Saturday, August 13, 2005
Æ antoninianus, Gallienus, Rome, Göbl 366x
GALLIENVS AVG, Radiate cuirassed bust right | PAX AVG, Pax standing facing, head left, holding branch left and long scepter transverse. V in left field.
The Moneta-L discussion list had an interesting thread last month on what the various branches and their orientation might indicate.
Friday, August 12, 2005
Æ tetradrachm, Alexandria, Valerian II, Emmett 3764(5)
Π ΛIK KOP OVAΛEPIANOC KAIC CEB, Bare-headed draped cuirassed bust right | L_E, Eagle standing left, head right, wreath in beak. Regnal year across fields.
Minted in 257-258, the fifth year of his grandfather's and father's reigns, the last year that Alexadria struck for Valerian II, this is one of the few relatively common Alexandrian coins of Valerian II, but still isn't something often seen. Particularly on Valerian's drapery it's clear that this coin didn't suffer much wear, but the red encrustation on and around his head, and the green encrustation on top of that make this coin not a top example of "eye appeal".
Consider this post from last year, an Alexandrian coin of Valerian's brother Saloninus, with more wear but without the splotchy crusty patina.
Thursday, August 11, 2005
Billon antoninianus, Gallienus, Köln, Göbl 890h
GALLIENVS·P·F·AVG, Radiate cuirassed bust right | VIRT GALLIENI AVG, Gallienus, with spear and shield, advancing right, treading on fallen enemy.
Again with the stompy-stompy! I think someone liked to declare, and be reminded, how puissant they were.
Wednesday, August 10, 2005
AR denarius, Roman Republic, Q. Minucius Thermus, 103 BCE, Crawford 319/1
Helmeted head of Mars right | Roman soldier defending fallen comrade against barbarian warrior. Q·THERM·MF· in exergue.
Crawford says that the reverse scene depicts the heroic act of one of the moneyor's ancestors, but that there's no knowing which. Presumably Romans knew quite well, 2100 years ago.
While it wasn't acceptable for a Republican moneyor to try to advance their career by touting their own good qualities on the coins, reminding Rome of honorable ancestors and noble families was quite tolerable, here in the late days of the Republic.
Tuesday, August 09, 2005
Æ30, Side in Pamphylia, Gallienus, BMC 106
AVT KAI ΠOV ΛI EΓN ΓAΛΛIHNOC CEB, Laureate draped bust right, I before | CIΔHTΩN N_E_ΩKOPΩN, Athena standing facing, head left, holding palm right, dropping pebble into amphora left.
This design, representing voting, was often used at Side. As a provincial city, they weren't voting for anything of great Imperial importance, which may have made their vote for civic authorities seem all the more important.
Monday, August 08, 2005
Æ antoninianus, Gallienus, Antioch, Göbl 1640b
GALLIENVS AVG, Radiate cuirassed bust right | FORTVNA RDVX, Fortuna standing facing, head left, holding cornucopia right and caduceus left. VIIC· in exergue.
The reverse observes the emperor's return, but I don't know if this was issued upon his return or on his leaving when his return was hoped for. It was not issued with the PXV exergue or, in this style, with no exergual marking.
Compare it with this ancient counterfeit that matches this reverse with an obverse for Salonina, wife of Gallienus.
Sunday, August 07, 2005
Æ23, Tabae in Caria, quasi-autonomous, Sear GIC 4573
IEPOC ΔHMOC, Laureate draped bust of Demos right, large B before | TABHNΩN, Tyche standing facing, head left, holding cornucopia right and rudder left.
This same reverse was also used on coins of Tabae bearing the imperial portrait.
