Sestertius (?) Aurelian

AURELIAN. Æ Sestertius. Rome, 4th officina, 11th emission, 275 AD. Obv. IMP AVRELIANVS AVG Laureate, cuirassed bust r. with short beard. Rev. CONCORDIA AVG Concordia, draped and diademed, standing r., shaking hands with emperor, laureate and in military attire, standing l., holding spear in his l. hand; between them, draped and radiate bust of Sol r. In exergue, officina mark = Δ RIC 80; Cohen 35 Scarce. Traditionally these coins have been described as asses because their appearance is similar to the last true asses struck during under Valerian and Gallienus, and are made of copper, however most recent scholarship identifies them as reduced sestertii since inflation had rendered the as an irrelevant denomination, yet the sestertius still remained as the acknowledged unit of accounting. A monetary reform was carried out in 274 AD, introducing new bronze coinage, with sestertii bearing a laureated portrait, and double sestertii (obverse bearing radiate portrait of Aurelian, reverse bearing portrait on moon crescent of Severina).[after NAC] Green patina.