Barbarous radiates are imitations of the antoninianus, a type of coin issued during the Roman Empire, which are so named due to their crude style and prominent radiant crown worn by the emperor. Barbarous radiates were issued privately primarily during the Crisis of the Third Century (c. 259-274 AD) in the western provinces. They are not generally regarded as forgeries since they were rarely deceptive because they were smaller and cruder than standard issues. They probably functioned as small change.