Friday, February 02, 2007
Æ27, Samos (Ionian Island), Gallienus, SNG Copenhagen 1807
AYT K ΠO ΛIK ΓAΛΛIHNOC, Laureate draped cuirassed bust left | CAM_IΩN, Nemesis, wearing long chiton and himation, standing facing, wheel at feet left.
Significantly inferior to the coin in this post from almost two years ago, (itself no fleur de coin,) nothing justifies the inclusion of this coin, or in fact its purchase months after that that of the earlier-shown example, but confusion about details of the collection and eagerness to complete a Friday post without due concern for those who read it.
Thursday, February 01, 2007
Æ antoninianus, Salonina, Samosata, Göbl 1701t
SALONINA AVG, Diademed draped bust right on crescent | ROMAE AETERNAE, To right, Roma seated left on shield, with spear in left hand, with right hand presenting Victory to emperor, who stands to her right. Star above.
With a reverse almost identical to that on the coin I posted Monday, sharing reverses between husband and wife was very rare in the time of Gallienus. Off-hand, I can't remember another example of this sharing. As coins of the emperors tended to display masculine virtues and coins of their wives feminine, it may be that Eternal Rome was the safe overlap.
Wednesday, January 31, 2007
AR denarius, Plautilla, Rome, RIC 363b
PLAVTILLA AVGVSTA, Plaited-haired bust right | CONCORDIA AVGG, Concordia standing facing, head left, holding patera in right hand and scepter in left.
Fulvia Plautilla was the wife of Marcus Aurelius Antoninus (also known as Caracalla.) Arranged by the fathers, the marriage was not popular with either principal and, in 211, after the deaths of those fathers, Caracalla (who by now had killed his brother Geta), ordered Plautilla exiled and later executed, a clear sign of a marriage in trouble that gives the lie to the concordia this reverse legend promises.
Tuesday, January 30, 2007
Æ26, Viminacium in Moesia Superior, Valerian, Sear GIC 4418var ...
(obv legend, year)
IMP VALERIANVS P AVG, Laureate draped cuirassed bust right | P M S C_OL VIM, Moesia standing, head left, with bull right in left field and lion left in right field. AN XVI in exergue.
While the coins of Viminacium all feature near-identical reverses, and they resemble those of nearby Dacia the differing details are indicative of differing details of history and of the legions in the regions.
IMP VALERIANVS P AVG, Laureate draped cuirassed bust right | P M S C_OL VIM, Moesia standing, head left, with bull right in left field and lion left in right field. AN XVI in exergue.
While the coins of Viminacium all feature near-identical reverses, and they resemble those of nearby Dacia the differing details are indicative of differing details of history and of the legions in the regions.
Monday, January 29, 2007
Billon antonianus, Gallienus, Samosata, Göbl 1701g
IMP C P LIC GALLIENVS P F AVG, Radiate draped cuirassed bust right | ROMAE AETERNAE, To right, Roma seated left on shield, with spear in left hand, with right hand presenting Victory to emperor, who stands to her right.
I can't clearly describe all that was different between coins of the joint reign, with Valerian senior emperor, and those of the sole reign, with Gallienus alone ruling after the Persian capture of Valerian, but this is one of the earlier coins and it characterizes them.
Longer obverse legends are one obvious feature seen on the early coins, as the coins of many emperors in their earlier reigns, or rather, shorter legends became common as he the populace becomes more familiar with a particular emperor.
