New beast acquired from Gallienus's Zoo

Just delivered - this odd beast from Gallienus's Zoo, a specimen I've wanted ever since I've known about the series. When I was gifted Cedric Wolkow's handy little book on the subject by @Cucumbor during our Secret Saturnalia exchange last year (along with two coins from the series, a hippocamp and a panther), I decided to redouble my efforts to nab this rare variety, featuring a criocamp, a creature with the foreparts of a ram and the lower body of a sea serpent.

The coin has some faults, but at least the ram parts are clear. I probably overpaid for it, but these simply don't come along very often and I was eager to add one to my small menagerie. The criocamp is one of the rarest of the "Zoo series", and has a representation of 0.38%* in an analysis of major hoards (including Cunetio and La Venera). In comparison, the various deer types dedicated to Diana, are the most common, accounting for 42.68% of all "Zoo" types found.


GALLIENUS
AE Antoninianus. Rare. 2.89g, 23.5mm. Rome mint, circa AD 267-268. Göbl 741b; Cunetio 1389 (5 spec); RIC 242; Wolkow, CMR Gallien, 23a9. O: GALLIENVS AVG, radiate head right. R: MERCVRIO CONS AVG, Criocamp right (creature with forepart of ram and sea serpent's lower body); H in exergue.

Here's a criocamp coin, featured on the reverse of the Wolkow book, CATALOGUE DES MONNAIES ROMAINES - GALLIEN - L'ÉMISSION DITE "DU BESTIAIRE".



Please feel free to post your coins from Gallienus's Zoo!

* The percentages quoted are from Weber and Wolkow's website :
http://www.fredericweber.com/GALLIEN/emission_du_bestiaire/index.htm

 

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Gee wiz that's a great coin, nasty looking beast though.......looking like that you just have to have it though.....

 

Very sweet find @zumbly !

 

Nice one, zumbly. I just got my very first "zoo" series recently, a doe (or an elk?) from Salonina.

 

That is a wonderful rarity! Wish I had a criocamp .

This tigress is still my only Gallienus zoo coin.


Gallienus, sole reign
CE 260-268
Antoninianus, Rome mint
Obv: GALLIENVS AVG, radiate head right
Rev: LIBERO P CONS AVG, striped tigress standing left; B in exergue
Ref: RIC V 230 (Sole reign)

 

Nice addition zumbly. My gallienus zoo has four animals:
Goat left

Goat right

Centaur

Panther

Deer

 

That's an incredible beast on the reverse! Just a fantastic coin all around.

With your new addition, you might find this episode of Monstertalk of interest. https://monstertalk.skeptic.com/the-key-to-the-legend-of-the-map-monsters

 

That's cool! I love the zoo series! I'd have nabbed that one up right away, too!

Jim Phelps has a nice paper on them at NumisWiki.

Yes, the zoo series is a little heavy on Diana's artiodactyls. I like this one, though, because it's well-rendered, down to the ridges on the gazelle's horns. I think the celator even attempted to render the color pattern on the gazelle's fur on the animal's nose and across the back.


Gallienus, 253-268 AD
Roman Æ Antoninianus, 18 mm, 2.27 g
Rome Mint 267-268 AD
Obv: GALLIENVS AVG, radiate head right
Rev: DIANAE CONS AVG, gazelle walking left, XII in exergue
Refs: RIC 181; Cohen 165; RCV 10200; Göbl 750b.

 

What an unusually good detail!

 

Tigress or panther, still the nicest one I've seen . The one Q gave me is pretty excellent too.

 

@Roman Collector and @gogili1977, those are some great examples you have there.

 

I love this series, but I don't own one yet. The lioness is my favourite, and I've nearly bought one a few times. But I'm waiting for a really great one.

 

INCREDIBLE pick up @zumbly ! BIG congrats! I really like that one. The Criocamp is just plain flat-out cool. I raised sheep as a kid, and I just canNOT imagine a Ram swimming the seas! LOL! Well done!

I only have Gallienus' wife in the Zoo Series with a dull deer walking (they are truly walking vegetables with eyes...):


RI Salonina wife of Gallienus 254-268 CE AE Ant 3.61g 20mm Rome mint 267-268 CE crescent Deer Walking delta RIC 15

 

I can only image what was going through the celator's head when he was asked to design the criocamp reverse... "Wait, did I hear you right? You want me to make a what now?"

Nice coin, Z! And others!

 

Thanks for the link, David, I enjoyed it. The bit about the flying turtle in particular brings up fond memories for me...

 

Very rare type and very neat reverse. Congrats, great shot!

 

Here's one of my zoo types. I also have the stag variety but it's condition is too crappy to post. This one is SOLI CONS AVG, Pegasus...

 

But Gallienus can never be too crappy to post! I dare you to prove me wrong . Here’s one of my favourites.



Great Pegasus, btw!

 

OK, here is the stag walking....