Picked up a Galaria Valeria (the wife of Galerius) coin a couple months ago I never got around to posting, not a bad coin so I'll give it a quick post. Some slight hints of the original silvering left and a nice brown patina. Galeria Valeria, AE follis, 305-311 AD O: Bust right, GALVAL ERIAAVG, R: Venus holding apple, VENERIV ICTRICI, ALE in ex. RIC 110. Alexandria mint. 24 mm, 6.6 g. Feel free to post your Gal Vals or other tetrach related chicks. (Are there other tetrach lady coins minted before Constantine??)
Coins of Galeria Valeria don't have a variety of reverse types, to be sure, but the portrait style varies considerably from mint to mint and makes for an interesting study. Galeria Valeria, AD 293(?)-311. Roman Æ Follis, 26 mm, 6.64 gm. Nicomedia mint, 308-310 CE. Obv: GAL VAL-ERIA AVG, diademed and draped bust right. Rev: VENERI VI-CTRICI CMH, Venus standing facing, head left, holding apple and drapery; in exergue, SMNA. Refs: RIC VI 57; Sear 14595.
Cool, @chrsmat71 ! Great chocolate brown patina! Here is mine: I think my Venus is not holding an apple, rather half of a WATERMELON! GALERIA VALERIA Galeria Valeria AE Follis Attribution: RIC VI 57 Nicomedia Date: 308-310 AD Obverse: GAL VAL-ERIA AVG, Diademed robed bust right Reverse: VENERI VI-CTRICI, CMH monogram, Venus standing left, holding apple , SMNΓ in exergue Size: 22.94mm Weight: 5.42 grams
And one from Cyzicus with a particularly uninspired portrait: Cyzicus mint, A.D. 308-309 Obv: GAL VAL-ERIA AVG Rev: VENERI V-ICTRICI - Venus, standing left, holding apple, raising drapery over left shoulder MKV in exergue; Δ in left field RIC 46 26mm, 5.8g.
Here's mine. Alexandria mint. Yes, the portraits do vary considerably. Hard to tell what she really looked like.
Same as yours. Galeria Valeria AE Follis O: GAL VAL-ERIA AVG, diademed and draped bust right. R: VENERI V-ICTRICI, Venus standing facing, head left, holding up apple and raising drapery; K-Γ/P, ALE in exergue. Alexandria Mint 23mm 6.85g RIC VI 110
A lot of varied portraits in this thread, here's another from Cyzicus: Galeria Valeria, wife of Galerius. Æ Follis, Struck 308-310 AD Obv: GAL VAL-ERIA AVG, diademed and draped bust right Rev: VENERI V-ICTRICI, Venus standing facing, head left, holding up apple in right hand and raising drapery over shoulder with left, MKV in exergue
That is a very nice coin. Here is a hairstyle from Serdica: 25 mm. 6.21 grams. Galeria Valeria VENERI V-ICRICI •SM•SD• ✳ in left field, A in right. RIC VI Serdica 41 "late 307-8"
Let me preface this post by stating that I see absolutely no problems with any coins posted here. In fact, they are quite lovely. I do not have a Gal Val, so I would like to pick one up perhaps in the near future. But I’m fairly certain I have seen a counterfeit one of these on eBay. Does anyone know if this is a commonly counterfeited coin? Is this a coin type that one should exercise an extra measure of caution for? Or is that overstated?
I don't know if these are fake more than other or not?? I did pick up a fake Galerius in a mixed Ebay lot. Thanks for sharing all your cool Gal Vals!
This eBay seller has no fewer than seven of them right now, each for about $30, which might not be remarkable given the condition. The metal looks particularly porous. If I were to get one, I would go through VCoins for an extra measure of peace of mind. But to be clear, I’m not casting any aspersions on this seller or these coins.
Another Alexandrian example, with a somewhat manly portrait : ROMAN EMPIRE, GALERIA VALERIA, follis RIC 110 Alexandria mint, 3rd officina, AD 308-310 GAL VAL ERIA AVG, draped and diademed bust right VENERI V ICTRICI, Venus standing left, holding apple and raising her dress, K | P in lower field, Γ in right field, ALE at exergue 8.46 gr Ref : RIC # 110, Cohen # 2 var, RCV # 14607 (250) And the one that it replaces, from Heraclea : Galeria Valeria, Follis - Heraclea mint, 1st officina GAL VALERIA AVG, draped and diademed bust right VENERI VICTRICI, Venus standing left, HTA at exergue 6.98 gr Galeria Valeria, follis, Ref : Cohen # 2, Q
I am not sure if protocol says I should start a new thread for this, but it seemed logical to post a question where I was sure to get an answer. I think I should know the answer to my question but I don't so rather than being silent and being thought a fool, I shall open my mouth and remove all doubt. What does CHL mean/stand for on the obverse before Gal Valeria?
It does kinda look like CHL doesn't it? But it's actually GAL. So the full obverse legend is GAL VAL [space] ERIA AVG. There was actually no distinction between "C" and "G" in the latin alphabet until the 3rd c. BCE, and apparently they didn't care that much about it afterwards either.
CHL is actually GAL. G's often look like C's all over the empire, and many of the eastern mints had A's that look like H's.