Volusian Antoninianus — Son and Co-Emperor of Trebonianus Gallus

Own a Coin from the Crisis of the Third Century

A genuine NGC-certified silvered billon antoninianus of Volusian—son of Trebonianus Gallus and later co-emperor during the turbulent years AD 251–253.

✓ NGC Certified
✓ Guaranteed Authentic
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📷 Coin shown is a representative example. You will receive one authentic NGC-certified antoninianus of Volusian. Each coin is unique and will vary in grade, strike, centering, silvering, reverse type, and overall appearance.

👑 Elevated during a dynastic crisis after the death of Decius
⚔ Ruled during plague, frontier pressure, and renewed military revolt
🤲 A genuine coin from one of the shortest-lived father-son regimes of the third century

Own This Piece of History

Why This Coin Matters

After Trajan Decius and his son Herennius Etruscus were killed fighting the Goths at Abritus in AD 251, the army proclaimed Trebonianus Gallus emperor.

Gallus initially recognized Decius's surviving son Hostilian as Augustus, while his own son Volusian was first given the rank of Caesar. After Hostilian died later in AD 251—apparently during the epidemic traditionally associated with the Plague of Cyprian—Volusian was elevated to Augustus and became co-emperor with his father.

This sequence matters. Volusian was not simply made co-emperor immediately on Gallus's accession; his elevation came after a brief attempt to preserve continuity with the previous dynasty.

The reign of Gallus and Volusian unfolded amid serious military and political instability. Gothic and other frontier threats continued, the epidemic caused widespread mortality, and rival commanders could rapidly turn battlefield success into imperial claims.

In AD 253, the general Aemilian was proclaimed emperor by his troops after campaigning on the Danube. As he advanced into Italy, Gallus and Volusian moved to oppose him, but their own soldiers killed them before a decisive battle was fought.

Aemilian's own reign was equally brief: he too was killed when the forces of Valerian approached.

This antoninianus was struck during that cycle of rapid succession, preserving the portrait of a young emperor whose elevation was part of an attempted dynastic settlement during one of Rome's most unstable periods.

Perfect For

• Collectors of the Crisis of the Third Century
• Roman imperial silver collectors
• Collectors of short-reign emperors
• NGC-certified ancient coin collectors
• Students of Roman succession crises

What You'll Receive

• One authentic NGC-certified antoninianus of Volusian
• Ruler: Volusian
• Period: AD 251–253
• Denomination: Antoninianus
• Civilization: Roman Empire
• Representative example shown (each coin is unique)

Buy with Confidence

• NGC certified
• Carefully sourced and attributed
• 30-day return policy
• Secure shipping from the U.S.

Learn More

Continue the story in the Kinzer Coins Journal: Roman Soldier-Emperors: Collecting the Crisis of the Third Century.