Valerian Provincial Added to the Family

CILICIA, Corycus. Valerian, AD 253-260. AE Octassarian: 34 mm, 23.48 gm, 5 h. Obverse: Bust of Valerian radiate, draped and cuirassed facing right, and seen from the front. Reverse: Dionysus wearing a nebris, holding a thyrsus and wine skin over a panther; to left, a large agnostic prize crown containing a caduceus, palm branch and aplustre; crown set on three legged table. SNG BN 1122 (same dies); SNG Lavante 818 (same dies); SNG von Aulock 5686. Ex Garth R. Drewry Collection, CNG 118, lot 128, April 13, 2005.

I spotted this coin at CNG Triton XXV, session 6, and was impressed by the composition, the attractive dark patina with tan highlights, and its size. Rather than sitting through the auction and waiting for it I left a pre-bid, and much to my delight won the lot . There is a small round dot in his mouth that looks like he just popped a gummy in his mouth, giving the coin a touch of humor .

Pictured below is another provincial bronze, also from Cilicia, that I won from a Heritage auction a couple of years ago.

CILICIA, Anazarbus. Valerian, AD 253-260 (dated Civic Year 272, AD 253/4). AE Hexassarian: 31 mm, 20.40 gm, 6 h. Obverse: Bust of Valerian, laureate and cuirassed facing right, seen from the front. Reverse: Valerian and his son, co-emperor Gallienus, are sitting in curule chairs. SNG Lavante 1514.

Poor Valerian was captured by Shapur, king of Persia, at the Battle of Edessa . It was reported that Shapur used him as a foot stool to mount his horse. After Valerian offered Shapur a huge ransom for his release, he met his death by being forced to swallow molten gold .


Ancient hardstone cameo depicting the capture of Valerian by Shapur. National Museum of France, Paris.

CT members are welcome to post any provincial coinage of Valerian, or anything relevant to this thread .

 

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Nice coin, Al, with really nice patina and centering. That is a great reverse! You can count on the provincial coinage to have some very interesting themes!

Alas, I do not have a provincial coin of Valerian that I can remember. If I stumble across one, I'll post it.

 

Poor step-stool Valerian...

Great write up and super interesting coin!
I don't have a provincial of this coin but I do have this not-so-accurate VICTORIA AVGG antoninianus. I won it from an auction of Ken Dorney's back in 2020 and it was recognized on another thread as once having belonged to @David@PCC, who sold it to someone in Texas in 2016. This coin has made the rounds over the last few years.

 

f.f., Your coin has an excellent portrait & lots of travel miles . I sold a double denarius with the same theme as your coin at CNG 483, lot 492, pictured below.


Valerian, AD 253-260 (struck AD 255/7), Antioch Mint, 4th emission. Billon Antoninianus: 3.67 gm, 19.5 mm, 11 h. RIC V 288 variant. NGC Ch AU, Strike 5/5, Surface 4/5. Price realized $165.

 

VALERIAN I Provincial


RI Valerian I 253-260 CE AE 20mm Alexandria Troas mint Horse Grazing

 

Nice pickup, Al! I bought one of the same type from Nomos last year….yours is a great example, very nice detail on the reverse.

My coin is a bit double-struck, which makes poor Valerian look like he has a double-chin…he looks much slimmer and younger on your coin.


Valerian I, Cilicia, Corycus, (AE 36 mm, 20.02 g). ΑΥ Κ ΠΟ ΛΙΚ ΟΥΑΛΕΡΙΑΝ/ΟC Radiate, draped and cuirassed bust of Valerian I to right./ Rev. ΚΟΡΥ/ΚΙΩΤΩΝ ΑΥ ΝΑΥΑΡΧΙC Dionysos standing left, holding bunch of grapes (or kantharos) in right hand and thyrsos in left; at feet to left, panther; before him, prize urn inscribed ΘΕΜΙΑ and containing grain-ear and poppy set on tripod.
From the Vineyard Collection

 

WOW that is a large crown prize, great coin.
VALERIAN.
CILICIA. Mopsuestia-Mopsus. Valerian I (253-260). Ae. Dated CY 323 (255/6).
Obv: AVT K OVAΛЄPIANOC CЄB.
Radiate, draped and cuirassed bust right.
Rev: AΔP MOΨЄ / ЄT ΓKT / Δ - Ω - Ρ - Є - Α / Π PAMOC.
River god Pyramus, holding cornucopia, reclining left on river bridge consisting of five arches; triumphal arch at left and right end.
SNG BN 1998 var. (rev. legend); Price & Trell 639 (fig. 83).
Condition: Very fine.
Weight: 14.43 g.

 

Hi Al - great coins of Valerian, I like the composition of your Octassarian from Corycus and the colorful highlights.

I'll share a coin of the King who became "King of Kings of Iranians and non-Iranians" after doing a good job a crushing the Romans - first defeating Gordianus, and humbling Philip as a tributary and then capturing Valerian. Shapur's account of events is an interesting read:

"And when I first became established in the land, Gordian Caesar drew together an army from all the land of Rome, Gothia, and Germany; and to Asurestan (=Babylonia) he came against Iran and [against] me, and at the boundary of Asurestan at Mishik there was a great face-to-face battle. Gordian Caesar was killed, and the army of the Romans was destroyed, and the Romans made Philip Caesar. And Philip Caesar came to me for supplication, and for their souls gave 500,000 dinars in blood money to me, and he was established as a tributary."

[skip]

"And on this side of Harran and Urha there was a great battle with Valerian Caesar, and Valerian Caesar was captured by [my] own hand, and the rest, the praetorian prefects and the senators and the officers who were the leaders of this army, were all captured and led into Persia."
-Shapur I, SKZ​

regarding the end of Valerian - here's Lactantius' version:

"Valerian lived for a considerable time under the well-merited insults of his conqueror; so that the Roman name remained long the scoff and derision of the barbarians: and this also was added to the severity of his punishment, that although he had an emperor for his son, he found no one to revenge his captivity and most abject and servile state; neither indeed was he ever demanded back. Afterward, when he had finished this shameful life under so great dishonour, he was flayed, and his skin, stripped from the flesh, was dyed with vermilion, and placed in the temple of the gods of the barbarians..."
-Lactantius, Of the Manner in Which the Persecutors Died, Ch. 5​

The mistreatment of Valerian may have been exaggerated by the Romans.


ŠĀPUR I (Shapur) I "the Great", AD 240-272. AR drachm
Obv: Bust of Shapur right, wearing diadem and mural crown with with korymbos and earflaps
Rev: Fire altar flanked by two attendants (probably both the king as attendant of the fire), each wearing diadem and mural crowns.
Ref: SNS type IIc/1a, style E, Group a
Size: 23.9-24.2mm 4.15g

 

That Corycus is an interesting type and very attractive, Al. Congrats!


VALERIAN
AE27. 13.98g, 27.3mm. PHOENICIA, Tyre, circa AD 253-260. Rouvier 2500. O: IMP C P LIC VALERIANVS AVG, laureate, draped, and cuirassed bust right. R: TVRIORVM, Cadmus standing left, holding patera and spear; at feet to left, cow reclining right; in left field, city gate of Thebes above ΘH/BЄ; murex shell to right.


VALERIAN
AE Tetrassarion. 16.65g, 28.3mm. CILICIA, Anazarbus, AD 253-260. Cf. SNG BN 2155-6 var. (laureate, same rev die); cf. SNG Levante 1516 var. (same); cf. Ziegler 839/826 (Vs2/Rs1). O: ΑΥΤ Κ Π ΛΙ ΟΥΑΛΕΡΙΑΝΟC CE, radiate, draped and cuirassed bust right. R: ANAZAPBOY / Γ Γ / ΕΤ ΒΟC / T A M K, Dionysos seated left, head right, on back of panther right with head reverted.
Ex Vineyard Collection; ex CGF, 12 December 1998, lot 365

 

Valerian

Egypt, Alexandria
Tetradrachm AD 259/260
22mm
CNG auction photo

 

Alegandron, That's a lovely coin with a nice high relief portrait & a horse on the reverse executed with great sensitivity . Thanks for posting .

 

Shea, Your Valerian bronze is a wonderful high relief strike with a fine mahogany patina . The double chin really isn't distracting since the profile isn't marred. Thanks for posting .

 

Wow ! impressive coin Al (and All )

Q

 

A.A., That's a wonderful composition on your Cilician bronze, & being dated gives it added importance . The engravers from Cilicia were creative & talented. Thanks for posting .

 

Sulla, Many thanks for the added historical info ! The pomp & arrogance of Shapur is amusing , but I guess he was entitled to it after capturing a Roman emperor... The silver drachm is a handsome coin, & the Zoroastrian theme on the reverse gives it added interest .

 

zumbly, Thanks for posting the two handsome provincial bronzes . Great compositions on both coins . Roman provincial coinage offers much more mythology than were see on imperial coinage. Do you know what the relationship is between Dionysus & the panther ? There must be an interesting story to go with this pairing.

 

longshot, Thanks for posting the handsome Tet of Valerian . The proud eagle on the reverse is exceptionally well engraved .

 

I think the association of the panther with Dionysos was because its wild, savage nature made it an apt companion for the god of wine and revelry. I have to say they also look awfully comfy.

 

Thank you. Although I do not focus in the Imperial Era, I have always liked this coin.

 

zumbly, That sounds like a reasonable explanation . Thanks for posting that breathtaking mosaic ! I like the grape & grape-leaf wreath the ferocious cat is wearing . Roman bacchanals must have been a site to behold .