Tacitus, Antoninianus, billon, reign 275-276, minted 275-276

Tacitus, Antoninianus, billon, reign 275-276, minted 275-276, weight 3.8 g, diameter 22 mm. Obverse: laureate, cuirassed bust right; legend IMP C M CL TACITVS P AVG. Reverse: Salus standing right feeding serpent held in arms; legend SALVS PVBLI. Strike: well-centered on a slightly irregular flan with full legends visible. Toning: light grey with traces of original silvering. References: RIC V 159; scarce issue attributed to the mint of Ticinum. Marcus Claudius Tacitus was proclaimed emperor by the senate after the death of Aurelian in 275. His brief reign focused on restoring senatorial authority and addressing external threats along the Danube and in the East. The antoninianus remained the principal silver-washed billon coin of the empire; issues from Ticinum, such as this piece, reflect continued debasement yet retained the traditional iconography of imperial welfare, here personified by Salus. The type underscores the regime’s message of public health and stability during a period of rapid imperial turnover in the Crisis of the Third Century.