Saturday, January 29, 2005
Billon antoninianus, Gallienus, Rome, Göbl 15t
IMP C P LIC GALLIENVS AVG, Radiate draped cuirassed bust right | CONCORDIA EXERCIT, Concordia standing facing, head left, holding patera left and double cornucopias right.
Part of the same issue as Thursday's coin, this features drapery and cuirass, less often seen with this reverse than the cuirass alone.
Friday, January 28, 2005
Æ26, Neocaesarea in Pontus, Gallienus, SNG Copenhagen 220
AVT KAI ΠO ΛIK ΓAΛΛIHNOC, Laureate draped cuirassed bust right | [MHT NEOK]AI[CAPIA / E]T PQΘ, Legend around wreath with "A" on top.
Rather less impressive than Tuesday's well-preserved provincial coin, this one saw some wear in the first few years after it was made and some deterioration in the centuries since.
The PQΘ beneath the wreath is a date written in Greek numerals, 199 (years since the official founding of the city in 64 CE), equal to 263 CE.
Thursday, January 27, 2005
Billon antoninianus, Gallienus, Rome, Göbl 15v
IMP C P LIC GALLIENVS AVG, Radiate cuirassed bust right | CONCORDIA EXERCIT, Concordia standing facing, head left, holding patera left and double cornucopias right.
A very early issue, perhaps coined not long after Valerian raised Gallienus to be emperor, this honors concord with the army, without which an emperor could not expect long life.
While Gallienus, emperor from 253 - 268 CE, stands out for having one of the longest reigns of the third century, it was his officers who finally ended his reign, assassinating him and his wife.
Wednesday, January 26, 2005
AR denarius, C. Norbanus, Roman Republic, 83 BCE, Crawford 357/1b
Diademed head of Venus right, VIII behind, C·NORBANVS beneath | Fasces with axe, grain ear to left, cauduceus to right.
The fasces was seen as recently as the "Mercury" dime, replaced in 1946 by the still-current Roosevelt dime.
According to Crawford, C. Norbanus is thought to be the son of the C. Norbanus who was consul in 83 BCE and vainly fought against Sulla, and to have himself been consul in 38 BCE.
Tuesday, January 25, 2005
Æ27, Serdica in Thrace, Gallienus, unknown
AVT K ΓAΛ_ΛIHNOC, Laureate cuirassed bust right, seen from slightly behind | OVΛΠIAC CEPΔIKHC, Zeus standing facing, head right, holding eagle before and brandishing thunderbolt behind.
A recent aquisition and my nicest example of my favorite obverse die from this provincial mint, which was on the site of modern Sofia, Bulgaria.
Monday, January 24, 2005
Æ antoninianus, Gallienus, Siscia, Göbl 1411ff
GALLIENVS AVG, Radiate cuirassed bust right | PAX AVG, Pax seated left holding branch left and transverse scepter.
A little over a year ago I posted the coin, taken from an uncleaned lot, that started me collecting Gallienus. As I write this, I've just acquired this similar coin, from the same mint and probably issued within a month or two. The bust is different, and it's somewhat easier to see the details on this one.
Sunday, January 23, 2005
Æ31, Tabae in Caria, Gallienus, SNG Copenhagen 575
AYT K Π ΛIK ΓAΛΛIHNOC CEB, Laureate cuirassed bust right | LIB, Tyche seated left holding cornucopia right and rudder left. Palm in right field, regnal year in left.
Like Friday's post, this depicts Tyche, this time in a more commonly seen standing pose. I believe this shares an obverse die with this earlier post. The Tyche reverse was very popular on coins of this city.
