Postumus AD 260-269 Bronze Double Sestertii Cologne mint

Postumus Bronze Double Sestertii 260-269AD Cologne mint

Sear 11107

24x25mm, 7.67g

Postumus was a general under Saloninus being based in Cologne. By AD 260 was a governor in Germany when as a result of a serious barbarian invasion he was proclaimed emperor by his own troops. Upon the capture of Cologne he had Saloninus put to death. Gallienus, preoccupied in the east by the rebellions of Macrian and Quietus, was unable to confront Postumus allowing him to establish a Gallic empire in the west which included Britain and Spain.
Postumus successfully counted the barbarian threats in the west and even established a navy based at Boulogne which helped rid the Channel of pirates. Eventually Gallienus seems to have accepted his authority allowing the Gallic empire to last for 14 years. In AD 268 Gallienus’ general Aureolus, who was based at Milan, rebelled against Gallienus and invited Postumus to invade Italy. The next year Postumus himself faced rebellion himself when the usurper Laelian seized power in Mainz. Postumus laid siege and captured Mainz putting Laelian to death however his refusal to allow his troops to pillage the city resulted in his own assassination.
The coinage of Postumus is of considerable interest. His coins were consistently of a better quality than those of Gallienus and also included many attractive and unusual types. These included the issue of the double sestertius. The usurper Aureolus also issued coins in the name of Postumus.