Long Wanted Gallienus

I had this coin on my wishlist on Forvm for a long time. It did get reduced a few times, but when Forvm had a 10% off sale I felt it was finally at a price that it was worth.

Will be published on wildwind soon.


Gallienus ( 253 - 268 A.D.)
Billon Tetradrachm
O: A K Π ΛI OY ΓAΛΛIANOC EY EY C, bearded, laureate, draped and cuirassed bust right.
R: Nike (Victory) walking right, wreath extended in right, palm frond over shoulder in left, L - S flanking across field.
Alexandria Mint 258 -259 A.D.
21.6mm
9.13g
Savio pl. 271, 10525 (same dies); BMC Alexandria p. 286, 2194; Milne 3995; SNG Cop 768; Kampmann 90.31; Emmett 3736 (R2)

 

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Of course I like it

What attracted you to this particular coin Gallienus tet-- the portrait?

 

Portrait, Nike, and & overall look it has. I like sandy looks & I know it isn't Revlon since it's from Forvm.

Joe said he had it for 3 years. I'm sure it's the edge that turned most off. It's really nicer in hand. Forvm pics, which I am using, tend to be off sometimes.

It's also not Potin, which is easy to tell & I am grateful for.

 

I like it too, good looking details on both sides. Would have never guessed it is a tetradrachm with that color though.

 

@Mat Forvm pics, which I am using, tend to be off sometimes. (Sometimes ?)
I usually expect a coin from FAC to be better in hand. I thought my pics suck, lol.
I recently picked up a Julia Mamaea sestertius because the obv portrait looked ok in their photo, in hand my thought was correct.

Great addition on that Gallienus

 

Well centered, great details. Victory is always great reverse. A chip never really bothered me as long as it does not interfere with the features. Great pickup.

 

I am glad you managed to get the coin you were after, and at a good price.
That one has a very interesting and unusual portrait of Gallienus.

 

Not something I do often, a group shot with coins already shared. Gives a better idea of the color.

 

Cool score! I'm unfamiliar with the type.

 

Thats pretty cool Mat, congrats. It's all around a neat coin.

lol

 

Cool Tet!! I like the unusual portrait...and the fact it's struck in Alexandria---and that it was available at a reasonable price.

 

LOL, you been collecting those Empresses too long!

 

I worked for Revlon for 6 years. Did store resets & such. Enjoyed it, but was laid off with many others.

 

Ah! LOL, understand the reference. I wonder... did Revlon start with the Empresses?

 

I think he was referring to a group lot of Alexandrian tets I bought. Most of them had a fake patina of a substance I think was women's makeup-- the CoverGirl Coins. Maybe she's born with it, maybe it's Maybelline

Here's one of them, before and after makeup removal. Notice how the makeup appears to have cause or accelerated corrosion.

 

You don't think the makeup was just covering the green already? Looks like much of it was there underneath.

 

It's hard to say, but there does appear to be fairly good correlation between thickness of the makeup and intensity of green/corrosion. There were others in the group that had less green showing outside of the makeup but which had verdigris under the makeup.

Regardless-- would you trust a bronze, billon, or potin coin which had an unknown substance slathered on?

I will remain highly suspicious of any applied patinas. You can easily envision how the chemical makeup of certain patinas might hasten deterioration. Slightly acidic wax or makeup on a potin tet? Bad news. For similar reasons I'm also mistrustful of certain conservators' patinas. If a coin has been repatinated, and I'm not against that in general, I want to know which patina recipe was used. (Heh, that's not going to happen).

I routinely give at least a cursory "cleaning" to incoming bronze coins if there is any sign of anything having been applied.

 

I don't endorse any of it.

 

Awesome addition!

 

Thanks, David.