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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;lrbguy, post: 24614140, member: 88829&quot;]Sad to say it looks like the thread really is dead.&nbsp; Sorry to see it go down since there are so many other interesting coins to show.&nbsp; On that note, and to follow through on my last suggestion, we might as well close it off with a flourish.</p><p>-</p><p><br /></p><p>Unlike many of the ephemeral emperors and rebels who bid for Imperial Power during the Crisis of the Third Century of the Roman Empire, Valerian was of a noble and traditional senatorial family. Details of his early life are elusive, except for his marriage to <b>Egnatia Mariniana</b>, who gave him two sons: later emperor Publius Licinius Egnatius Gallienus and Valerianus Minor. [Wikipedia]</p><p><br /></p><p>Valerian&#039;s wife was also born of nobility:</p><p>&quot;The sister of the Hedii Lolliani, who were consules ordinarii in 209 and 211, married one of the Egnatii.&nbsp; Their daughter, (Egnatia) Mariniana married the future emperor Publius Licinius Valerianus and gave birth to the future emperor Publius Licinius Egnatius Gallienus.&quot;</p><p>&nbsp;&nbsp; -Inge Mennen, <i>Power and Status in the Roman Empire 193-284</i> (Brill: Leiden, 2011) p.72</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>Several coins bearing the obverse legend <b>DIVAE MARINIANAE</b> date back to the beginning (253-258) of the reign of Valerian and Gallienus. Given the practice of deifying the wives who died before their husbands&#039; assumption of the Principate, it is possible that Mariniana died before AD 253.&nbsp; All of the coins listed in RIC bear only this obverse legend.&nbsp; The bust of the empress rests on a crescent, facing right with one of two hair styles, i.e. veiled with or without diadem.</p><p><br /></p><p>With but one very rare exception, two reverse types of the antoniniani for Mariniana share the <b>CONSECRATIO</b> reverse inscription.&nbsp; The exception is an exceptionally rare reverse featuring Felicitas standing left holding a caduceus and cornucopia under the words <b>FELICIT DEORVM</b>.</p><p><br /></p><p>The most commonly seen CONSECRATIO reverse features a depiction of the <u>apotheosis of Mariniana</u> (the elevation to divine status) in which the figure of the Empress rides the sacred bird of Juno, the peacock, in skyward flight. Usually the empress is seen riding on the left side of the bird which is flying to the right.</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]1564720[/ATTACH]</p><p>DIVAE MARINIANAE</p><p>veiled bust r. on crescent, (no diadem)</p><p>CONSECRATIO</p><p>empress rides peacock ascending right, waving while facing left</p><p>RIC 6a</p><p><br /></p><p>RIC also notes that the opposite orientation also exists, but groups both types under a single number, i.e. RIC 6.</p><p>[ATTACH=full]1564721[/ATTACH]</p><p><br /></p><p>DIVAE MARINIANAE</p><p>veiled bust r. on crescent, (with diadem)</p><p>CONSECRATIO</p><p>empress rides peacock ascending left while facing right</p><p>RIC 6b</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>Less commonly seen, but more diverse in its form, is the CONSECRATIO type featuring <u>a peacock standing in splendor, fan tail</u>, looking either to right or left.&nbsp; These occur with or without diadem on the obverse.</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]1564722[/ATTACH]</p><p>DIVAE MARINIANAE</p><p>veiled bust r. on crescent, <i>with diadem</i></p><p>CONSECRATIO</p><p><b>peacock</b> stands in splendor <b>facing left</b>.</p><p>RIC 3</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]1564723[/ATTACH]</p><p>DIVAE MARINIANAE</p><p>veiled bust r. on crescent, (<i>no diadem</i>)</p><p>CONSECRATIO</p><p><b>peacock</b> stands in splendor <b>facing left</b>.</p><p>RIC 3</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]1564724[/ATTACH]</p><p><br /></p><p>DIVAE MARINIANAE</p><p>veiled bust r. on crescent, <i>with diadem</i></p><p>CONSECRATIO</p><p><b>peacock</b> stands in splendor <b>facing right</b>.</p><p>RIC 4</p><p><br /></p><p>There is also a rare variant in which the bird is walking right. On all coins of this type the empress wears a diadem.</p><p>[ATTACH=full]1564731[/ATTACH]</p><p><br /></p><p>DIVAE MARINIANAE</p><p>veiled bust r. on crescent, with diadem</p><p>CONSECRATIO</p><p>peacock in splendor advances right.</p><p>RIC 5</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>If you would like to see more in this thread, there are other approaches.&nbsp; For example, show us a coin of Herrennia Etruscilla that does NOT feature PVDICITIA.</p><p><br /></p><p>Or examples of Galeria Valeria from as many of the mints as we can.</p><p><br /></p><p>Or if you are still looking for a challenge, show us what you can for the ladies of the household of Didius Julianus.</p><p><br /></p><p>We have a looooong ways to go![/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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