Friday, November 03, 2006
Æ29, Tyre in Phoenicia, Salonina, cf. BMC 467 (Valerian)
CORNE S[ALONINA] AVG, Diademed draped bust right | COL TVRO [MET], Diomedes standing left, holding Palladium left and spear right. Murex shell in lower right field.
About two years ago I posted this coin of Gallienus with a reverse very similar to that on today's coin, showing Diomedes, one of the heroes of the Trojan War.
This is the last Provincial coin to arrive, purchased from an Israeli dealer before my stroke. Once I return to work, scheduled for the end of this month, I'll resume some purchasing. Until then I do have a number of coins I've never posted, either because my examples are ugly or because they're too similar to something I posted a few days before.
Imperial coins will run into the same obstacle in a few weeks.
Thursday, November 02, 2006
Æ 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.
Not much different than this sole-reign PAX AVG posted last week, this joint-reign coin is of better-quality metal, with more silver in the alloy, than later-minted coins would be.
Wednesday, November 01, 2006
Æ4, Valentinian III, uncertain mint, VM 19
DN VAL[...], Bust right | (anepigraphic type), Cross within wreath, exergue off flan.
Flavius Placidius Valentinianus, son of Constantius III, was made emperor in 425. Not much of an inspiration, Valentinian largely followed the lead of his mother Galla Placidia and her choice for his wife Licinia Eudoxia, while the real business of running the empire was mostly handled by the Magister militum Flavius Aëtius.
Valentinian died in 439, assassinated in apparent revenge for his murder of Aëtius.
This emperor concludes my nearly-complete run of emperors, leaving some later odds and ends as well as many Princes and family members.
Tuesday, October 31, 2006
Æ27, Thessalonica in Macedonia, Macedonia, cf SNG Cop 444 (Gallienus)
[...], Radiate cuirassed bust right | [...], Table with three prize urns.
I refrain from buying coins while I recuperate from a stroke, in the fear that any money spent on coins will prove needed for more pedestrian purchases, but this is one of a few lots purchased before before my illness but only received while I was hospitalized.
I wish the obverse legend were more readible so I could better verify the seller's assignment of this to Valerian and more certainly rule out the similar-looking Trebonianus Gallus, but I think it is Valerian!
Monday, October 30, 2006
Billon antoninianus, Gallienus, Antioch, Göbl 1629b
GALLIENVS AVG, Radiate draped cuirassed bust left | GENIVS AVG, Genius standing left, with right hand sacrificing from patera, with left hand holding cornucopia. Branch in exergue.
This obverse, radiate draped cuirassed bust left, is fairly uncommon from Antioch, but not excessively rare. As is often the case with these two mints, a similar bust from Cyzikus exists.
The relationship between Antioch and Cyzikus isn't clear: Cyzikus copied Antioch designs, but imperfectly. That practice continued into the first issue of Claudius Gothicus.
