Gallienus, Roman emperor 253-268, issued a whole "zoo" of coin types in his last issue of his sole reign at Rome, c. 267-268. The Cunetio Treasure has line drawings of 54 varieties (including many duplicate species in different poses). The hoard had about 3000 coins from this issue, and the commoner types appear in these numbers of examples: 233, 198, 240, 88, 41, 125, 113, 98, 109, 143, 245, 146, 131, 227, 182. So, the point is there are over a dozen animal types which are common. The coins are late in the reign of Gallienus, so the quality of the metal and engraving is poor, but most of the types are inexpensive. It is an interesting set. Then, there are rare types. This one is HERCVLI CONS AVG with the boar of Erymanthus (the third labor of Hercules) and appeared in only 3 examples, none as nice as this one. 21-20 mm. 2.30 grams. RIC V.I 202 "C" (but it is not) and Sear III 10228. I got my first Gallienus zoo coin in 1977. The whole set was not a priority for me, but I do like to add to it and the book on the Cunetio treasure makes it easy to see which ones are rare. The other bidders did not treat this coin as common, but not as a great rarity either. I am pleased with the price because I know how rare it is and there are not many coin types that reference this labor. I searched CT and found many zoo-series coins posted here and there. For a previous CT thread on the zoo series, see: https://www.cointalk.com/threads/zoo-series.321644/ For a web site on coins of the zoo, see: https://www.forumancientcoins.com/numiswiki/view.asp?key=Gallienus Zoo Beast's site on Gallienus (with a list of the zoo series near the top and photos far below in alphabetical order: https://www.beastcoins.com/RomanImperial/V-I/Gallienus/Gallienus.htm Lots of Gallienus coins: https://gallienus.net/ Let's see some coins from the zoo series!
Hippocamp Griffen Centaur Panther - This specimen is not very pleasing to the eye but it came to me having previously done time in the collection of President John Quincy Adams. He had many nice coins and piles like this. A question I have not researched: Is there any pattern to which types are easy to find in presentable condition and which may be common but scarce well struck and in high grade? Certainly anyone would be glad to have a boar as nice as the one shown but many of the types do exist in reasonably fine shape with a little searching. Were all struck at more or less the same time or do we see some later and more hurriedly produced? This was a time when quality was falling quickly eventually leading to the reform of Aurelian a few years later. Is there a pattern in the decline?
Gallienus, 253-268 A.D. 23mm 3.7 grams (antoninianus) Obverse: GALLIENVS AVG Reverse: SOLI CONS AVG, Sol's horse prancing right (or Pegasus)
I don't recall seeing a Gallienus/boar before. That's a nice one, and not just "nice for a Gallienus zoo series nice". @zumbly has one I'd like to find-- a criocamp. I have a tigress (panther?) which was picked up at the 2014 Chicago ANA show, from a dealer who mainly dealt in world and US coins. He had a few boxes of ancients in cardboard flips. 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)
Great boar! On Frederic Weber's page on Gallienus's zoo coins, he gives the boar a rating of "R" and the lion a rating of "RR". I don't know how he calculates the figures, but he states that the HERCVLI types (boar and lion) account for 0.56% of the zoo issue, second in rarity to the MERCVRIO type with the Criocamp, which represent 0.38% of the issue. GALLIENUS AE Antoninianus. 3.35g, 22.1mm. Rome mint, 8th officina, 10th issue, AD 267-268. 'Zoo' series. MIR 36, 741b; RIC V (sole reign) 242; Wolkow 21a8 (R); Cunetio 1389. O: GALLIENVS AVG, radiate head right. R: MERCVRIO CONS AVG, Criocamp to right; H in exergue. Ex N. M. McQ. Holmes Collection; ex Rauch Sommerauktion 2010 (13 September 2010), lot 1208 Here's also a bull, dedicated to SOL. GALLIENUS AE Antoninianus. 3.41g, 22.7mm. Rome mint, 11th officina, 10th issue, AD 267-268. 'Zoo' series. MIR 36, 749b; RIC V (sole reign) 285; Wolkow 28a11 (R);Cunetio 1404. O: GALLIENVS AVG, radiate head right. R: SOLI CONS AVG, bull standing right; XI in exergue. Ex N. M. McQ. Holmes Collection (bought from Baldwin's, 1990)
That's a real score, @Valentinian ! Definitely not every day you run into one of those HERCVLI CONS AVG reverse types. I actively collect this series. I won't bore you with a dozen DIANAE CONS AVG coins with various cloven-hooved beasts. Here's my all-time favorite in the series!
Excellent boar @Valentinian, one I would like to put my hands on You might want to acquire wolkow's book about them "Catalogue des monnaies romaines : Gallien, l'émission dite du bestiaire". Ask @zumbly, he's got a copy of the book that I think he's happy with Here are the ones I have in my collection Apollini - Centaur : Apollini - Griffin : Diana - Antelope : Iovi - Goat : Libero - Panther : Mercurio - Cryocamp : Neptuno - Hippocamp : Soli - Pegasus : Q
Here is a stag: DIANAE CONS AVG IX in exergue Stag left 21 mm. RIC 179 sole reign, Rome mint Sear 10201 (left)
I have a mini zoo! I pick them up when I can find them cheaply... so a few are pretty rough. I'd like to find upgrades for these when I can. I'd love to find some of the rarer types like the boar and lion. Great coins everyone. The Tigress is my newest addition. Some of the reverse legend is off flan but the tigress has great stripes! Tigress Centaur Hippocamp Stag Doe Gazzelle Pegasus Gryphon
Wow, a very nice Gallienus criocamp appeared this week and I didn't even blink before clicking "buy" . What an unexpected and delightful first coin of 2020! GALLIENUS struck 267-268 CE, Rome mint, 8th officina, 10th issue AE antoninianus; 3.40 gm, 20.7 mm Obv: GALLIENVS AVG; radiate head right Rev: MERCVRIO CONS AVG; criocamp (sea ram) right; H below Ref: MIR 36, 741b; RIC V (sole reign) 242; Wolkow 21a8 (R); Cunetio 1389
Great! Now the important question: Wat would have been the chance that you would have recognized that was a coin to buy had you not seen it here? I know I did not know a criocamp before.
I didn't know criocamps until @zumbly showed his and I read some of the Zoo Series sites. I just thought it was a capricorn, but the elongated and coiled body is that of a sea monster rather than a fish. I'm often scrambling after Z . He has a keen eye for the unusual.
It seems everyone knows at least something about the zoo series of Gallienus. I have the book on the Cunetio hoard which illustrates with line drawings all the known types and with photos the types in the hoard, and tells you the number of each in the hoard. The MERCVRIO CONS AVG criocamp type is rare and I knew to look for it. In 2008 this appeared on eBay: It is not a good example, but it was worth my $9, shipping included. 22 mm. 2.92 grams. Cunetio 1389 (6 pieces in Cunetio).
Really want to add a Centaur/gallienus to my collection, with a bow, hard to come by at a reasonable price...
A few more, recently added : Diana - Doe : Diana - Gazelle : Iovi - Goat : Libero - Panther (note how the panther's head is made, looks like it's been carved with a drill !) : Neptuno - Hippocamp : Q
Van Meter suggested Gallienus antoninanii as a great series to collect and I definitely agree - many of these coins are really nice and the series does not appear to be all that well documented. When I was relatively new to the hobby through an odd set of circumstances I had a number of Gallienus antoniniani to sell and came up with minor unlisted types fairly often. As for why these types were part of the zoo and not others....no idea, can’t even come up with a guess other than perhaps they are connected with a holiday celebrating a mythological event?
