Got my 1st Ancient coin

Cost $5...don't know if that is a good deal or not.

The seller called it a Gallienus and said it has some (Very little) silver in it. My research tells me this is an ancient Roman coin. Possibly minted some time between 200 and 250 AD.This is about all I know of it. So any other info would be greatly appreciated.

These are the sellers photo's.
I know it is nothing special except it is my 1st ancient.

I'm assuming the green on this is some sort of verdigris. But for $5 i can deal with that.

Hopefully this will be the 1st of many ancients I will add to our world coin collection.

Thanks for looking...Mont

 

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The green appears to be mineral deposit and nothing to worry about. It's a great coin for that amount of money. I'm not 100% certain since the reverse legend is hard to read. Can you tell if the legend ends with AVGG or just AVG? I think your coin attributes as:

RIC 226 rad, V
Gallienus, Bi. antoninianus, Rome mint, sole reign. GALLIENVS AVG, radiate head right / LAETITIA AVG, Laetitia standing left, holding wreath and anchor. V in upper right field. RIC V-1 (S), Rome 226; Cohen 423.

 

Welcome to the world of ancient coins. That coin is a nice start.

 

Welcome @MontCollector . My first Roman coin was a Gallienus also.

You can go to acsearch and enter the letters you can see on the obverse, GALLIE, and find lots of similar. There were 15,000 hits with that search. Not all are your coin or even Gallienus, but you might find something similar to yours. $5 for a coin in your hand is not bad.

https://www.acsearch.info/search.ht...1&ot=1&images=1&currency=usd&order=0&company=

 

Thanks...I can't wait to get it in the mail. Yes shipping was free

Okay I must be searching for this wrong. Ric 226 looks right when I search for it, but Cohen 423 doesn't seem to match. Am I missing something?

In my inexperienced eyes this looks like Goebl 498a from here
http://www.wildwinds.com/coins/ric/gallienus/t.html

But this one says it is not in RIC.

 

Goebl 498a is a Gold Aureus.

 

Doh!!! The coin photographed as a reference looked like toned silver to me. I feel sheepish...

 

I use acsearch. You do not need to know a RIC# to find your coin. I borrowed @Bing 's read of the obverse letters and searched for GALLIENVS AVG LAETITIA AVG. There were only 33 hits and most looked like your coin. I would describe your coin the way NN did:
Description
GALLIENUS (253-268). Antoninianus. Mediolanum.
Obv: GALLIENVS AVG.
Radiate bust right, with slight drapery.
Rev: LAETITIA AVG / ς.
Laetitia standing left, holding wreath and anchor.

 

Very nice for your first ancient, that green adhesion is very common on coins of that period with low silver and base metal inclusion, I have bought a couple in recent times and just posted one on another thread.

 

Cool!

 

As stated I thought it may be verdigris. I am happy to hear it isn't. I think the green gives it a little character. It helps to bring out some of the worn detail on the reverse IMHO.

 

Nice coin, welcome to ancients. I don't have a Gallienus yet - I keep waiting for a good-looking one cheap. Yours for $5 sounds like a deal to me.

Next step: find one from his Dad, Valerian. He was captured by the Persians and, supposedly used as a Royal Footstool and then, after he died, was taxidermied and used for a palace decoration.

Here is a Valerian I got recently - rather cruddy, but from what I can find it is somewhat scarce, not in RIC (corrections sought, as always!):





Valerian I
(253-260 A.D.)
Antioch Mint - Antoninianus
IMP C[P LI]C VALERIANVS P F AVG, Radiate, draped bust right / SALVS AVGG, Salus standing right, holding snake. Göbl 1581 (Rare type).
(3.17 grams / 23 mm)

 

Nicely done for your first one! Next week we expect to see another!

Welcome to the world's best hobby.

 

Thanks all

@lordmarcovan Thanks for those links. I was planning on looking Gallienus and Laetitia up on the net. You just made that really easy.

 

Most 'first coins' cost more and deliver much less. You may come to the point that you would rather have more beautiful coins but this one should remain special.

 

Congrats. Nice coin at a nice price.

 

congrats and welcome.
here is my 1e ancient
CAPPADOCIA, Caesaraea. Hadrian Hemidrachm 119-20 AD Nike

 

Congrats on the great buy @MontCollector ! 5 Bucks for almost 2000 years of History? A steal! Welcome to The Ancients Forum!

Me? I JUST received a Gallienus from my Secret Saturnalia!


RI Gallienus AE silvered Ant 21mm 2.7g Radiate Cuirassed R - Jupiter L tbolt X RIC 214 SATURNALIA GIFT

 

I still have my first Roman coin. Like your coin, mine cost $5.

But unlike your Gallienus, mine was a Constantine I that I purchased in 1986.

I'd say you did very well!