A nice link for all interested in Gallienus and Salonina coinage : http://www.academia.edu/t/gudiC/3372772/Gallienus_and_Salonina_Sole_Reign_Rome_mint_
Thanks for info, Rudi Smits!! I only have one example of Gallienus (the trusty ol' worn-panther) ... and sadly, I have no coins with Salonina (*sigh*)
There must be something in the air. Yesterday I received a copy of The Numismatic Chronicle Volume 150, and in it I found a brief, but very interesting article entitled "Gallienus' 'Animal Series' Coins and Roman Religion" by Richard D. Weigel. The author proposes that the animal series coins of Gallienus and Salonina are an appeal to the gods during very turbulent times. Since Jerry posted a panther example, I'll share a brief quote from the article concerning that...
The appeal to me of Gallienus is the considerable variety to be found in his coins. His first issues as co-Augustus with his father Valerian were silver or at least gray enough to look like silver, reasonably well struck and usually what I might call boring in terms of types. By the end of his sole reign, there was no silver in the coins which were often crudely produced but sometimes had interesting types (including the zoo series). Along the way there were several mints with distinctive styles including a few coins that were really professionally produced even though they were after the silver had disappeared. There are also barbarous copies and coins of the wife and kids making a huge opportunity for spending the budget. There is a lot to study. Gallienus did not make a practice of using mintmarks that make life easy on collectors but there were characteristics that allow separating issues for those who like to study coins rather than just own them.
Doug, that's an enviable collection, but I'm tempted to say something like, "That's a nice coin for a Gallienus." Is there any scholarship as to why quality control deteriorated to such an extent under his reign?
Inflation caused the mint to issue several times as many coins probably with no additional staff. The same amount of silver went into many more coins and the same number of slaves were expected to crank out many times as many coins in the same time. Rush never improves quality. The reason we consider these coins so common is that they made millions upon millions of them.
BTW Rudi, that link can be expanded to include coin reference sheets for Claudius and Salonina; Claudius II and Quintillus; Postumus, Laelianus, Marius and Divus Victorinus; Victorinus; Tetricus I; and Tetricus II. I have this page bookmarked for future reference material. Thanks for the link.
Gallienus’s rule represented the depth of the Crisis of the Third Century. Gallienus shared rule of the Roman Empire with his father from AD 253-260, until his father was captured by the Sassanians. After AD 260, Gallienus ruled till he was assassinated in AD 268. As discussed before, the Crisis of the Third Century was marked by instability: runaway inflation, economic disruption, devastating plague, destructive insurgencies, and incessant barbarian invasions. None of these factors were conducive to quality coinage. This crisis reached its depths during Gallienus’s rule when the Roman Empire splintered into three states: the western Romano-Gallic Empire (which included Britain, Gaul, and Hispania), the eastern Palmyrene Empire (Syria and Egypt), and the remaining central core of the Roman Empire: Pat Southern has written a couple great books on the period: The Roman Empire from Severus to Constantine and Empress Zenobia: Palmyra’s Rebel Queen. Anyway, gotta run. I’ve got to go back to England 1700. Sir Isaac awaits me. guy
