CONCORDIA AVGG

Radiate, draped and cuirassed bust of Pupienus right, seen from three quarters back. 

Two clasped hands.

Photo of a coin sold the 05/08/2014 by Stack's Bowers Galleries, August 2014 Chicago ANA Auction, lot 30222, link to the sale: https://www.acsearch.info/search.html?id=2097368, link to their website: http://www.stacksbowers.com/.

This coin has been classified as a hybrid, more specifically a Pupienus obverse legend used with a Balbinus reverse. I allow myself to question this assertion. First, if the reverse type was used by Balbinus, this does not prove that the coin is therefore a hybrid. I have already noted reverse dies that were used for Pupienus and Balbinus, so even if we tie these CONCORDIA AVGG reverse dies to Balbinus, that won't prove they are hybrids. These reverses are the result of massive productions for the two emperors. Second, I was able to note two different obverse and two reverse dies in a total of three coins sold that I observed for this type with obverse legend IMP CAES M CLOD PVPIENVS AVG (AYC #6, RIC - ). At this stage, it cannot yet be ruled out that these are hybrids. What comes, in my opinion, to show that we have a real official production, is that all the antoninians of Pupienus have two different obverse legends: IMP CAES M CLOD PVPIENVS AVG and IMP CAES PVPIEN MAXIMVS AVG. These two legends were used for this CONCORDIA type (see AYC #6, RIC -). The only point that would therefore support a theory on hybrid coins is the very low apparent production. Indeed, I could only find four coins sold for this production. Three with the obverse legend: IMP CAES M CLOD PVPIENVS AVG and only one with the legend IMP CAES PVPIEN MAXIMVS AVG. Despite this and with what I demonstrated just before, i therefore do not classify these coins as hybrids but as low production. The discovery of new copies would support the thesis of an official production.

I observe that on most of Pupienus' coins the cuirass is almost invisible and the shoulder appears smooth. Although I have listed a variant with a non-cuirassed bust for other emperors from the same period, this bust of Pupienus seems to be cuirassed. We see streaks indicating a cuirass in the lower shoulder or at least an irregular lower shoulder showing a desire to display a cuirass. Here is an example:

 On this photo the streaks are visible at the bottom of the shoulder. 

On ne peut pourtant pas exclure que des bustes seulement drapés existent. Pour l'instant, je n'ai pas noté d'exemplaire où l'épaule est indubitablement lisse. 

However, we cannot exclude that only draped busts exist. So far, I haven't noticed an example where the shoulder is undoubtedly smooth.

I did not make a table on the frequency of appearance of the type according to the legends as I was able to do on the other Antoninians of the types AMOR MVTVVS AVGG, CARITAS MVTVA AVGG and PATRES SENATVS. There are too few copies (four) to analyze.