He is famous because he led an uprising of mint workers against the Emperor, but was defeated and killed, possibly in 274, but more probably in 271.
[2] Felicissimus was held responsible and when he was challenged by Aurelian, he incited the mint workers to revolt.
[1] In the uprising that followed, it is reported that the workers were massacred while 7,000 soldiers were killed during this revolt (Aurelius Victor xxxv 6; Historia Augusta, Aurelianus, xxxviii 2–4).
The fact that the mint of Rome was inactive for a short time before the monetary reform of 274 could be a consequence of this revolt, and the poor quality of the coinage at the beginning of Aurelian's reign supports the suggestion that the workers at the mint were adulterating the coinage.
Aurelian chose Gaius Valerius Sabinus as Felicissimus' successor and the mint at Rome was transferred to Mediolanum.