Saturday, November 19, 2005
Billon antoninianus, Gallienus, Rome, Göbl 27t
IMP C P LIC GALLIENVS AVG, Radiate draped cuirassed bust right | PAX AVGG, Pax standing left, holding branch branch in right hand and diagonal scepter in left.
Part of the initial emission of coins issued for Valerian and Gallienus, his son. The quality of the metal, while poor, was as good as it'd be until years after the end of the reign, amd the portraiture looked different than it would in later years.
Friday, November 18, 2005
Æ27, Tyre in Phoenicia, Gallienus, Cohen 1481
IM[P C P LIC GALLI]ENVS AVG, Radiate draped bust right | [COL T]VRO MET,Apollo? standing right, head left, draped waist-down, raising right arm. N_? across fields, murex shell in lower right field.
My first post was of a coin of Salonina from Tyre which shared a reverse with a coin of her husband, thought to be known in only a single example "from the Pellerin collection, now in Paris."
Some time later I saw a second example of that coin sold at auction.
Today's coin, a recent acquisition, is an example of Cohen 1481 itself. I find it interesting that the reverse dies are not identical (the Gallienus shows COL TVRO to the right of Apollo and MET to his left, where the Salonina shows COL TV to his right and RO MET to his left, for example.) That two different dies exist argues against this having been minted in unusually small numbers, even if it's quite scarce now.
I bid high, and was willing to pay high, because I know what this is. Because only a handful of others know, and they may not care much, I paid under $20, with shipping from the UK.
Thursday, November 17, 2005
Silvered Æ antoninianus, Gallienus, Antioch, Göbl 1623d
GALLIENVS P F AVG, Radiate cuirassed bust right | P M TR P XIII, Lion walking left toward bucranium. C VI P P over branch in exergue.
Only slightly different from the more common Göbl 1622d, which uses the obverse legend GALLIENVS AVG and a more realistic bust.
A reverse that's been a bit of a jinx for me lately, missing out one way or another on examples from Siscia and Cyzikus, I was reassured when this arrived in the mail.
Wednesday, November 16, 2005
Æ21, Judaea, Mattathias Antigonus, Sear Greek 6104
[(Hebrew legend: Mattityah the high priest)], Cornucopia | [BACIΛEΩC ANTIΓONOY] (or similar), Legend in wreath
In 40 BCE, Mattathias Antigonos allied himself with the Parthians and raised an army in Judaea which defeated that of his uncle, the Roman-friendly John Hyrcanus II. The Romans responded with support for Herod the Great, and Mattathias Antigonos was destroyed in 37 BCE.
Tuesday, November 15, 2005
Æ26, Ephesus in Ionia, Salonina, BM 391
CAΛΩN·XPVCOΓ[ONH CE], Diademed draped bust right on crescent | EΦEC[IΩN ? NEOKO]PΩN, Artemis advancing right, drawing bow, hound running at feet.
This is one of many similar designs from Ephesus featuring Artemis as huntress.
Monday, November 14, 2005
Silvered Æ antoninianus, Salonina, Antioch, Göbl 1648d
SALONINA AVG, Diademed draped bust right on crescent | AEQVITAS AVG, Aequitas standing left, holding scales in right hand and cornucopia with left. VIIC· in exergue, crescent in left field.
Our modern allegory of Justice takes her scales from this Roman depiction of equity. VIIC· in exergue here marks this coin as being made during the 7th consulship of Gallienus, which began in January 266.
Sunday, November 13, 2005
Æ16, Samos (Ionian Island), Saloninus, unknown
obscure, Laureate draped bust right | CAM_IΩN, Cultus statue of Diana Ephesia.
Clearly I must upgrade my references for Ionia. I begin now, by ordering the appropriate volume of the British Museum Collection catalogue.
