I've already found quite a few unattributed rare coins in budget auctions, but I think this example might beat them all (unfortunately the photos aren't that great, but the seller sent it to me in a capsule and for now I'm keeping it in there): Gallienus (253-268), Antoninianus, Antioch mint. Obverse: GALLIENVS AVG, radiate and cuirassed bust right, seen from the front; Reverse: P M TR P XIII, lion standing right, palm branch below C VI P P in exergue; RIC V 602 (unlisted reverse variant), Göbl - Gallienus struck quite a few dated coins with a lion on the reverse, both at Antioch and at Smyrna, and the type comes in quite a few varieties (lion alone, lion with bucranium, lion holding thunderbolt in its jaws), but so far I have been unable to spot another example with the lion standing right, and @curtislclay has confirmed to me that it's not even listed in Göbl's overview of this emperor's coinage. If anybody knows of another example, though, I'd be happy to see it! That's all for now; post your coins with a lion, your coins of Gallienus, your dated antoniniani or anything else you feel like might be relevant !
Nice find, @Claudius_Gothicus! It's always a thrill to make a new discovery! My only dated ones have PXV in the exergue. Gallienus, AD 253-268. Roman billon antoninianus, 4.26 g, 18.8 mm, 12 h. Antioch, 15th emission, AD 266-268. Obv: GALLIENVS AVG, radiate, draped and cuirassed bust, right. Rev: AETERNITAS AVG, Saturn standing right, holding harpa in left hand; PXV in exergue. Refs: RIC 606; Göbl 1662i; Cohen 44; RCV 10170. Gallienus, AD 253-268. Roman silvered billon antoninianus, 4.25 g, 21.3 mm, 11 h. Antioch, AD 267. Obv: GALLIENVS AVG, radiate and cuirassed bust, right. Rev: FIDES AVG, Mercury standing right, holding marsupium (purse) and caduceus; PXV in exergue. Refs: Göbl 1667k; RIC 607F; Cohen 219; RCV 10212; Hunter p. lxx. Gallienus, AD 253-268. Roman billon antoninianus, 3.73 g, 20.5 mm, 12 h. Antioch, AD 267. Obv: GALLIENVS AVG, radiate and cuirassed bust, right. Rev: SALVS AVG, Apollo standing facing, head left, holding branch left, leaning on tripod right; PXV in exergue. Refs: Göbl 1670k; RIC 610F; Cohen 927; RCV 10346; Hunter, p. lxx. Salonina, AD 253-268. Roman billon Antoninianus, 3.58 g, 22.4 mm, 5 h. Antioch, AD 267. Obv: SALONINA AVG, diademed and draped bust right on crescent. Rev: VENVS AVG, Venus standing left, holding helmet and spear; beside her, shield; PXV in exergue. Refs: Göbl 1671l; RIC 86; Cohen 113; RCV 10654.
That's a wonderful coin, CG! Not only extremely rare (unique?) with the right-facing lion, but that's a great lion too. Here's my only dated Gallienus:
That's a fascinating coin, @Claudius_Gothicus! There's certainly no example of a lion right with this legend at http://www258.pair.com/denarius/coinage.htm, which follows the Göbl numbering. (The various coins depicting a lion left with P M TR P XIII/C VI P on the reverse are all cataloged under Göbl 1622 & 1623. The several Gallienus coins showing a lion walking or springing right have different reverse legends; see Göbl 979 & 1002.) Here's my example of a Gallienus from Antioch with the same legends as yours, but with the lion walking left. The coin also differs from yours in that, among other things, Gallienus faces left. The first footnote discusses the dating of the coin: Gallienus, Billon Antoninianus, 264-265 AD, Antioch Mint, 11th emission (Göbl).* Obv. Radiate head left, GALLIENVS AVG / Rev. Lion walking left, bucranium [bull’s head] in front of paws, P M TRP XIII; in exergue, C VI PP [C VI = COS VI], palm branch left below. RIC V-1 602 var. obv. [bust draped & cuirassed] & rev. [lion radiate]; RSC IV 847 var. rev. [lion radiate]; Sear RCV III 10327 var. rev. [lion radiate]; Göbl MIR [Moneta Imperii Romani] Band 36, No. 1622a [see http://www258.pair.com/denarius/coinage.htm, Coinage of Gallienus and Family, with Göbl numbers, descriptions, & images for Gallienus coins]. 21 mm., 4.05 g., 12 h.** *See Euston, Charles, Gallienus to Antioch ? A new PROFECTIO type of antoninianus from the mint at Antioch, A.D. 264, in Bulletin du cercle d’études numismatiques [BCEN] 52/2 (2015), at p. 2: “Göbl’s 11th emission begins with another lion reverse; lion (not radiate), left with a bull’s head between its paws (MIR 1622). This reverse is also dated, but to Gallienus’ 13th tribunician power (TRP XIII). Interestingly, this type straddles both the 12th and the 11th emissions as it exists both with and without the palm frond as exergual marker. This mark in the exergue is, in fact, the primary indicator of the 11th emission.” **See Manders, Erika (2012), Coining Images of Power: Patterns in the Representation of Roman Emperors on Imperial Coinage, A.D. 193–284. Impact of Empire (Roman Empire, c. 200 B.C.–A.D. 476), at pp. 296-297 [portions available on Google Books], stating that “[f]our coin types [of Gallienus] [NB: in fact, there were more than four] bear a legend consisting of standard imperial titalature and show a lion with a bull’s head between his paws or a radiate lion (sometimes with a bull’s head between his paws. . . . These types might refer to the victories of Odaenathus [of Palmyra], Rome’s ally, gained over the Persians, probably in 262-263 and 267. This hypothesis is strengthened by the thirteenth Sybilline Oracle’s description of the Persians as ‘venom spitting beasts’ who have been destroyed by Odaenathus, the ‘sun-sent, dreadful, fearful lion, breathing much fire.’” Other authorities have expressed skepticism regarding this interpretation. See, e.g., Woods, David (2018). "From Caracalla to Carausius: The Radiate Lion with Thunderbolt in its Jaws". British Numismatic Journal. British Numismatic Society.
Nice find, @Claudius_Gothicus I don't have a Gallienus lion of any sort, but I do have a Salonina that is so scarce it got a (!) from Göbl, indicating an error (the AVGG reverse is what makes it so). Salonina Antoninianus (wife of Gallienus) (c. 253-260 A.D.) Asian Mint (or Antioch Göbl) SALONINA AVG, diademed, draped bust right on crescent / PVDICITIA AVGG, Pudicitia standing left, right hand raised to veil, left holding scepter. RIC 65 error; Göbl 1594c (!) (3.06 grams / 22 mm) eBay July 2018 Notes: The reverse legend should be PVDICITIA AVG. Göbl lists error coins with an ! in the table listing, which is why it has a regular Göbl number.
That's cool! Here's one from the Rome mint without the AVG at all. It has the officina mark (Q) used at the Rome mint for Salonina's officina. Cornelia Salonina, AD 253-268 Roman billon antoninianus, 3.54 g, 22.4 mm Rome, sole reign of Gallienus, AD 260-262 Obv: SALONINA AVG, diademed and draped bust right on crescent Rev: PVDICITIA, Pudicitia standing left, drawing veil from face and holding transverse scepter; officina mark Q (=4) in field, right Refs: RIC 24; Cohen 92; RCV 10648
