One of my personal collections within my coin collections is that of the Gallienus Zoo wildlife series, I have quite a few however I don't have the She-Wolf suckling twins, would some one know is this considered a part of the zoo series??? As this image has been used on many various coins and has a prominent story pertaining to it, I am thinking that it should not be included as a zoo series coin... Whats your opinion?? I included some photos of the Zoo series coins I currently have, if there are others that I do not know about please let me know what they look like??? Gallienus AR Antoninianus Antioch Mint 264-265 AD Obverse: Radiate, draped, and cuirassed bust left Reverse: She-wolf standing right, suckling twins; palm frond in exergue References: RIC V 628; MIR 36, 1628b; RSC 46a Size: 23mm, 3.54g
For reference purposes, from a thread last year, a list I compiled of the 32 different reverses in the Zoo Series, together with the name of the deity in the reverse legend, and the number of the Officina: Lioness walking left [Apollo, Officina 2] Centaur walking left holding globe [Apollo, Officinas 4, 7, & 8] Centaur walking right with bow and arrow [Apollo, Officinas 7 & 8] Centaur galloping right, with bow and arrow held up to sky [Apollo, Officina 7] Gryphon walking left [Apollo, Officinas 4 & 8] Gryphon walking right [Apollo, Officina 4] Gryphon seated left [Apollo, Officina 4] Antelope left [Diana, Officinas 3 & 4] Antelope right [Diana, Officina 3] Doe left, head turned back to right [Diana, Officina 5] Doe right, head turned back to left [Diana, Officina 5] Stag left [Diana, Officina 10] Stag right [Diana, Officina 10] Gazelle left [Diana, Officinas 11 & 12] Gazelle right [Diana, Officinas 11 & 12] Lion left [Hercules, Officina 1] Boar right [Hercules, Officina 5] Goat left [Jove, Officina 6] Goat right [Jove, Officinas 4 & 6] Panther left [Liber Pater, Officina 2] Panther right, "rampant" (head facing upwards) [Liber, Officina 2] [Tigress left] [Liber Pater, Officina 2] Criocampus [mythical beast with head and forelimbs of ram, and body and rear of fish] swimming right [Mercury, Officina 8] Hippocamp [head and forelimbs of horse, body and rear of fish] swimming left [Neptune, Officina 9] Hippocamp swimming right [Neptune, Officina 9] Capricorn [head and forelimbs of goat, body and rear of fish] swimming right [Neptune, Officina 6] Pegasus left, rearing up on hind legs [Sol, Officina 1] Pegasus right, rearing up on hind legs [Sol, Officina 1] Bull standing left [Sol, Officina 11] Bull standing right [Sol, Officina 11] Antelope left [Salonina obverse, Juno, Officina 4] Antelope right [Salonina obverse, Juno, Officina 4] As you can see, the wolf and twins coin is not part of the series. You can tell because it doesn't have the correct legend or reference to a deity on the reverse. The following references, two of them online, are extremely useful: See Cédric Wolkow, Catalogue des monnaies romaines - Gallien - L'émission dite "Du Bestiaire" - atelier de Rome (BNumis, édition 2019); http://www.fredericweber.com/GALLIEN/emission_du_bestiaire/page2.htm; Jim Phelps, The Coins of Gallienus ' "Zoo" Collection (http://www.forumancientcoins.com/numiswiki/view.asp?key=Gallienus Zoo). I've posted them before, but here are my eight coins from the Gallienus Zoo Series -- centaur, gryphon, antelope, doe, gazelle, tigress, hippocamp, and pegasus. So four real animals (three with hooves, often confused with each other), and four mythical creatures: Gallienus, Billon Antoninianus, 267-268 AD, Rome Mint (8th Officina). Obv. Radiate head right, GALLIENVS AVG / Rev. Centaur walking left holding a globe in extended right hand and a reversed rudder in left hand, with right front leg lifted, APOLLINI CONS AVG; H [Eta = 8th Officina] in exergue. RIC V-1 164, RSC IV 73 (ill.), Wolkow 1a8, Göbl MIR [Moneta Imperii Romani] Band 36, No. 738, Sear RCV III 10178. 20 mm., 3.42 g., 12 h. Gallienus, Billon Antoninianus, 267-268 AD, Rome Mint (4th Officina). Obv. Radiate head right, GALLIENVS AVG / Rev. Gryphon walking left, APOLLINI CONS AVG; Δ [Delta = 4th Officina] in exergue. RIC V-1 166, RSC IV 76, Wolkow 4a4, Göbl MIR [Moneta Imperii Romani] Band 36, No. 718, Sear RCV III 10180. 20.5 mm., 3.29 g., 6 h. Gallienus, Billon Antoninianus, 267-268 AD, Rome Mint (3rd Officina). Obv. Radiate head right, GALLIENVS AVG / Rev. Antelope walking left, DIANAE CONS AVG; Γ [Gamma = 3rd Officina] in exergue. RIC V-1 181 [p. 146, Obverse 8K], RSC IV 165, Sear RCV III 10200, Wolkow 7a3 [Cédric Wolkow, Catalogue des monnaies romaines - Gallien - L'émission dite "Du Bestiaire" - atelier de Rome (BNumis, édition 2019)], Göbl MIR [Moneta Imperii Romani] Band 36, No. 716. 20 mm., 3.59 g., 7 h. Gallienus, Billon Antoninianus, 267-268 AD, Rome Mint (5th Officina). Obv. Radiate head right, GALLIENVS AVG / Rev. Doe walking right, head turned back looking left, DIANAE CONS AVG; Є [Epsilon = 5th Officina] in exergue. RIC V-1 177, RSC IV 154, Wolkow 10a5, Göbl MIR [Moneta Imperii Romani] Band 36, No. 728(b); cf. Sear RCV III 10199 (same reverse & obverse portrait; different obverse legend). 21 mm., 2.72 g., 6 h. Gallienus, Billon Antoninianus, 267-268 AD, Rome Mint (11th Officina). Obv. Radiate head right, GALLIENVS AVG /Rev. Gazelle* walking right, DIANAE CONS AVG; XI in exergue. RIC V-1181, RSC IV 157, Wolkow 14a11, Göbl MIR [Moneta Imperii Romani] Band 36, No. 747(b), Cunetio 1401, Sear RCV III 10201. 21 mm., 3.24 g., 6 h. * See Wolkow [Cédric Wolkow, Catalogue des monnaies romaines - Gallien - L'émission dite "Du Bestiaire" - atelier de Rome (BNumis, édition 2019)] p. 64; http://www.fredericweber.com/GALLIEN/emission_du_bestiaire/page2.htm; Jim Phelps, The Coins of Gallienus ' "Zoo" Collection (http://www.forumancientcoins.com/numiswiki/view.asp?key=Gallienus Zoo). Gallienus, Billon Antoninianus, 267-268 AD, Rome Mint (2nd Officina). Obv. Radiate head right, GALLIENVS AVG /Rev. Tigress walking left, LIBERO P • CONS AVG; B in exergue. RIC V-1 230, RSC IV 586, Wolkow 19a2, Göbl MIR [Moneta Imperii Romani] Band 36, No. 713(B), Sear RCV III 10281 [Tigress variety of these catalogue numbers; see http://www.forumancientcoins.com/numiswiki/view.asp?key=Liber Pater ]. 19 mm, 2.83 g., 6 h. Gallienus, Billon Antoninianus, Rome Mint, 9th Officina, 10th emission (Göbl), 267-268 AD. Obv. Radiate cuirassed bust right, GALLIENVS AVG / Rev. Hippocamp swimming right, NEP-TVNO CONS AVG; in exergue, N [= Nu, for 9th Officina). RIC V-1 245, RSC IV 668 (ill.), Wolkow 23i9, Bust Type B3, Ribbons Type 3 [Cédric Wolkow, Catalogue des monnaies romaines - Gallien - L'émission dite "Du Bestiaire" - atelier de Rome (BNumis, édition 2019). at p. 87], Göbl MIR [Moneta Imperii Romani] Band 36, No. 743b, Sear RCV III 10292. 19 mm., g. Purchased from Akropolis Ancient Coins, May 2021. Gallienus, Billon Antoninianus, 267-268 AD, Rome Mint (1st Officina). Obv. Radiate head right, GALLIENVS AVG /Rev. Pegasus springing right, about to take flight. SOLI CONS AVG; A offset to right in exergue. RIC V-1 283 (p. 155), RSC IV 979, Sear RCV III 10362, Wolkow 26a1[Cédric Wolkow, Catalogue des monnaies romaines - Gallien - L'émission dite "Du Bestiaire" - atelier de Rome (BNumis, édition 2019)], Göbl MIR [Moneta Imperii Romani] Band 36, No. 712b. 21 mm., 3.12 g, 11 h.
Correct -- and it's not part of the Gallienus "legionary animal" series either. Here's my example of a Gallienus lion from Antioch, not part of either series: Gallienus, Billon Antoninianus, 264-265 AD, Antioch Mint, 11th emission (Göbl).* Obv. Radiate head left, GALLIENVS AVG / Rev. Lion walking left, bucranium [bull’s head] in front of paws, P M TRP XIII; in exergue, C VI PP [CVI = COS VI], palm branch left below. RIC V-1 602 var. obv. [bust draped & cuirassed] & rev. [lion radiate]; RSC IV 847 var. rev. [lion radiate]; Sear RCV III 10327 var. rev. [lion radiate]; Göbl MIR [Moneta Imperii Romani] Band 36, No. 1622a [see http://www258.pair.com/denarius/coinage.htm, Coinage of Gallienus and Family, with Göbl numbers, descriptions, & images for Gallienus coins]. 21 mm., 4.05 g., 12 h.** *See Euston, Charles, Gallienus to Antioch ? A new PROFECTIO type of antoninianus from the mint at Antioch, A.D. 264, in Bulletin du cercle d’études numismatiques [BCEN] 52/2 (2015), at p. 2: “Göbl’s 11th emission begins with another lion reverse; lion (not radiate), left with a bull’s head between its paws (MIR 1622). This reverse is also dated, but to Gallienus’ 13th tribunician power (TRP XIII). Interestingly, this type straddles both the 12th and the 11th emissions as it exists both with and without the palm frond as exergual marker. This mark in the exergue is, in fact, the primary indicator of the 11th emission.” **See Manders, Erika (2012), Coining Images of Power: Patterns in the Representation of Roman Emperors on Imperial Coinage, A.D. 193–284. Impact of Empire (Roman Empire, c. 200 B.C.–A.D. 476), at pp. 296-297 [portions available on Google Books], stating that “[f]our coin types [of Gallienus] [NB: in fact, there were more than four] bear a legend consisting of standard imperial titalature and show a lion with a bull’s head between his paws or a radiate lion (sometimes with a bull’s head between his paws). . . . These types might refer to the victories of Odaenathus [of Palmyra], Rome’s ally, gained over the Persians, probably in 262-263 and 267. This hypothesis is strengthened by the thirteenth Sybilline Oracle’s description of the Persians as ‘venom spitting beasts’ who have been destroyed by Odaenathus, the ‘sun-sent, dreadful, fearful lion, breathing much fire.’” Other authorities have expressed skepticism regarding this interpretation. See, e.g., Woods, David (2018). "From Caracalla to Carausius: The Radiate Lion with Thunderbolt in its Jaws". British Numismatic Journal. British Numismatic Society.
The ZOO serie again Beautiful OP coins. I only collect the mythical animals. They are great! I thought there were five mythical creatures but after counting the animals on the list from @DonnaML there seems to be six different creatures: Centaur, Gryphon, Criocampus, Hippocamp, Capricorn, Pegasus. Still missing two ….. This is my latest purchase. Pegasus.
Well, Well Donna, you clearly know your way around this Zoo series, Very impressive list, I guess I am not even half way yet.... the coins that you are displaying are gorgeous, thank you for this very informative post...! I am disappointed that the Lion is not among this Zoo series, it was a bit more costly than some of the others as I had not seen it previously... I would love to see the Criocampus, I did not notice it in the link that you included, very nice though! Thanks!!
That’s one of the two I don’t have (yet) but I’m sure other members have…… My other campus, the hippocampus instead
Well DonnaML has covered the zoo series pretty comprehensively there! I like the zoo series too and currently have 3 coins from that series. Although the wolf + twins are not part of the zoo series I am fond of that design. 'AETERNITAS AVG' I believe translates to the 'eternity of the emperor', which given Gallienus managed 15 years in power during the height of the crisis of the third century is perhaps not totally inaccurate. But I also have to think the use of AETERNITAS along with the Romulus and Remus design must be a reference to Rome as the eternal city, and that makes me like this coin a lot. Here is a photo of mine:
Great zoo @Steven Michael Gardner ! This is one of my zoo additions for the year. Not beautiful but the Gryphon is not bad. The seller had it listed as a "greyhound". I don't know about you guys, but I've never seen a greyhound with wings and a beak
Zoo series is something I consider developing in the future. For the moment I only have the centaur Gallienus AE Antoninianus. GALLIENVS AVG, radiate head right / APOLLINI CONS AVG, Centaur walking left, holding globe and reversed rudder. Mintmark H. RIC V 164, Cohen 74, RSC 74. Sear5 10177. And a newly added stag Not the best coin in the world, but the portrait is not bad at all. I found the missing parts of the legends strange and @Roman Collector solved the mistery - "reverse die (the one held in hand) not being perpendicular to the planchet's surface during striking, creating a gap between the dies on one part of the flan" For 8 EUR it's good enough.
Is there anyone reading this that actually has this entire Zoo series of 32 different Gallienus reverses, that would be a nice showing? Lioness walking left [Apollo, Officina 2] Centaur walking left holding globe [Apollo, Officinas 4, 7, & 8] Centaur walking right with bow and arrow [Apollo, Officinas 7 & 8] Centaur galloping right, with bow and arrow held up to sky [Apollo, Officina 7] Gryphon walking left [Apollo, Officinas 4 & 8] Gryphon walking right [Apollo, Officina 4] Gryphon seated left [Apollo, Officina 4] Antelope left [Diana, Officinas 3 & 4] Antelope right [Diana, Officina 3] Doe left, head turned back to right [Diana, Officina 5] Doe right, head turned back to left [Diana, Officina 5] Stag left [Diana, Officina 10] Stag right [Diana, Officina 10] Gazelle left [Diana, Officinas 11 & 12] Gazelle right [Diana, Officinas 11 & 12] Lion left [Hercules, Officina 1] Boar right [Hercules, Officina 5] Goat left [Jove, Officina 6] Goat right [Jove, Officinas 4 & 6] Panther left [Liber Pater, Officina 2] Panther right, "rampant" (head facing upwards) [Liber, Officina 2] [Tigress left] [Liber Pater, Officina 2] Criocampus [mythical beast with head and forelimbs of ram, and body and rear of fish] swimming right [Mercury, Officina 8] Hippocamp [head and forelimbs of horse, body and rear of fish] swimming left [Neptune, Officina 9] Hippocamp swimming right [Neptune, Officina 9] Capricorn [head and forelimbs of goat, body and rear of fish] swimming right [Neptune, Officina 6] Pegasus left, rearing up on hind legs [Sol, Officina 1] Pegasus right, rearing up on hind legs [Sol, Officina 1] Bull standing left [Sol, Officina 11] Bull standing right [Sol, Officina 11] Antelope left [Salonina obverse, Juno, Officina 4] Antelope right [Salonina obverse, Juno, Officina 4]
I have one... that I got for free. Its a pretty lame coin so prepare yourselves... ... ... ... ... I am so sorry.
