When i joined CT i only had a very worn Gallienus(one of those 'magic' coins that could become a Salonnius at times)..soon after i got a Salonnia billon antoninianus. With these exceptions, and not having a example for Valerians wife, Mariniana,(@Roman Collector ) i have managed to come up with this group adding 2 just in the last week.. POST YER COINS N COMMENTS PEEPS!
While your coins seem like a well balanced start, I might suggest you consider adding something from the Provincial issues of these rulers. There are many to choose from. Valerian AE26 Anazarbus, agonistic urn on table Valerian, Gallienus and Valerian II AE25 Nicomedia, Three prizes Gallienus AE18 Iconium Salonina Alexandria tetradrachm
I'll add this one because of Doug's suggestion.... PISIDIA. Termessus Major. Pseudo-autonomous issue. AE (Bronze, 27 mm, 14.74 g, 12 h), struck under Gallienus, circa 260/1. TЄPMHC[CЄΩN] Laureate head of Zeus Solymos to right. Rev. TΩ[N MЄIZ]ONΩN Emperor, in military attire, standing front, head to left, crowning trophy with his right hand and holding eagle-tipped scepter in his left; at feet to left, eagle standing left, head right. SNG Paris 2212. SNG von Aulock 5358. A lovely piece with attractive earthen highlights. Very fine.
...HA!..i'm looking at Wiki on Mariniana and @Suarez 's coin is on there! ...kool!...those are kool, and thanks to you for my Valerian AR @dougsmit ..and you have a solid group there ach(@ancient coin hunter )..now wiki's saying she "probably" was Valerians wife...while i've seen and bid on coins of her, i really didn't know till RC bought her up...whats your conclusion on 'is she or ain't she?!?"...
I know you like this coin, @ominus1 (I sure do) so I will post it again It arrived today and to my surprise, it looks better in hand, the corrosion is not as pregnant as one would think from the picture and the color is lighter. 22 mm, 1,99 g RIC V Gallienus (joint reign) 131 Cohen 125 Date: AD 253 Obverse Legend: IMP C P LIC GALLIENVS AVG Type: Bust of Gallienus, radiate, draped, right Reverse Legend: CONCORDIA AVGG Type: Two right hands clasped together I have also bought my first Salonina from the same auction. Salonina AD 254-268. From the Tareq Hani collection. Antioch Billon Antoninianus 20 mm, 3,74 g RIC V Salonina (2) 92 Date Range: AD 260 - AD 268 Obverse Legend: SALONINA AVG Type: Bust of Salonina, diademed, draped, right, on crescent Reverse Legend: IVNO REGINA Type: Juno, draped, standing left, holding patera in right hand and sceptre in left hand; at her feet, peacock Here is my first Gallienus I have ever bought (and seen), 5-6 years ago, when I was not collecting ancient coins but I found it cool. Gallienus, AE antoninianus, Siscia mint. GALLIENVS AVG, radiate, cuirassed bust right / SALVS AVG, Salus standing left, holding sceptre and feeding serpent rising from altar, I in right field. RIC 581; Goebl 1462; Sear -. And an interesting provincial, described as Volusian by the auction house but it appears to be Valerian. The die engraver was not exactly sure what he was doing. I think the coin is similar to the 8th coin from here https://www.beastcoins.com/RomanProvincial/Pisidia-Antioch/Pisidia-Antioch.htm Valerian I, AE22, 253-260, Pisidia-Antioch IMP CAE R ASLL OVALHIIR Radiate, draped, cuirassed bust right, seen from behind ANTIOC_H_IOCEA Legionary eagle between two standards surmounted by wreaths S | R across fields 22mm BMC Lycia 130, p.199 Note from Curtis Clay: According to Krzyzanowska, BM 130 and 134-5 are all from the same obverse die as your coin. The legend made no sense to the BM cataloguer G. F. Hill, and he misattributed them to Volusian. Krzyzanowska seems to be right that Valerian was meant. Compare (your coin) to the legend on her obverse VI which seems surely to mean Valerian - IMP CAE R ASLL OVALEHIR.
Excellent collection expansion, @ominus1! Here's my contribution! Mariniana, died AD 253. Roman AR Antoninianus, 3.04 g, 23.5 mm, 5 h. Rome mint, AD 253-257. Obv: DIVAE MARINIANAE, veiled, draped bust r., on crescent. Rev: CONSECRATIO, peacock standing facing, head l., tail in splendor. Refs: RIC 3; Cohen 3; RCV 10067; Temeryazev & Makarenko 560; Eauze Hoard-1318 (23 spec.); Cunetio Hoard-646 (22 spec.).
Looking at the coins posted - I now feel the need to start collecting the rest of the family.... OBV: IMP C P LIC VALERIANVS REV: RESTITVT ORIENTIS Antioch
Nice coins! Valerian dynasty is usually pretty easy to find in good condition at reasonable prices. Gigantic Gallienus provincial (29mm!) A very snarky portrait on Salonina. Valerian + Gallienus Valerian II consecratio issue. Still missing Saloninus and Mariniana.
Nice set!! I have all members in almost all their titles Valerian (Augustus only; Galluenus must have never accepted the fact that he was never coming back) Mariniana Gallienus, joint reign Sole reign Salonina Valerian II as Caesar Posthumous Saloninus Caesar (Saloninus declared himself Augustus while Cologne was under siege by Postumus; however many were minted, nearly all were destroyed and only about 60-100 survive today) (E: Important to note also that for whatever reason, Gallienus never saw fit to have Saloninus deified like his older bro was. There are lifetime Saloninus ants muled with Valerian II posthumous reverses, but these are mint errors only.) Gallienus and Salonina had a third child - historical sources mention a Marinianus, and there supposedly exists a unique coin for a deified youth, DIVO CAES Q GALLIENO. This FECVNDITAS issue of Salonina may celebrate his birth; as these seem to date to after the death of Saloninus and depict only one child
Nice little set!...I've been trying to pick up a Mariniana this year but keep getting overbid on. Gallienus, Antoninianus, Minted AD 258-259 (Joint reign) Obverse..GALLIENVS dot P dot F dot AVG Radiate, curaissed bust right Reverse..GERMANICVS MAX V trophy between two seated and bound German captives RIC VI#18 variant obv legend dots..Cologne Valerian I AR Antoninianus.Rome AD 255-256 ...2.93g Obverse..IMP C P LIC VALERIANVS PF AVG, radiate, draped bust right Reverse..FELICITAS AVGG, Felicitas standing left holding caduceus and cornucopiae. RIC 87, Cohen 55; Sear 9936.
For centuries, Anazarbus was a strategic location for Roman campaigns against the Parthians and others in the East, this coin with prize urns commemorating some sort of games in 253/4 (Civic Year 272). I think this is the same year, same games as the Anazarbus coin from @dougsmit. I like the portrait which has a bit more character than many of his portraits. This dates from the early days of his reign, with Valerian already in the East and tackling the threat of Shapur "The Great". This coin issued ~6 years before Valerian's capture. Roman coins were not issued again from this mint after Valerian was captured & humiliated by Shapur in AD 260. Cilicia, Anazarbus, Valerian I, AD 253-260, Æ (Hexaassarion?) (27mm, 16.35g, 12h), dated CY 272 = AD 253/4 Obv: AVT K Π ΛIK OVAΛЄPIANOC CЄ, laureate, draped and cuirassed bust to right Rev: ANAZAPBOV MHTPOΠ, six prize urns, the middle one in upper row containing palm branch; ET BOC (date) across central field between Γ-Γ. Here's another Valerian from a couple of years later with Shapur advancing into Roman territory. Valerian's coin confident and victorious. Valerian I, AD 253-260, Antoninianus (23mm, 2.87 g, 12h), Samosata mint per Gobl, AD 255-256 Obv: IMP C P LIC VALERIANVS P F AVG, Radiate, draped, and cuirassed bust right Rev: VOTA ORBIS, Two Victories hanging shield inscribed S C on a palm tree Ref: RIC V 295; Göbl 1682e
This one is similar but adds the triple brag AMK in exergue. All three coins are open dated ET BOC (272) year of the city - 253-4 AD.
I like the cryptic codes and these coins have several to choose from: CY 272 : the civic era that began in 19 BC when Augustus visited and renamed Caesarea AMK : First (A : Greek #1), Greatest, and Most Beautiful (πρωτη - A - μεγιστη - M - καλλιστη - K) Γ / Γ : (Γ : Greek #3) set before 3 eparchies of Cilicia, Isauria, and Lykaonia, holder of 3 neocorates
Don't you folks get the "Heebi-Jeebis" when you buy these coins when they have to go through customs and any other body of government that doesn't want your coins going out of the country? I'm not a collector, but I have great admirations for you folks for what you have to go through to get your coins. My father was stationed at Landstuhl, German in 1953-1957, The summer before we were to return to the States, my father decided to take our family in a tour of Europe. One of our stops was Rome and he got us a tour guard to take us through interesting sites. One stop we made was at the coliseum. This was in 1956, and there were no guards or ropes keeping us from seeing a great deal of the coliseum. We got down to the lowest level possible and during my trek, I reached down on the ground and picked up what looked to be an old coin. I wasn't aware that there was any restriction to take things, (remember, I was only 8). I showed it to our tour guide and she told me to drop it, that it was illegal to take anything out of the coliseum. (I should have kept my trap shut, but I didn't know the law) Anyway, that's the only time I ever saw a Roman coin other than on this site. I did the same thing when we went to the Painted Desert. I picked up a piece of the "rocks" and stuck it in my pocket. There was a sign not to pick up anything. Well, I learned my lesson. I kept my trap shut and never showed it to my parents until I was about 30.
I find it a bit amazing that, in 1958, there would be a genuine ancient coin on the surface in a major attraction with many visitors. On the other hand, I have no trouble with a tour guide 'salting' the area with tourist fakes to be found by clients. For that matter, I suppose it could have been a genuine coin placed there to trap adults who would be inclined to break the rules but they did not entrap kids. Perhaps I have just been to too many 'attractions'.
Admittedly I don't give the Valerian dynasty enough attention in my collection, only Gallienus, here's my examples. Gallienus, Æ Antoninianus, Milan, Sole Reign, 260-8 AD, RIC-534 This coin is just stunning in hand, the mix of silvering and the gold hues make it a fun piece just to stare into, and I think it has great style for a Gallienus of this period. Gallienus, Bi. antoninianus, Lyons, AD 258-259, joint reign, RIC-19 I don't have this one in hand yet, I got it as a self birthday gift for cheap, I'll make sure to get better pics of it when it arrives. This will be my first Captives & Trophy reverse, very much exited.