Friday, July 14, 2006
Æ30, Side in Pamphylia, Salonina, SNG Copenhagen 430
KOPNHΛIA CAΛΩ[NINA CEBA], Diademed draped bust right, eight-pointed star above, E countermark before | CIΔHTΩ_[N N_EΩ]KOPΩN, Apollo facing holding spear in right hand and leaning with left arm on column.
Provincial coins seem to have been minted in such small numbers that they become familiar, and this obverse, from the same die as this I think, felt like seeing an old friend.
Thursday, July 13, 2006
Billon antoninianus, Gallienus, Rome, Göbl 22v
IMP C P LIC GALLIENVS AVG, Radiate cuirassed bust right | FIDES MILITVM,Fides standing left, holding a standard to either side.
Just over a year ago, I posted this coin of Valerian with the same reverse, and now I've obtained this coin of Gallienus, issued simultaneously. While adding a coin for one emperor when I already have an example of the reverse for the other emperor isn't as compelling as getting a reverse that I don't have at all, the portrait on this is nice enough to convince me to buy.
Wednesday, July 12, 2006
Æ3/4, Delmatius, Siscia, RIC 256
FL DELMATIVS NOB C, Laureate draped cuirassed bust right | GLORIA EXERCITVS, Two soldiers standing either side of one standard,BSIS in exergue.
Flavius Dalmatius was a nephew of Constantine and was raised to the office of Caesar by him. Upon the death of Constantine in 337 soldiers under his son Constantius II conducted a purge of other family members and their supporters and the high rank of Delmatius made him a special danger to Constantius and a special target for attack. Delmatius was dead by the end of the year.
Tuesday, July 11, 2006
Æ30, Side in Pamphylia, Gallienus, cf. Lindgren III, 668a
[AVT] KAI ΠO ΛI ΓAΛΛIHN[OC CEB], Laureate draped cuirassed bust right over eagle with wings spread. E countermark before | [AΠ]OΛΛΩNO_C CIΔHTΩN, Apollo Sidetes standing left, holding patera left and scepter right. NE_Ω_KOP in exergue.
Why the emperor is so often shown over an eagle isn't clear to me. I have coins with similar obverses from the Pamphylian cities of Perga and Sillyum and from Colybrassus in Pisidia.
Clearly the iconography meant something, but I don't have any good explanations.
Monday, July 10, 2006
Æ antoninianus, Gallienus, Rome, Göbl 721b
[GAL]LIENV[S AVG], Radiate head right | [APOL]LINI[ CONS AVG], Gryphon walking right. [Δ in exergue].
A superior example seen here, I lean towards thinking my own example is an official issue, but the possibility of it being an ancient counterfeit certainly exists: the feet and legs of the gryphon are poorly executed, the small portions of visible lettering are imperfect, but my judgement tends in the direction of clumsy execution of an authentic coin.
