Featured Antoniniani of Antioch in Gallienus' sole reign

The period leading up to the reigns of Valerian I and Gallienus is often referred to as the "four bad years," in which Rome was fraught with problems, both internal and external, characterized by a succession of short-lived soldier-emperors and usurpers. In the summer of AD 253, following the death of Trebonianus Gallus and the accession of Aemilian, whose reign lasted a mere three months, Valerian was raised to the rank of emperor by his troops. At 53 years of age and realizing he needed to formalize a successor, Valerian raised his grown son Gallienus to co-emperor shortly thereafter.

The joint reign of Valerian and Gallienus was characterized by conflict with the Sasanian Persians, and Valerian commissioned the mints of the east to strike coinage to pay his troops doing battle there. Antioch was one of the largest cities in the Roman empire and the most productive mint in the east during this time. We know from hoard data that the mint at Antioch produced five large issues during the period of AD 253-257,[1] but was closed down at least twice[2, 3] during the joint reign, with a hiatus of production in the east until late in AD 263, three years after Valerian was taken captive by the Persians and two years after the downfall of Macrianus and Quietus in the west, when it was resumed and continued uninterrupted into the reign of Claudius II.[3]

This article focuses on these later issues, during the sole reign of Gallienus. Under his sole reign, antoniniani were minted for himself bearing the inscription GALLIENVS AVG and for his wife Salonina reading SALONINA AVG. The coins are of low weight and extremely debased, being coated with a thin layer of silvering, which, when intact, masked the debasement. The portraits and devices on the coins of this mint are finely but shallowly engraved, and are often small compared to those issued by the other mints in operation elsewhere in the empire. The portraits of Salonina are rendered in a very distinctive style and the crescent on which her bust rests is large but extremely thin.

Sometimes the legends are misspelled, such as the example below with the SAECVLARHS inscription, probably the result of a Greek-speaking engraver who replaced the Roman letter E with the Greek eta. Among other misspellings recorded in the literature are MINEREA for MINERVA and IVBENTVS AVG for IVVENTVS AVG, the beta in Greek being used to indicate the bilabial voiced fricative indicated by consonantal V in late Latin.[2]

Unusual for coins of the period, many from this mint bear marks in the exergue or fields and represent dates or control marks. These include VIIC (7th consulate?), PXV (probably TR P XV = AD 267, though Roger Bland and others have suggested otherwise), CVIPP (possibly AD 265), as well as a variety of dots, stars, crescents and branches. These marks may reflect specific events or circumstances about which we can only speculate. Some of these marks are illustrated by coins in my collection, below.

Post any coins you may have of Gallienus or Salonina from Antioch or anything you feel is relevant.

Here are 10 coins from my collection (the limit that can be posted), arranged chronologically by Göbl number.


Salonina, AD 253-268.
Roman billon antoninianus, 3.87 g, 21.1 mm, 7 h.
Antioch, AD 264.
Obv: SALONINA AVG, diademed and draped bust, right, on crescent.
Rev: IVNO REGINA, Juno standing left, holding patera and scepter, peacock at feet left; star in left field.
Refs: Göbl 1619f; RIC 92; Cohen 67; RCV 10641; cf. Hunter pp. lxxiii-lxxiv.


Gallienus, AD 253-268.
Roman billon Antoninianus, 3.34 g, 20.4 mm, 10 h.
Antioch, AD 265.
Obv: GALLIENVS AVG, radiate, draped and cuirassed bust, right.
Rev: SAECVLARHS AVG, stag standing right, branch in exergue.
Refs: Göbl 1626c; RIC 656; Cohen 924; RCV 10345; Hunter 195.


Gallienus, AD 253-268.
Roman Billon Antoninianus, 2.84 g, 21.2 mm, 11 h.
Antioch, AD 265-266.
Obv: GALLIENVS AVG, radiate, draped and cuirassed bust, right.
Rev: AETERNITAS AVG, Lupa Romana (she-wolf suckling Romulus and Remus), right; branch in exergue.
Refs: Göbl 1628e; RIC 628; Cohen 46; RCV 10171 var.


Cornelia Salonina, AD 253-268.
Roman silvered billon antoninianus, 3.15 g, 22.7 mm, 5 h.
Antioch, AD 265.
Obv: SALONINA AVG, diademed and draped bust right on crescent.
Rev: CERERI AVG, Ceres, veiled and wearing polos, seated left, holding grain head with right hand and long torch in left. Branch in exergue.
Refs: Göbl 1637e; RIC 90; Cohen 22; RCV 10627.


Gallienus, AD 253-268.
Roman billon Antoninianus, 2.24 g, 20.5 mm, 11 h.
Antioch, AD 265-266.
Obv: GALLIENVS AVG, radiate and cuirassed bust, right.
Rev: CONSERVATOR AVG, Aesculapius standing left, leaning on staff with serpent.
Refs: Göbl 1649g; RIC 632; Cohen 140; Sear 10193; Hunter 208.


Salonina, AD 253-268.
Roman billon Antoninianus, 4.24 g, 19.7 mm, 6 h.
Antioch, AD 265.
Obv: SALONINA AVG, diademed and draped bust right on crescent.
Rev: SALVS AVG, Salus standing right, feeding from patera serpent held in arms.
Refs: Göbl 1656h; RIC 88 var.; Cohen 105; RCV 10652; cf. Hunter p. lxxiv.
Notes: RIC 88 has VIIC 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.

~~~

1. Bland, Roger, et al. The Cunetio and Normanby Hoards: Roger Bland, Edward Besly and Andrew Burnett, with Notes to Aid Identification by Sam Moorhead. Spink & Son Ltd, 2018, p. 40.

2. Franklin-Werz, Claire. "Gallienus and the East." Coins Weekly, 3 Dec. 2019, coinsweekly.com/gallienus-and-the-east/.

3. Bland, op. cit., p. 41.

 

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All great coins RC, and interesting write up.
My only Mysia Parium Gallienus. Cuirassed and laureate bust R / City-gate with three entrances with elephant-quadriga on top. Triumphal arch statues below top each side standing on columns, 26mm, 9.11 gm. Price and Trell fig 213. SNG France 1531

 

Here's a couple of my favorites:

Gallienus
265, Sole Reign, Asia (RIC) Antioch (Göbl)
GALLIENVS AVG
Radiate, draped, cuirassed bust right, seen from behind
PAX FVNDATA
Trophy between seated, mourning captives
Palm branch right in exergue
RIC V, Part I, 652; Göbl 1635c


Gallienus
Antioch. Sole reign.
GALLIENVS PF AVG, radiate cuirassed bust right.
IOVI STATORI, Jupiter standing facing (or standing left), head right, holding sceptre and thunderbolt. Star in right field.
RIC V-1 (S), Asian Mint 644; Cunetio hoard 1889 (S) Cohen 388.

 

Nice write up and coins, RC. Whenever I try to attribute a new Gallienus & family coin, I go to https://gallienus.net/

I like this site because it gives the different authorities' opinions on mint locations. Antioch/Asian is a pretty common split - thus most of my attributions show both.

Gallienus with Apollo reverse:



Gallienus Æ (?) Antoninianus
(c. 267 A.D.)
Antioch (or Asian) Mint
GALLIENVS AVG, radiate, cuirassed bust right / SALVS AVG, Apollo standing left, holding laurel branch in right hand, left arm leaning on tripod. PXV in exergue.
RIC 610; Göbl 1670k
(2.96 grams / 23 x 20 mm)

Bust left with a Minerva reverse:



Gallienus Æ Antoninianus
(c. 265 A.D.)
Antioch or Asia Mint
GALLIENVS AVG, radiate head left / MINERVA AVG, Minerva standing right with
spear and shield [branch in exergue?]
RIC 651l; Göbl 1634a
Note: no blank ex. for this type.
(3.91 grams / 21 mm)

Here is an oddball Salonina with an error AVGG reverse:


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)

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.

 

Great write up @Roman Collector.
I have quite a few Gallienus Ant`s already and two Salonina`s however all are either from the "Asia" mint or "Rome".
The only other example I posses is from the joint reign with Valerian, a rather nice Antioch RESTITVT ORIENTIS (Not the purpose of this article I know).
I shall keep an eye open for some of these sole reign examples from now on.

 

R.C., Excellent article with great coin illustrations ! After Shapur I raided & plundered Antioch in AD 256 the city never restored it's former greatness. Despite all the calamities this city endured, hostilities from neighbors, earthquakes, & the plague, it was the real birthplace of Christianity as a religion.

 

How do you separate the mints known as Antioch and Asia? We should mention that the flans used in the East tended to be large enough to contain the whole design and were regularly round rather than jagged as seen at Rome.

 

Very interesting article. A nice back in time trip. Here is my only Gallienus from Antioch. Bought it long ago because almost full silvering is still intact.

Gallienus 253-268
Silver Antoninianus 22mm 3.8g 12h
Antioch 260-268 AD
GALLIENVS AVG
SOLI INVECTI
RIC 611 Cohen 989

 

Thank you for the kind words! That's a very cool architectural issue, too! What's not to love about an elephant quadriga on the city gate?

Those coins illustrate quite nicely what I mean by small portraits and devices. @dougsmit shows some other examples, too.

Yes, that's a helpful website. Here's another that's even more complete, but it's harder to use for attribution because it's listed in order of Göbl number, not alphabetically by reverse legend like Marcie's site (https://gallienus.net/).

I address the issue of Asia versus Antioch in my reply to @dougsmit , below.

You have some very interesting coins. I think the AVGG error on the Salonina is particularly interesting.

Thank you for the kind words, @JulesUK . You might be interested in this earlier thread about the RESTITVT issues of Valerian and Gallienus.

A good example is the "rivalry" between Antioch and Jerusalem noted in Acts as well as Galatians. There is a particularly good discussion of the role of Antioch in the early church in Longenecker, Richard N. Word Biblical Commentary V.41 Galatians. Word Book, Pub, 1990, pp. 65-71.

Those are some great examples of the Antioch style, @dougsmit ! Contrast their flans to these from Rome:




Now, on to your question ...

There is a lot of confusion about the mints in the east. Bland (op. cit.) reports two mints in the east during the joint reign of Valerian and Gallienus, a "new mint whose location is uncertain" and the Antioch mint. He notes that various locations have been proposed for the location of the uncertain eastern mint: Alföldi and Göbl each proposed Samosata, Bellinger proposed Emesa, and Carson, Cyzicus. He notes, however, that hoard finds suggest a location closer to Antioch than Cyzicus. I explain Göbl's position that Samosata operated while Antioch was in Persian hands in more depth here.

After AD 263, however, after Valerian had been captured and the mints in the east had ceased production for three years or more, the mint at Antioch reopened and it was the only mint in operation in Syria and Mesopotamia. So the term "Asian mint" only refers to the non-Antioch mint in operation during the joint reign of Gallienus and Valerian.

 

Excellent example of the silvering process on coins of the period! It also illustrates the tiny portrait and devices, the full flans, and the PXV in the exergue. Nice one!

 

Fun group, @Bing ! I particularly like the Luna Lucifera from Antioch.

 

Interesting write up. Is Gobl available online ?

Mine from the Antioch mint.

Gallienus AR Antoninianus. Antioch, AD 266-267. GALLIENVS AVG, radiate head left / PROVIDENTIA AVG, Mercury standing left, holding purse and caduceus. RIC 653 (var. no exergue)


Gallienus Antioch, 267 AD.

AE antoninianus, 4,18 g.

GALLIENVS AVG radiate, cuirassed bust of Gallienus right

SALVS AVG Apollo standing left, with branch and leaning on tripod right; in exergue: PXV.

RIC 610.

 

kool group RC..i just barely have a Gallienius...but it's a shiny purdy coin...(and a Salonnia too..she got a nose job since)..

 

No, but this website is reasonably complete.

 

Ha! I like Salonina's Nerva-nose!

 

I acquired a VII C to the collection:


Gallienus, AD 253-268.
Roman billon antoninianus, 3.39 g, 20.1 mm, 11 h.
Antioch, AD 266-267.
Obv: GALLIENVS AVG, radiated and cuirassed bust, right.
Rev: FORTVNA REDVX, Fortuna standing left, holding short caduceus and cornucopiae; VII C in exergue.
Refs: RIC 613 F; Göbl 1640b; Cohen 277; RCV 10220.
Notes: VII C probably refers to Gallienus' 7th (and final) consulate, AD 266-68.

 

Interesting thread and many nice coins of Gallienus. Although I see I am a few months behind in reading this thread, this PIETAS type has not yet made an appearance. Another example of someone getting creative with legends and dating? COS VII i.e. VII C in exergue.

Gallienus, AD 253-268, Antoninianus, minted in Asia (Antioch) AD 266-268
Obv: GALLIENVS AVG, radiate, draped and cuirassed bust right
Rev: PIETAS AVG, emperor standing facing, head left, holding scepter and sacrificing with patera over lighted altar; VIIC (dot) in exergue
Ref: RIC V 618
There are quite a few of these VIIC types for Gallienus (ref)

 

RI Gallienus AE silvered Ant 21mm 2.7g Radiate CuirassedR - Jupiter L tbolt X RIC 214



RI Salonina wife of Gallienus 254-268 CE AE Ant 3.61g 20mm Rome mint 267-268 CE crescent Deer Walking delta RIC V 16

 

Excellent!