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Hostilian
Caius Valens Hostilianus Messius Quintus (230? - 251) was the youngest son of the emperor Traian Decius and Herennia Etruscilla. He was born in Sirmium when his father was stationed there. In september 250 his father elevated him to the rank of Caesar and beginning with the year XII (july 250 - july 251) the mint of Viminacium began to strike coins in his name. His father and his eldest brother Herennius died around may/june 251 in the battle of Abrittus against the Goths. Probably because of his young age Hostilian had stayed behind in Rome or possibly in Viminacium under the supervision of his mother. The mint of Viminacium struck exceptional quantities of coins in the name of Hostilian so it is often suggested that he must have been present there for quite a while. After the death of Decius and his elder son the army chose Trebonianus Gallus as his successor. The people and senat in Rome however wanted the rights of the young Hostilian to be respected. Trebonianus Gallus therefore adopted Hostilian and made him co-emperor and his own son Volusian was elevated to the rank of Caesar. Coins of the local year XII of Hostilian as Augustus do exist and he is portrayed wearing a laurel wreath. These coins must have been struck during the short period june/july 251. The strange fact is that coins struck in his name with the local year XIII show him (erroneous?) as Caesar. These coins of the year XIII must have been struck in the short period of july/august 251 until the moment Hostilian succomed to the plague. This epidemic of the plague overshadowed the remainder of Gallus reign. After Hostilians death Gallus made his own son Volusian co-emperor.
In Viminacium a mausoleum is unearthed measuring approximately 20 x 20 meters. This mausoleum is claimed as the burial site of Hostilian. The problem is that no inscriptions were found proving it to be his mausoleum. A sarcofagus found in Rome near the Porta Tiburtina shows a battle scene against barbarians. The central figure on horseback resembles strongly the facial expressions of Hostilian or Herennius as shown on coins. If the sarcofagus belongs to Hostilian the mausoleum in Viminacium can not be his. If the sarcofagus belongs to Herennius it should mean that his body was recovered from the battlefield near Abrittus and brought to Rome. The lid of the sarcofagus was lost in 1945 in Germany but showed submissioned barbarians and the bust of a woman who was identified as Herennia Etruscilla. Presumably she was burried in the sarcofagus together with her son.
The coins of Hostilian from Viminacium
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Denominations struck: dupondius and sestertius
The dupondii have a portrait with Hostilian wearing a radiate crown. The sestertii are bigger and heavier and have a portrait with laurel wreath.
Used notations of the local year:
AN XII, used from july 250 until july 251.
AN XIII, used from july 251 until august 251.
Obverse text variations used:
A:
C VAL HOST M QVINTVS
B: C VAI HOST M QVINTVS CAE
C: C VI MOST M QVIHTVS CAE
D: C VAI HOST M QVIHTVS CAE
E: IMP C VAT HOST M QVIHTVS AVG
F: C VAI ROST M QVINTVS CA
G: C VAI HOST M QVINTVS C
H: C VAI ROST M QVIHTVS CAE
I: C VAI ROST M OVINTVS CA
J: IMP C VAI HOST M QVIHTVS AVG
Reverse text variations used:
a:
PM - S - CO - LVIM
b: PM - S - C - OLVI
c: PMSC - OLVIM
d: PMS - C - O - LVIM
e: PMS - COLVIM
AN XII |
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| Sestertius ANNO XII - 250/251 - Pick 150 - Martin 4.03 var. - Varbanov 200 | |
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Collection
Weight: ? grams Diameter: ? mm |
Obverse: Bust of Hostilian to the right bear headed, part of paludamentum (cloak, cape) visible over the shoulder. Text: (A:) C VAL HOST M QVINTVS (CAIVS VALENS HOSTILIANVS MESSIVS QVINTVS) - Caius Valens Hostilianus Messius Quintus. Reverse: Woman (Moesia) standing with head to the left holding a branch in her raised right hand and holding a globe in the left. To the left of her a bull and to the right a lion. Text: (a:) PM - S - CO - LVIM (PROVINCIA MOESIA SVPERIOR COLONIA VIMINACIVM) - Province Moesia superior colony Viminacium. Exergue: AN XII (ANNO XII) - jaar 12 (250/251) Remark: The branch and globe wich Moesia are holding on this coin let her look like the personification of Pax (peace). The message on this coin probably is that with the house of Decius the peace was restored in the Roman world. |
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| Sestertius ANNO XII - 250/251 - Pick 150 var. - Martin 4.03 var. - Varbanov 200 var. | |
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Copyright Classical Numismatic Group Weight: 16,15 grams Diameter: 28 mm |
Obverse: Bust of Hostilian to the right bear headed, part of paludamentum (cloak, cape) visible over the shoulder. Text: (G:) C VAI HOST M QVINTVS C (CAIVS VALENS HOSTILIANVS MESSIVS QVINTVS) - Caius Valens Hostilianus Messius Quintus. Reverse: Woman (Moesia) standing with head to the left holding a branch in her raised right hand and holding a globe in the left. To the left of her a bull and to the right a lion. Text: (e:) PMS - COLVIM (PROVINCIA MOESIA SVPERIOR COLONIA VIMINACIVM) - Province Moesia Superior Colony Viminacium. Exergue: AN XII (ANNO XII) - year 12 (250/251). Opmerking: Moesia is holding a branch wich breaks the reverse legend. In her other hand she is holding a globe NOT breaking the reverse legend. The branch symbolises peace and the the globe the known Roman world. The message on this coin probably is that with the house of Decius the peace was restored in the Roman world. |
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| Sestertius ANNO XII - 250/251 - Pick 150 var. - Martin 4.03.3 - Varbanov - (Verg. 200) | |
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Collection Scottatlaw on Tantalus coin registry Weight: 13,12 grams Diameter: 27 mm |
Obverse: Bust of Hostilian to the right bear headed, part of paludamentum (cloak, cape) visible over the shoulder. Text: (B:) C VAI HOST M QVINTVS CAE (CAIVS VALENS HOSTILIANVS MESSIVS QVINTVS CAESAR) - Caius Valens Hostilianus Messius Quintus. Reverse: Woman (Moesia) standing with head to the left holding a branch in her raised right hand and holding a globe in the left. To the left of her a bull and to the right a lion. Text: (b:) PM - S - C - OLVI (PROVINCIA MOESIA SVPERIOR COLONIA VIMINACIVM) - Province Moesia superior colony Viminacium. Exergue: AN XII (ANNO XII) - year 12 (250/251). Remark: The coins of Hostilian have many die makers faults. Despite of a good portrait the letter L in VAL on this coin is written as an I and the Q in QVINTVS is written as an O. On the reverse of this coin Moesia is holding a branch wich breaks the reverse legend. In her other hand she is holding a globe wich also breaks the reverse legend but in another place. There was too little space left for the die maker to cut the M in VIM so he left it out. The branch symbolises peace and the the globe the known Roman world. The message on this coin probably is that with the house of Decius the peace was restored in the Roman world. |
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| Sestertius ANNO XII - 250/251 - Pick 151 - Martin 4.04.5 - Varbanov 201 | |
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Collection Scottatlaw on Tantalus coin registry Weight: 11,07 grams Diameter: 29 mm |
Obverse: Bust of Hostilian to the right bear headed, part of paludamentum (cloak, cape) visible over the shoulder. Text: (D:) C VAI HOST M QVIHTVS CAE (CAIVS VALENS HOSTILIANVS MESSIVS QVINTVS CAESAR) - Caius Valens Hostilianus Messius Quintus. Reverse: Woman (Moesia) standing with head to the left holding in her RIGHT hand a cornucopia and her left hand over a lion. Text: (c:) PMSC - OLVIM (PROVINCIA MOESIA SVPERIOR COLONIA VIMINACIVM) - Province Moesia superior colony Viminacium. Exergue: AN XII (ANNO XII) - year 12 (250/251). Remark: This coin also has die makers mistakes such as an I for an L in VAL and an H for an N in QVINTVS. On the reverse Moesia possibly is displayed as Abundance with a cornucopia. This stands for good times and abundance wich returned or will return under the rule of the house of Decius. |
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| Sestertius ANNO XII - 250/251 - Pick 152 - Martin 4.05.3 - Varbanov 202 | |
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Private collection Weight: 12,41 grams Diameter: 26,41 mm |
Obverse: Bust of Hostilian to the right bear headed, part of paludamentum (cloak, cape) visible over the shoulder. Text: (B:) C VAI HOST M QVINTVS CAE (CAIVS VALENS HOSTILIANVS MESSIVS QVINTVS CAESAR) - Caius Valens Hostilianus Messius Quintus Caesar. Reverse: Woman (Moesia) to the left, in her LEFT arm she is holding a cornucopia and she holds her right hand over a lion. Text: (c:) PMSC - OLVIM (PROVINCIA MOESIA SVPERIOR COLONIA VIMINACIVM) - Province Moesia Superior colony Viminacium. Exergue: AN XII (ANNO XII) - year 12 (250/251). Remark: Variation on the previous type, here Moesia is holding the cornucopia in her left arm. Possibly Moesia is depicted here as the goddess Abundantia. She stands for good times and times of plenty wich had returned under the rule of the family of Decius. |
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| Sestertius ANNO XII - 250/251 - Pick - Martin 4.01.17 - Varbanov | |
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Copyright Classical Numismatic Group Weight: 15,70 grams Diameter: 26 mm |
Obverse: Bust of Hostilian to the right bear headed, part of paludamentum (cloak, cape) visible over the shoulder. Text: (B:) C VAI HOST M QVINTVS CAE (CAIVS VALENS HOSTILIANVS MESSIVS QVINTVS CAESAR) - Caius Valens Hostilianus Messius Quintus Caesar. Reverse: Woman (Moesia) standing with head to the left holding her right hand over a bull and her left hand over a lion. Text: (c:) PMSC - OLVIM (PROVINCIA MOESIA SVPERIOR COLONIA VIMINACIVM) - Province Moesia Superior colony Viminacium. Exergue: AN XII (ANNO XII) - year 12 (250/251). Remark: Juvenile portrait of Hostilian. The reverse is the common type. This type also has the letter I for an L in VAL. |
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| Sestertius ANNO XII - 250/251 - Pick - Martin 4.01.14 - Varbanov | |
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Copyright Classical Numismatic Group Weight: 12,47 grams Diameter: 27 mm |
Obverse: Bust of Hostilian to the right bear headed, part of paludamentum (cloak, cape) visible over the shoulder. Text: (D:) C VAI HOST M QVIHTVS CAE (CAIVS VALENS HOSTILIANVS MESSIVS QVINTVS CAESAR) - Caius Valens Hostilianus Messius Quintus Caesar. Reverse: Woman (Moesia) standing with head to the left holding her right hand over a bull and her left hand over a lion. Text: (c:) PMSC - OLVIM (PROVINCIA MOESIA SVPERIOR COLONIA VIMINACIVM) - Province Moesia Superior colony Viminacium. Exergue: AN XII (ANNO XII) - year 12 (250/251). Remark: Less juvenile portrait of Hostilian. The reverse is the common type. This type also has the letter I for an L in VAL and also a letter H for an N in QVINTVS. |
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| Sestertius ANNO XII - 250/251 - Pick - Martin 4.01.33 - Varbanov | |
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Copyright Classical Numismatic Group Weight: 14,14 grams Diameter: 26 mm |
Obverse: Bust of Hostilian to the right bear headed, part of paludamentum (cloak, cape) visible over the shoulder. Text: (H:) C VAI ROST M QVIHTVS CAE (CAIVS VALENS HOSTILIANVS MESSIVS QVINTVS CAESAR) - Caius Valens Hostilianus Messius Quintus Caesar. Reverse: Woman (Moesia) standing with head to the left holding her right hand over a bull and her left hand over a lion. Text: (c:) PMSC - OLVIM (PROVINCIA MOESIA SVPERIOR COLONIA VIMINACIVM) - Province Moesia Superior colony Viminacium. Exergue: AN XII (ANNO XII) - year 12 (250/251). Remark: Older portrait of Hostilian. The reverse is the common type. This type also has the letter I for an L in VAL. The letter N in QVINTVS looks less like a letter H but looks more like a retrograde letter N. |
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| Sestertius ANNO XII - 250/251 - Pick 148 var. - Martin 4.01.25 - Varbanov 193 | |
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Collection Weight: 12,47 grams Diameter: 26 mm |
Obverse: Bust of Hostilian to the right bear headed, part of paludamentum (cloak, cape) visible over the shoulder. Text: (G:) C VAI HOST M QVINTVS C (CAIVS VALENS HOSTILIANVS MESSIVS QVINTVS CAESAR) - Caius Valens Hostilianus Messius Quintus. Reverse: Woman (Moesia) standing with head to the left holding her right hand over a bull and her left hand over a lion. Text: (c:) PMSC - OLVIM (PROVINCIA MOESIA SVPERIOR COLONIA VIMINACIVM) - Province Moesia superior colony Viminacium. Exergue: AN XII (ANNO XII) - year 12 (250/251). Opmerking: This type has the die makers mistake I for an L in VAL. The obverse legend ends with a C only for CAESAR. |
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| Sestertius ANNO XII - 250/251 - Pick 148 - Martin 4.01.46 - Varbanov - (Verg. 194) | |
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Private collection Weight: 11,62 grams Diameter: 25,3 mm |
Obverse: Bust of Hostilian to the right bear headed, small part of paludamentum (cloak, cape) visible over the shoulder. Text: (C:) C VI MOST M QVIHTVS CAE (CAIVS VALENS HOSTILIANVS MESSIVS QVINTVS CAESAR) - Caius Valens Hostilianus Messius Quintus. Reverse: Woman (Moesia) standing with head to the left holding her right hand over a bull and her left hand over a lion. Text: (c:) PMSC - OLVIM (PROVINCIA MOESIA SVPERIOR COLONIA VIMINACIVM) - Province Moesia superior colony Viminacium. Exergue: AN XII (ANNO XII) - year 12 (250/251). Remark: Portrait with only a small part of the cloak visible over the shoulder. This coin also has a lot of die maker mistakes such as an I for an L in VAL, an M for an H in HOSTILIANVS and an H for an N in QVINTVS. |
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| Sestertius ANNO XII - 250/251 - Pick 148 var. - Martin 4.01.34 - Varbanov 194 | |
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Helios Numismatik Weight: 14,32 grams Diameter: 27 mm |
Obverse: Bust of Hostilian to the right bear headed, part of paludamentum (cloak, cape) visible over the shoulders. The cloak is ornamented with a distinct square motif. Text: (H:) C VAI ROST M QVIHTVS CAE (CAIVS VALENS HOSTILIANVS MESSIVS QVINTVS CAESAR) - Caius Valens Hostilianus Messius Quintus. Reverse: Woman (Moesia) standing with head to the left holding her right hand over a bull and her left hand over a lion. Text: (c:) PMSC - OLVIM (PROVINCIA MOESIA SVPERIOR COLONIA VIMINACIVM) - Province Moesia superior colony Viminacium. Exergue: AN XII (ANNO XII) - year 12 (250/251). Remark: This coin also has a lot of die maker mistakes such as an I for an L in VAL and an H for an N in QVINTVS. |
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| Sestertius ANNO XII - 250/251 - Pick - Martin 4.01.39 - Varbanov | |
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Copyright Classical Numismatic Group Weight: 11,24 grams Diameter: 26 mm |
Obverse: Bust of Hostilian to the right bear headed, part of paludamentum (cloak, cape) visible over the shoulder. The cloak is ornamented with a distinct square motif. Text: (F:) C VAI ROST M OVINTVS CA (CAIVS VALENS HOSTILIANVS MESSIVS QVINTVS CAESAR) - Caius Valens Hostilianus Messius Quintus Caesar. Reverse: Woman (Moesia) standing with head to the left holding her right hand over a bull and her left hand over a lion. Text: (c:) PMSC - OLVIM (PROVINCIA MOESIA SVPERIOR COLONIA VIMINACIVM) - Province Moesia Superior Colony Viminacium. Exergue: AN XIII (ANNO XIII) - year 13 (251/252). Remark: On this type the obverse text ends with CA of CAESAR. This obverse die with the strange positioned S in HOST and a large S in QVINTVS was also used in the year XIII. |
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| Sestertius ANNO XII - 250/251 - Pick 155 - Martin 4.07.8 - Varbanov 196 | |
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Collection Scottatlaw on Tantalus coin registry Weight: 10,71 grams Diameter: 26 mm |
Obverse: Bust of Hostilian to the right with laurel wreath, part of paludamentum (cloak, cape) with stripe motif visible over the shoulder. Text: (E:) IMP C VAT HOST M QVIHTVS AVG (IMPERATOR CAIVS VALENS HOSTILIANVS MESSIVS QVINTVS AVGVSTVS) - Emperor Caius Valens Hostilianus Messius Quintus Augustus. Reverse: Woman (Moesia) standing with head to the left holding her right hand over a bull and her left hand over a lion. Text: (c:) PMSC - OLVIM (PROVINCIA MOESIA SVPERIOR COLONIA VIMINACIVM) - Province Moesia superior colony Viminacium. Exergue: AN XII (ANNO XII) - year 12 (250/251). Remark: This coin is struck for Hostilian as Augustus, co-emperor with Trebonianus Gallus. This coin also has die maker mistakes such as VAT instead ofVAL and an H for an N in QVINTVS. |
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| Sestertius ANNO XII - 250/251 - Pick 156 - Martin 4.08.2 - Varbanov 199 | |
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Private collection Weight: ? grams Diameter: 25 mm |
Obverse: Bust of Hostilian to the right with laurel wreath, part of paludamentum (cloak, cape) with stripe motif visible over the shoulder. Text: (J:) IMP C VAI HOST M QVIHTVS AVG (IMPERATOR CAIVS VALENS HOSTILIANVS MESSIVS QVINTVS AVGVSTVS) - Emperor Caius Valens Hostilianus Messius Quintus Augustus. Reverse: Woman (Moesia) slightly to the left, on her left a bull and to her right a lion. She is holding an army standard in both hands, the left inscribed with the Roman numeral VII and the right with the Roman numeral IIII. Text: (d:) PMS - C - O - LVIM (PROVINCIA MOESIA SVPERIOR COLONIA VIMINACIVM) - Province Moesia Superior Colony Viminacium. Exergue: AN XII (ANNO XII) - year 12 (250/251). Remark: This coin is struck in the name of Hostilian as Augustus, he was made co-emperor by Trebonian Gallus. This type also has die maker mistakes such as an H for an N in QVINTVS. On the reverse Moesia is depicted with two army standards. |
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AN XIII |
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| Sestertius ANNO XIII - 251/252 - Pick 158 - Martin 4.09.7 - Varbanov - (Verg. 197) | |
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Collection Scottatlaw on Tantalus coin registry Weight: 12,35 grams Diameter: 27 mm |
Obverse: Bust of Hostilian to the right bear headed, part of paludamentum (cloak, cape) visible over the shoulder. Text: (F:) C VAI ROST M OVINTVS CA (CAIVS VALENS HOSTILIANVS MESSIVS QVINTVS CAESAR) - Caius Valens Hostilianus Messius Quintus Caesar. Reverse: Woman (Moesia) standing with head to the left holding her right hand over a bull and her left hand over a lion. Text: (c:) PMSC - OLVIM (PROVINCIA MOESIA SVPERIOR COLONIA VIMINACIVM) - Province Moesia Superior Colony Viminacium. Exergue: AN XIII (ANNO XIII) - year 13 (251/252). Remark: This coin was struck in the local year 13 in the name of Hostilian as Caesar. This is remarkable because coins with the local year 12 show him as Augustus. The reason for this is that they used old obverse dies of the year XII in combination with new reverse dies for Trebonianus Gallus of the local year 13. This type also has die maker mistakes such as VAI instead of VAL and ROST instead of HOST. |
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