The Usurper Uranius Antoninus

317, Lot: 168. Estimate $750. Sold for $850. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

SYRIA, Seleucis and Pieria. Emesa. Uranius Antoninus. Usurper, AD 253-254. BI Tetradrachm (25mm, 11.34 g, 12h). [AY]TO [COY]ΛΠ [ANT]ωNINOC CЄ, laureate, draped, and cuirassed bust right / ΔHMAPX EΞ [OVCI]AC VΠATO, B in exergue, eagle standing facing on ground line, head and tail right, with wings spread, holding wreath in beak; S–C below wings. Baldus pl. II, 18; Prieur 1053. Good Fine, toned, heavily tooled and smoothed on the obverse, lighter smoothing on the reverse. Rare.

Uranius Antoninus is unknown from the ancient literary sources, although Zosimus perhaps confuses this usurper with two usurpers he names as Uranius and Antoninus during the reign of Severus Alexander. He established his government at Emesa, probably in response to repeated Persian attacks rather than as a challenge to Rome. In any event, it appears he was finally subdued when Valerian marched to recover the East.