Saturday, October 29, 2005
Silvered Æ antoninianus, Gallienus, Antioch, Göbl 1640b
GALLIENVS AVG, Radiate cuirassed bust right | FORTVNA REDVX, Fortuna standing left, holding caduceus with right hand and cornucopia with left. VIIC· in exergue.
Coins with this legend, or a similar one are common for Gallienus, suggesting that he did a lot of travelling, and thus a lot of returning.
Friday, October 28, 2005
Æ21, Parium in Mysia, Salonina, cf. SNG France 1538
CVRNE SALONINA AVG, Diademed draped bust right | C G I H PA, She-wolf standing right, head down looking at twins while they suckle.
The image of the she-wolf suckling Romulus and Remus, mythical founders of Rome, was widely used on coins of Rome, as well as here, on those of the Latin-speaking colonies.
While the widely reproduced statue of the Capitoline wolf has her head up, she's seen looking down at the twins on these coins, so the most-known statue of this time may have been different than that of today.
Thursday, October 27, 2005
Æ antoninianus, Gallienus, Rome, Göbl 518t
GALLIENVS AVG, Radiate cuirassed bust right | FIDEI PRAET, Three standards.
A very uncommon coin, but not a particularly interesting one, this is associated with the coins celebrating the Decennalia, the tenth anniverary of the emperor's accession. It recognizes the emperor's dependance on the faithfulness of the Praetorian Guard, similar to this coin, apparently unpublished, which recognizes the faithfulness of the army.
Wednesday, October 26, 2005
Æ antoninianus, Cyzicus, Florian, RIC 116
IMP FLORIANVS AVG, Radiate draped cuirassed bust right | CONCORDIA MILITVM, Victory standing right, holding palm in left hand, with right presenting wreath to Florian, who is togate, standing left, holding long sceptre with left hand. T in exergue.
After the death of Tacitus the portion of the army that was with his brother Marcus Annius Florianus, who was praetorian prefect, acclaimed him emperor.
Almost immediately, troops in the East rose against Florian, in support of Probus. After some weeks of inconclusive skirmishing, Florian's army assassinated him, and 88 days after it began, Florian's reign ended.
Tuesday, October 25, 2005
Æ26, Ptolemais-Ace in Phoenicia, Valerian, cf. Sear 4507
[IMP CAES P L]IC VALERIANVS AV, Laureate bust left with shield on left shoulder and spear held over right | COL PTOL, Sacred tree, serpents arise from altars on either side. Caduceus in right field.
This reverse is well-documented, but I haven't seen it cataloged with this martial bust. The sacred tree was an old symbol in Phoenicia, probably pre-dating Helenistic times.
Ptolemais-Ace was the Acre of the Crusaders and is today Acco in Israel.
Monday, October 24, 2005
Æ as, Gallienus, Rome, Göbl 117o
IMP GALLIENVS P F AVG GERM, Laureate cuirassed bust right | VICTORIA GERM, Victoria standing left, holding wreath aloft with right hand, palm in left. Captive at feet left. S_C across fields.
Bought from an ebay seller who misidentified it as an antoninianus, a far more common coin at this time, the price it brought indicated that the mistake didn't cost him anything. Were I an untrusting person, I'd wonder if a trivial error like that might be a marketing ploy for garnering interest for a worn coin by convincing buyers that they knew something the seller didn't.
I don't think I got a bargain, nor that I overpayed, but I use esnipe and don't involve myself in bidding wars.
Sunday, October 23, 2005
Æ28, Irenopolis in Cilicia, Gallienus, SNG Levante 1629
ΠOV ΛIK ΓAΛIHNOC, Bare-headed draped and cuirassed bust right | IPHNO[ΠOΛE], Cybele seated left on rock, resting hand on drum right, two lions at feet. Large Z in left field, C in right field.
The ZC marking is a civic date, 207 years after the foundation of the city, c. 51 CE, by Antiochus IV Epiphanes, so the coin is dated to 258-259 CE.
I find it unusual that Gallienus is shown here headgear and named without title.
