weight 1.6-5 g Diameter 17-24 mm Obverse Portrait and legend Reverse Various personifications or military themes Ruler 3. Postumus Year of issue 260-268 AD Country Rome Denomination Antoninianus Material Silver Weight 3-4 g Diameter 20-23 mm Obverse Portrait and legend Reverse Various personifications or military themes Ruler 4. Claudius II Gothicus Year of issue 268-270 AD Country Rome Denomination Antoninianus Material Billon Weight 2.3-4.5 g Diameter 17-21 mm Obverse Portrait and legend Various personifications or military themes Reverse Ruler 5. Quintillus Year of issue d. 270; 17–177 days Country Rome Denomination Antoninianus Material Billon Weight 1.7-3 g Diameter 16.8-22.5 mm Obverse Portrait and legend Reverse Various personifications or military themes Ruler 6. Aurelian Year of issue 270-275 AD Country Rome Denomination Antoninianus Material Billon Weight 2.7-3.7 g Diameter 21-23.5 mm Obverse Portrait and legend Reverse Various personifications or military themes Box data: Box measures: 7.25” x 5.5” x 1.25” Order code: 6GALLICEMPIRESLBOX Image shows typical coins, not to scale. .