Volusian AD 251-253. Rome
Sestertius Æ

28 mm, 17,28 g

IMP CAE C [VIB VOLV]SIANO AVG, laureate, draped and cuirassed bust right / AP[O]LLO S[A]LVTARI, Apollo, nude, standing left, holding branch and resting hand on lyre.

Very Fine

RIC IV-3 248; Cohen 15; Sear 9783.

Volusianus, whose full name was Gaius Vibius Volusianus, was a Roman emperor who co-ruled with his father, Trebonianus Gallus, during the "Crisis of the Third Century." He was born in AD 207. In AD 251, Trebonianus Gallus became emperor after the death of Decius. He appointed his son Volusianus as co-emperor to solidify his rule and secure succession. Volusianus' reign was marked by economic challenges and military conflicts, including invasions by the Goths and the rebellion of the usurper Aemilianus. In AD 253, Aemilianus was proclaimed emperor by the Roman army in Moesia, and Trebonianus Gallus and Volusianus were killed by their own troops. Volusianus' short reign left a limited impact on the Roman Empire, but his co-rule with his father is a notable aspect of the turbulent "Crisis of the Third Century" period. His untimely death further contributed to the instability of the Roman Empire during that era.