Saturday, January 01, 2005
Billon antoninianus, Valerian II, Viminacium, Göbl 862b
P LIC VALERIANVS CAES, Radiate draped bust right | PIETAS AVGG, Sacrificial implements. (Göbl geräte 3.)
Coins were minted for both sons of Gallienus emphasizing their attention to duty in the state religion. The PIETAS types show the implements used in animal sacrifice in various arrangements.
And, Happy New Year.
Friday, December 31, 2004
Æ21, Alexandria Troas, Valerian, Bellinger A435
IMP LIC VALERIANVS AVG, Laureate draped cuirassed bust right | COL A_V_G [TROA], Drunken Hercules leaning left arm on shoulder of Pan, who stands on right facing him; behind Heracles, a bearded satyr ("don't forget your goat leggings!") supporting him; on left, another satyr grasping his right hand.
They may not have often shown it on their coins, but the Romans did know how to party when the need arose. (On reflection, I see I have forgotten about "spintriae", pornographic tokens from time of the first emperors, sometimes touted as "brothel tokens" but, in fact, no such thing.)
Thursday, December 30, 2004
Silvered Æ antoninianus, Gallienus, Antioch, Göbl 1613b(3)
GALLIENVS P F AVG, Radiate cuirassed bust right | ROMAE AETERNAE, Roma seated left on shield, holding spear right and Victory left, pellet in exergue.
This issue of ROMAE AETERNAE types from Antioch is quite complex, with many slightly different varieties and subvarieties. This example is different because it has a pellet, or dot, in the exergue, the area beneath the figure on the reverse.
Collectors of ancients sometimes deride modern collectors for having collections of coins all the same but for date and mintmark.
Wednesday, December 29, 2004
Tsunami
AR denarius, L. Mussidius Longus, Roman republic, 42 BCE, Crawford 42a
Diademed veiled bust of Concordia right, CONCORDIA behind | Two statues of Venus Cloacina standing on platform inscribed CLOACIN, L MVSSIDIVS LONGVS above.
The city of Rome had probably the most advanced sewers in the ancient world, an unglamorous feature, but one that kept their streets much healthier than those of their neighbors and one that our own cities emulate. Cloacina, later Venus Cloacina was the personification of that very modern system, and had a shrine, seen here, on the Forum. The foundations of the wall can still be seen today.
Tuesday, December 28, 2004
Æ30, Lyrbe in Cilicia, Gallienus, SNG von Aulock 5704
ΑVΤ ΚΑΙ ΠΟ ΛΙ ΓΑΛΛΙΗΝΟC CΕΒ, Laureate draped cuirassed bust right, Η before | ΛVΡΒ_ΕΙΤΩΝ, Zeus seated right, holding thunderbolt before and scepter behind, eagle at feet right.
I have a couple of coins of Valerian from Lyrbe, (some pics of ruins here) but this recent acquisition is my first of his son from that city.
Monday, December 27, 2004
Æ antoninianus, Gallienus, Mediolanum, Göbl 1220l
GALLIENVS AVG, Radiate cuirassed bust left, holding shield and spear before | PAX AVG, Pax advancing left, holding branch left and long scepter right.
Like Saturday's coin, this is a PAX AVG type. While Göbl's book certainly lists both the reverse and this bust type, it doesn't list them together. Other coins from this time and mint are seen with this bust, so it's no shock that it exists, there's even a place for it in Göbl's catalog grid, but he attests no known examples.
Got one.
Sunday, December 26, 2004
Æ30, Perga in Pamphylia, Gallienus, SNG Copenhagen 355
ΑVΤ Κ ΛΙ ΓΑΛΛΙΗΝΟC CΕ, Laureate draped cuirassed bust right, I before | ΠΕΡ_ΓΑΙ_ΩΝ, Chest with three purses.
This reverse, apparently showing prizes for a contest, was quite popular at Perga in this reign, in quite a variety.
