I arrived in the mail today from the latest FSR Bargain Sale. I have an old tag from The Fountainhead of Fine Coins in Coram NY. This is what it says: Pisidia Sagalassus CA 256AD AE18 Diad bust of Valerian II r. Rv Nike Adv l, holding wreath and palm That being said, I can't be found anywhere and I don't think the attribution is correct. What say the experts?
It's Valerian II most likely. The obverse inscription reads Π ΛΙ ΟΥΑΛЄΡΙΑΝΟC and its portrait seems too young to be Valerian I. Coins of Sagalassus should read CΑΓΑΛЄCCЄΩΝ; I think yours does, but the engraver left out an Є: CΑΓΑΛ CCЄΩΝ.
Hmmm... Might actually be Valerian I. Portraits of him from this city seem very youthful. See: https://www.acsearch.info/search.ht...s=1&thesaurus=1&order=0¤cy=usd&company=
There are some young portraits of Valerian II as well. I'm having a tough time with the reverse as well. I can see it possibly being Nike but who knows. I bought it for the Nike since that is my favorite reverse. Shame this one isn't a bit more clear. Oh well. Still a good learning experience
Yeah I don't think so either. Bummer The reverse looks a bit like this one I think: https://rpc.ashmus.ox.ac.uk/coins/9/959
I suspect the matching coin legend of Valerian I would have started with AK but that would be something for you to research; not me. Nike needs wings. Are they there? Is there a helmet? Athena??? That is not a bad coin as it is and it gets better every time you learn something from it.
The only thing I could see possibly being a wing is to the right of the person. I don't know if it's good enough to call a wing though. It is definitely a good coin to learn from.
