Saturday, June 11, 2005
Silvered Æ antoninianus, Gallienus, Rome, Göbl 579w
GALLIENVS AVG, Radiate cuirassed bust right | FECVNDITAS AVG, Fecunditas standing facing, head left, holding cornucopia right, reaching down to child, left.
I'm not sure why I see so many coins of Gallienus with this reverse, intended for his wife. I previously posted this, which is certainly an ancient counterfeit, and this, which might be, but today's coin convinces me that it's a product of the official mint.
Friday, June 10, 2005
Æ28, Berytus in Phoenicia, Valerian, Sear GIC 4506
IMP C P LIC VALERIANVS AVG, Radiate cuirassed bust right | COL IVL AVG FEL BER, Astarte standing facing, holding torch(?) left, crowned by Nike standing on a column, right.
This is from Berytus, site of modern Beirut, then a Roman colony, home to many retired legionaries. It's quite similar the the coins of Tyre, another Roman colony located in what would become modern Lebanon.
Thursday, June 09, 2005
Silvered Æ antoninianus, Gallienus, Siscia, Göbl 1402ffvar..
(VICTORIA AVG)
GALLIENVS AVG, Radiate cuirassed bust right | VICTORI AVG, Victory advancing left, holding wreath before and palm over shoulder.
I've previously posted a rather similar coin that also mistakenly omits one of a pair of As in the reverse legend. While some collectors of modern coins concentrate on errors, and modern errors are uncommon, ancient errors are not at all uncommon and don't attract the same attention.
GALLIENVS AVG, Radiate cuirassed bust right | VICTORI AVG, Victory advancing left, holding wreath before and palm over shoulder.
I've previously posted a rather similar coin that also mistakenly omits one of a pair of As in the reverse legend. While some collectors of modern coins concentrate on errors, and modern errors are uncommon, ancient errors are not at all uncommon and don't attract the same attention.
Wednesday, June 08, 2005
AR antoninianus, Trajan Decius, Rome, 249-251, RIC 12b
IMP C M Q TRAIANVS DECIVS AVG, Radiate draped cuirassed bust right | DACIA, Dacia standing facing, head left, holding staff with head of an ass left.
Gaius Messius Quintus Trajanus Decius became emperor following the deaths of Philip the Arab and his son.
He accomplished little of note, spending most of his time as emperor fighting the Goths and their allies, and eventually fell in battle with them at Abrittus, today the site of Razgrad, Bulgaria.
He's best remembered today as a determined persecutor of Christians.
Tuesday, June 07, 2005
Æ17, Temnos in Aeolis, quasi-autonomous, SNG Copenhagen 274
TH_MNOC, Turreted bust of city goddess (the Amazon founder of the city?) right | THM_NEITΩN, Tyche standing facing, head left, holding cornucopia right and rudder left.
An interesting little coin from the time of Valerian and Gallienus that very closely resembles this coin from nearby Cyme. It's clear that many provincial coins were minted using some sort of shared facilities. It's hard to know if coins were minted in a central location, or if finished dies were prepared centrally and distributed for use by less-skilled local labor, or if skilled personnel and their tools travelled.
Monday, June 06, 2005
Silvered Æ antoninianus, Gallienus, Rome, Göbl 611a
GALLIENVS AVG, Radiate head right | IOVIS STATOR, Jove standing facing, head right, holding scepter left.
Contemporary with the coin I posted Thursday, and, like it, distinguished by the lack of a mark for the officina, or mint workshop. IOVIS STATOR is Jove the Stayer (of armies about to flee).
Sunday, June 05, 2005
Æ25, Cotiaeum in Phrygia, Valerian, Lindgren III, 576
AVT K Π ΛIK OVAΛEPIANON, Radiate draped bust right | EΠI Π AIΛ ΔH·MH TPIANOVC IΠΠ / KOTIAEΩN;, Kybele riding lion right. AP / X in upper fields.
It's hard to recruit followers for Kybele nowadays, I imagine. I'm not sure why it was ever easier.
