Saturday, December 03, 2005
Billon antoninianus, Gallienus, Rome, Göbl 358w
GALLIENVS AVG, Radiate cuirassed bust left, seen from slightly behind | VICTORIA AVG III, Victory advancing left, raising wreath in right hand, holding palm in left. T in left field.
As with Thursday's coin, this one is a fairly common type when matched with a particular bust (in this case a radiate cuirassed bust right), but not at all common with this left-facing bust.
Friday, December 02, 2005
Æ30, Adana in Cilicia, Valerian, SNG France 1887
AV KAI ΠOV ΛIK O_VAΛEPIANOC CB, Laureate cuirassed bust right | AΔPI_ANωN AΔANEωN, Zeus seated on throne left, holding patera in right hand and scepter in left.
Often on coins, especially imperial issues, with busts described as draped and cuirassed, the only sign of a cuirass is a bit of fringe at the shoulder, more completely visible on this provincial.
Thursday, December 01, 2005
Billon antoninianus, Gallienus, Rome, Göbl 265g
GALLIENVS AVG, Radiate draped cuirassed bust right | FORTVNA REDVX, Fortuna standing left, holding rudder on globe in right hand and cornucopia in left. Digamma in right field.
The reverse is one of the most-commonly seen coins of Gallienus, with Göbl attesting over 400 examples pf this reverse with a radiate head right obverse. He attests only 11 examples with this obverse, not unspeakably rare, but overwhelmed by its more common relative.
Wednesday, November 30, 2005
Æ18, Leukas in Akarnania, after 167 BCE, cf. Sear GCV 2291
Statue of Aphrodite Aineias (mother of Aeneas) right | ΛΕΥΚΑΔ_ΙΩΝ, Prow right.
Leukas was (and is) an island off the Western coast of Greece, and was part of a group of cities that allied with Philip V of Macedon and his son Perseus against Rome. Even after Rome defeated the Macedonians, theAkarnanians maintained their independance until they were absorbed by the forces of Octavian in the aftermath of Actium.
Tuesday, November 29, 2005
Æ32, Syedra in Cilicia, Salonina, SNG Copenhagen 255
KOPNHΛIA CAΛΩNINA CEB, Diademed draped bust right, IA before | CVEΔ_ΡE_ΩN, Demeter walking right, wearing kalathos and holding torch in each hand.
Demeter was a Greek goddess of of fertility, planting, and the harvest, equated with the Roman goddess Ceres. She's often seen carrying a torch (or, as here, a pair of them) because of her time searching for her daughter Persephone.
Monday, November 28, 2005
Billon antoninianus, Valerian, Rome, Göbl 201a
IMP VALERIANVS AVG, Radiate draped cuirassed bust right | CONSERVT AVGG,Apollo standing left, raising branch in right hand, resting left hand on and lyre at feet left. Q in left field.
While Göbl expresses surprise at the apparently misspelled reverse legend, he attests about the same number of examples of this as for the CONSERVAT AVGG version. In fact, this version seems to be more common in the market than does the “correct” one. Both are abbreviations of Conservatori Avgvsti, commemorating Apollo's protection of the emperors.
Sunday, November 27, 2005
Æ tetradrachm, Alexandria, Salonina, Emmett 3848(13)
KOPNHΛIA CAΛωNEINA CEB, Diademed draped bust right | LIΓ, Dikaiosyne standing left, holding scales in right hand and cornucopia in left. Palm in right field, regnal year in left field.
Dikaiosyne holds the same attributes as the Roman Aequitas, but is characterized more like Justice than Equity alone.
