Roman Provincial, Herennius Etruscus (as Caesar), AR Tetradrachm

Quintus Herennius Etruscus Messius Decius was the elder son of Emperor Trajan Decius and Empress Herennia Etruscilla. He was appointed Caesar in AD 250, formally marking him out as his father’s intended successor. The title Caesar on this coin shows that it was struck before or around his elevation to the higher rank of Augustus in AD 251.

Herennius accompanied his father on the Roman campaign against the Goths, who had invaded the Balkan provinces. In AD 251 both father and son were killed at the Battle of Abritus in present-day Bulgaria. According to the ancient accounts, Herennius was struck by an arrow during the fighting. His father reportedly urged the army onward, declaring that the death of one soldier was no great loss to the Republic. Trajan Decius was subsequently killed as the Roman army suffered a disastrous defeat.

Herennius Etruscus consequently held imperial rank for only a very short period. Coins issued in his name provide some of the principal surviving evidence for his appearance, titles and place within the short-lived dynasty established by Trajan Decius.

This tetradrachm was struck at Antioch ad Orontem, one of the largest and most important cities of the eastern Roman Empire. Antioch served as an administrative, commercial and military centre and was particularly important for Roman operations along the eastern frontier.

The large tetradrachms produced at Antioch belonged to a regional monetary system distinct from the denarii and antoniniani commonly used in the western provinces. By the middle of the third century their silver content had been substantially reduced, and the coins are therefore frequently described as billon or debased-silver tetradrachms.

The eagle was associated with Jupiter, the supreme Roman god, and represented imperial authority, military power and divine protection. The wreath and palm branch were traditional symbols of victory, particularly significant on a coin issued while the Imperial family was engaged in a major war against the Goths.