Saturday, July 23, 2005
Billon antoninianus, Gallienus, Rome, Göbl 586a
GALLIENVS AVG, Radiate head right | SECVRIT PERPET, Securitas standing facing, head left, holding scepter left and resting on column right, N in right field.
Perpetual security. Didn't work out that way, I don't suppose it ever does.
Friday, July 22, 2005
Æ tetradrachm, Alexandria, Salonina, Emmett 3856(14)
KOPNHΛIA CAΛωNEINA CEB, Diademed draped bust right | LIΔ, Elpis standing left, holding flower left, hitching skirt right. Palm in left field, regnal year in right.
Neither the Greeks nor the Romans often labelled depictions of their gods, instead presenting in a standardized iconography. Elpis, equivalent to the Roman Spes, holds a flower in one hand and hitches her skirt with the other.
I can't find a link to something that I've read, that this may represent a Spring festival featuring girls dancing in this manner.
Thursday, July 21, 2005
Billon antoninianus, Gallienus, Antioch, Göbl 1624c
GALLIENVS AVG, Radiate draped cuirassed bust right | FVNDATOR PACIS, Emperor standing facing, head right, holding branch right. Branch in exergue.
Gallienus is celebrated here as the founder of the peace, which followed the defeat of Macrianus and Quietus.
I can readily see, but can't yet put into words, the change in style of coins from this mint after the defeat of the usurpers, which presumably accompanied a change in die engravers. The fate of the previous engravers is, of course, unknown.
Wednesday, July 20, 2005
Billon antoninianus, Macrianus, Samosata, Göbl 1741k
IMP C FVL MACRIANVS P F AVG, Radiate cuirassed bust right | SOL INVICTO,Radiate-crowned draped Sol standing facing, head left, holding globe right and raising hand left. Star in left field.
Following the death of Aemilian, Valerian became emperor and soon raised his son Gallienus to also be emperor. Their coinage is rather well-covered every Thursday thru Tuesday. On Wednesdays I post something else.
T. Fulvius Iunius Macrianus claimed the office of emperor after the legions in the East, unsettled by the incursions of the Sasanian Persian king Shapur, and his capture of the emperor Valerian, revolted and chose their own emperor, while Gallienus still ruled.
Macrianus and his brother Quietus were killed less than a year later by the troops of the ambitious Odenathus.
Tuesday, July 19, 2005
Æ30, Side in Pamphylia, Salonina, SNG von Aulock 8551 (obv) / ...
... / Lindgren I, 1171 (rev)
KOPNHΛIA CAΛΩNINA CEB, Diademed draped bust right on crescent, I before, breaking legend | CIΔHTΩN N_EΩKOPΩN, Athena standing facing, head left, holding palm right, dropping pebble into amphora left.
The figure seen here of Athena voting represents the citizens (or the civic authorities?) of Side exercising a privilege that was, in Roman times, of more symbolic importance than anything else.
KOPNHΛIA CAΛΩNINA CEB, Diademed draped bust right on crescent, I before, breaking legend | CIΔHTΩN N_EΩKOPΩN, Athena standing facing, head left, holding palm right, dropping pebble into amphora left.
The figure seen here of Athena voting represents the citizens (or the civic authorities?) of Side exercising a privilege that was, in Roman times, of more symbolic importance than anything else.
Monday, July 18, 2005
Silvered Æ antoninianus, Gallienus, Antioch, Göbl 1630fnote
GALLIENVS AVG, Radiate head left | GENIV AVG, Genius standing facing, head left, holding cornucopia right, sacrificing from patera onto flaming tripod left.
I've posted a companion to this, also with a left-facing bust, but with a branch in the exergue. Presumably the branch has the same significance at Antioch as the palm field-mark has at Alexandria: celebration of the emperor's Decennalia. If they didn't jump the gun, this was minted just before the Decennalia, in autumn 262, and the coin linked above just after.
Sunday, July 17, 2005
Æ20, Cyme in Aeolis, Gallienus, SNG Cop 162
ΑΚ ΠΟ ΛΙΚ ΓΑΛΛΙΗΝΟC, Laureate draped cuirassed bust right | ΚV_ΜΑ_ΙΩ_Ν, Nude male figure standing facing, head right, holding globe left and bridled horse right.
I hate accidentally buying a duplicate of something I already have. I initially put my collection into an html table, which became my my first website, to be able to easily check against that. Even now, though, sometimes I'm careless. Sometimes repeatedly.
