guy Posted November 26, 2022 Report Share Posted November 26, 2022 (edited) There has long been a debate in the numismatic world based on coin evidence whether there was a “forgotten emperor usurper” named Sponsianus. Recent forensic studies of a coin bearing his name has possibly confirmed the authenticity of the coin. A coin of Sponsian was located at the Hunterian museum in Glasgow and has recently undergone a close evaluation. Quote The ‘Roman emperor’ Sponsian is known only from an assemblage of coins allegedly found in Transylvania (Romania) in 1713. They are very unlike regular Roman coins in style and manufacture, with various enigmatic features including bungled legends and historically mixed motifs, and have long been dismissed as poorly made forgeries. Here we present non-destructive imaging and spectroscopic results that show features indicative of authenticity. Deep micro-abrasion patterns suggest extensive circulation-wear. Superficial patches of soil minerals bound by authigenic cement and overlain by oxidation products indicate a history of prolonged burial then exhumation. These observations force a re-evaluation of Sponsian as a historical personage. Combining evidence from the coins with the historical record, we suggest he was most likely an army commander in the isolated Roman Province of Dacia during the military crisis of the 260s CE, and that his crudely manufactured coins supported a functioning monetary economy that persisted locally for an appreciable period. https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0274285 Despite some impressive and extensive evidence that possibly proves the authenticity of the coin, there does not seem to be any consensus that Sponsian was either a potential usurper or even a real person. There was a suggestion that the coin was an ancient barbarous imitation. Below is a numismatic thread that delves more deeply into the Sponsian controversy: https://www.cointalk.com/threads/the-legend-of-sponsianus.364019/ Excellent video on the controversy: Edited November 26, 2022 by guy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
guy Posted November 27, 2022 Author Report Share Posted November 27, 2022 Here is a very persuasive article that concludes that the coin is a forgery, in fact, a very bad one: https://antigonejournal.com/2022/11/sponsian-fake-emperor/ This coin probably is not evidence of a previously unknown emperor, unlike the numismatic evidence that may confirm the usurper Domitian II: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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