Friday, April 13, 2007
Æ29, Syedra in Cilicia, Gallienus, Lindgren & Kovacs 1610
AYT KAI ΠO ΛIK ΓAΛΛIHNOC CE_B, Laureate draped cuirassed bust right, IA before | CE / MNHC / ENΔOΞO / TEPAC / CVEΔP / EΩN, Legend in six lines, within wreath.
While I can't read Greek I had memorized the meaning of many of these reverses, often the names of civic officials or boasts about the city, and I'm dismayed to find that's all flown from my head. (Sigh)
Thursday, April 12, 2007
Æ antoninianus, Gallienus, Mediolanum, Göbl 1095k
GALLIENVS AVG, Radiate head right, slight drapery on both shoulders | LAETITIA AVG, Laetitia standing left, holding wreath in right hand, resting left hand on anchor at feet. P in exergue.
The reverse is better-looking but the obverse is far worse-looking than on the similar coin that I posted in December.
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
AR antoninianus, Herennia Etruscilla, Rome, RIC 55b
HER ETRVSCILLA AVG, Tiaraed, draped bust right, on crescent. | FECVNDITAS AVG, Fecunditas standing left, holding cornucopia right, hand over child left.
Annia Cupressenia Herennia Etruscilla was the wife of Trajan Decius. She's known for little but that her sons Herennius Etruscus and Hostilian were emperor.
On the reverse, Fecunditas, the goddess of fertility, is seen with a child, hinting that the average Roman may not have known much more of her than we do.
Tuesday, April 10, 2007
Æ21, Thessalonica in Macedonia, Salonina, Lindgren II, 1255var
KOPNHΛ CAΛΩNINA, Diademed draped bust right on crescent | ΘECC / AΛONI / KH KON / B NE, Legend in four lines in wreath.
Not much a message here, just a declaration of the city of origin and the civic date, 285 years since Octavian's great victory at Actium, the founding of the Roman empire, corresponding to 254/255 CE.
Monday, April 09, 2007
Billon antoninianus, Gallienus, Köln, Göbl 879l
GALLIENVS P F AVG, Radiate cuirassed bust right | RESTIT GALLIAR, Gallienus in military garb, right, raising kneeling Gallia, spear in his left hand.
Gallia is a personification of Gaul. She kneels and is raised by the emperor as she is restored to civilization from domination by barbarism by Rome.
