Floriano

[Illyricum65]

Buongiorno,

dopo Carino, ad uso “Biografie Imperiali”, mi ha attirato la vita di un “imperatore minore”, se così possiamo definire chi ha indossato la porpora imperiale pur per un periodo breve e senza lasciare grossi segni del suo regno. Ovvero sì… ha lasciato testimonianza della sua esistenza mediante tante monete!!!

                                                                                       F L O R I A N O

Marcus Annius Florianus Augustus

 

 Era forse il fratellastro di Tacito (le fonti storiche non sono concordi al riguardo), da questo nominato Prefetto del Pretorio e nel 276 con tale carica si recò con l'imperatore in Asia Minore per combattere i Goti. Dopo aver conseguito la vittoria, Tacito intendeva tornare in Occidente lasciando il controllo delle operazioni a Floriano ma nel giugno 276 morì a Tyana, cittadina dell’attuale Anatolia (secondo uno storico antico, fu assassinato per avvelenamento da personaggi coinvolti con la recente uccisione di un suo parente, il severo governatore della Siria, Massimino).

Floriano si proclamò allora imperatore, ottenendo il riconoscimento in Asia Minore e in Occidente (Italia, Gallia, Ispania, Britannia, Africa, e Mauretania si schierarono dalla parte di Floriano - vedi Zosimo 64, 1-2); molto presto, però, gli si schierò contro Marco Aurelio Probo / Marcus Aurelius Probus,

 

il quale comandava l'esercito siriano o quello egiziano (o entrambi); allora Floriano smise di inseguire verso nord gli Eruli e portò l'esercito verso la Cilicia per affrontare Probo. Floriano aveva l'esercito più numeroso, ma Probo era un comandante più capace, e riuscì ad evitare l'ingaggio. Nell'agosto del 276, a Tarso in Turchia, i due eserciti si preparavano allo scontro decisivo, ma Floriano fu assassinato prima della battaglia dai suoi stessi soldati. Aveva regnato per 88 giorni.

NUMISMATICA:

 

CNG 96, Lot: 865. Estimate $3000. Sold for $5500. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

Florian. AD 276. Æ Medallion (35mm, 17.35 g, 12h). Rome mint. 1st emission, AD 276. IMP C M ANN FLORIANVS AVG, laureate, draped, and cuirassed bust right / M ONETA A VG, the Tres Monetae, each standing left on ground line, holding scales and cornucopia; at feet of each to left, a heap of coins. Gnecchi 2 and pl. 118, 9 (this medallion referenced); BN 1885; Cohen 44; Tocci 76; Froehner, p. 236. Good VF, olive green patina, fields smoothed, details of portrait tooled, area of restoration on reverse. Extremely rare.

Ex Numismatica Ars Classica 72 (16 May 2013), lot 737; Arthur Bally-Herzog Collection (Münzen und Medaillen AG 93, 18 December 2003), lot 256; Consul Eduard Friedrich Weber Collection (Part II, J. Hirsch XXIV, 10 May 1909), lot 2392.

https://cngcoins.com/Coin.aspx?CoinID=256735

The Roman Empire, Florian, June – August 276, Aureus, Ticinum June-August 276, AV 4.64 g. VIRTVS F – LORIANI A – VG Laureate and cuirassed bust l., holding spear in r. hand and round shield over l. shoulder. Rev. VIRTV – S AV – GVSTI Mars advancing r. carrying spear in r. hand and trophy over l. shoulder; before him, bound captive. C 106. RIC 24. CBN pl. 98, 509 (these dies). Kent-Hirmer cf. 542 (this obverse die). Estiot 6a (this coin). Calicó 4135 (this coin). Extremely rare. An exceptional portrait of great intensity perfectly struck and centred on a full flan, extremely fine Ex NFA XXII, 1989, 110; Sotheby’s 8.7.1996, 159 and NAC 24, 2002, European Nobleman, 215 sales.

This is among the earliest regular-issue coins to depict an emperor with shield and spear, a composition that been used occasionally by Gallienus and Aurelian before him, but which only came to be a standard image under Florian’s successor Probus. The shield on our coins is decorated with horseman and enemy motif, instead on all the other known specimens the shield displays no decoration. The inscriptions on both obverse and reverse testify to the valor (virtus) of the emperor, and as such they are an ideal accompaniment to his armoured bust and the charging Mars. The reverse is copied from the most common aureii of his predecessor Aurelian, which were struck in large quantities and must have been well distributed among the soldiers. To gain perspective on this exceptional aureus, we should pause to examine earlier aurei, such as those of Hadrian or Antoninus Pius, to understand how militarised the empire had become by this point in the 3rd Century. In this difficult age emperors tended to be judged on a narrow range of virtues, namely their successes in war and how richly they rewarded their soldiers.

 

https://www.icollector.com/Roman-Emp-Florian-Aureus-Jun-Aug-276_i8604797

FLORIAN. 276 AD. Æ As (9.62 gm, 11h). Rome mint. IMP C M ANN FLORIANVS AVG, laureate, draped, and cuirassed bust right, seen from behind / SECVRITAS AVG, S C across field, Securitas standing left, left leg crossed, holding long sceptre in right hand and leaning left elbow on draped column. RIC V 53 corr. (as); Hunter -; Cohen 85. Good VF, mottled green patina with traces of red. Extremely rare. ($2000)

From the Michael Weller Collection. Ex Classical Numismatic Group 63 (21 May 2003), lot 1520.

 

https://cngcoins.com/Coin.aspx?CoinID=57997

 

Florian. AD 276. Antoninianus (22mm, 3.77 g, 5h). Serdica mint, 2nd officina. 2nd emission, August AD 276. IMP C M AN FLORIANVS AVG, radiate and cuirassed bust right / PRO VIDEN D EOR, Fides standing right, holding signum in each hand, and Sol standing left, raising hand and holding globe; (star)//B. RIC V 110 var. (obv. legend); BN 1973; Venèra 2925. Near EF, attractive brown patina. Well centered and struck. Very rare, with only two examples cited in BN.

https://cngcoins.com/Coin.aspx?CoinID=163006

 

Qualora voleste approfondire le fonti vi segnalo questa apprezzabile analisi di Nicomaco

Ciao

Illyricum