Gallienus - Coins of Antioch and Asia

Recently I received this coin to add to my sub collection of Gallienus' coins of Antioch (or the another Asian mint cities that they are sometimes attributed to).

The interesting thing about these coins is their relative quality when compared against coins from Rome of the same time. Of the whole empire, the poorest quality coins of the time seem to have come from the capital, while coins from the east and the breakaway Gallic empires seem to of been produced with better materials and artistry. Anyone know why?

Anyway, let's see your eastern Gallienus coins!


Gallienus - Antioch or Aisan Mint - MARS VICTOR - Palm Branch - RIC V-1 649

 

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That’s an interesting observation. It does indeed some like later Rome mint and some Constantinople mint coins are rather rough in overall quality.

Maybe the provincial artists had some better training and sculptural education than the capital folks did?

 

It may be as simple as the east was rich, the Gallic empire was looking to impress and Rome was broke and in trouble... but I don't really know. I do know, if you're looking for good Gallienus coins, other than the Zoo series, look east!

Here's another favorite:

Gallienus - PAX FVNDATA - Antioch (or other Asian mint) - RIC V-1 652 - 265ad

 

Especially seek out the ones with the branch in exergue! They always seem well made.

 

Very unusual portrait on this one. Doesn't look much like him, in my opinion:

Asia Minor mint, A.D. 255-256
Obv: IMP C P LIC GALLIENVS P F AVG
Rev: IOVI CONSERVATORI - Emperor with spear, receiving globe from Jupiter, on right, leaning on scepter
Wreath in field
RIC 440
21mm, 4.5g.

 

Many of Gallienus' coins from the Antioch mint issued during his sole reign bear marks in the exergue or fields thought to represent dates. These include VIIC (7th consulate?), PXV (probably TR P XV = AD 267, though Roger Bland and others have suggested otherwise), and CVIPP (possibly AD 265).


VIIC:


Gallienus, AD 253-268.
Roman billon antoninianus, 3.39 g, 20.1 mm, 11 h.
Antioch, AD 266-267.
Obv: GALLIENVS AVG, radiate 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.

PXV:


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.

 

Nice eastern mint coins. My only examples are from Rome.

 

Very astute observation, OJ. Here are the few I have from the East...


MINERVA AVG // VIIC•
Minerva, helemeted, draped, standing left, leaning on shield with right hand and holding spear in left hand.


IVBENTVS AVG // VIIC•
Gallienus, standing left, holding Victory in right hand and spear in left hand.


VIRTVS AVG // VIIC•
Hercules, nude except for cloak draped over left arm, standing right, holding club in right hand and apple in left hand.

And my favorite, Mercury with what appears to be a bloody heart (purse)??? Sinister!!

FIDES AVG // PXV
Mercury, nude except for cloak draped over left arm, standing left, holding purse in right hand and caduceus in left hand.

 

Great detailed coin.
CARIA. Antiochia ad Maeandrum. Gallienus, 253-268. Hexassarion (?) (Bronze, 30 mm, 13.65 g, 6 h). AY•K•Π•ΓAΛ[ΛIHNOC] Radiate, helmeted, draped and cuirassed bust of Gallienus to left, holding spear and shield. Rev. ANT[IOXЄΩN] Bridge of six arches spanning the Maeander, with gateway to left and river-god Maeander reclining left on bridge, holding reed. BMC 57. SNG von Aulock 2430
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

 

Another thought. When studying very early Chinese Buddhist architecture, the best extant sources are in Korea and Japan. Despite not being China, those two countries found that some aspects of their culture, such as religious architecture, stayed relatively stagnant while it evolved in China.
Another example is Chinese painting. After the Ming dynasty was taken over by the barbarian Qing, the Koreans considered that to be the end of real China, as the Manchus weren't "chinese enough." So, despite painting evolving quite a bit in China proper, the Koreans continued to paint in the Ming style, artificially slowing the evolution and preserving the style in time.

IF one can apply that to Eastern mints of Rome, then it could be that the provinces artificially stunted artistic evolution to be closer to what they believed to be a more glorious time in history. Who knows

 

Here’s another:

Gallienus - Antioch - IOVI STATORI - RIC V-1 644f

 

Nice Ant @Orange Julius. Here's another reasonably well struck (or at least well centered).

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
Note: There are quite a few of these VIIC types for Gallienus (ref)

 

Gallienus. 253-268 AD. AR Antoninianus (20mm, 3.24 gm, 6h). Samosata mint. 3rd emission, 1st phase, 260 AD. Obv: Radiate, draped, and cuirassed bust right, seen from behind. Rev: Gallienus standing right, receiving globe from Jupiter standing left, each holding scepter; wreath above. RIC V 440 (with Valerian I); MIR 36, 1697b; RSC 378.F.

 

Gallienus. 253-268 AD. Antoninianus (22mm; 3.45 gm; 6h). Antioch mint. Struck 263 AD. Obv: GALLIENVS AVG, radiate, draped, and cuirassed bust right, seen from behind. Rev: IOVI STATORI, Jupiter standing left, holding scepter and thunderbolt; star in exergue. RIC V 645; RSC 394.

 

Gallienus. 253-268 AD. Antoninianus (2.28 gm). Antioch mint. 7th emission, 260-264 AD. Obv: Radiate and cuir. bust r. Rev: Victory advancing left, holding wreath and palm frond. RIC V 663; RSC 1098c

 

No Kevin at Antioch I guess!

 

How true, even though you can sometimes find a misspelled legend


Gallienus, Antoninianus - Antioch mint, AD 265
GALLIENVS AVG, radiate and cuirassed bust right seen from front
VENRI (sic) VICTRICI, Venus standing left, holding helmet shield and spear
3,30 gr
Ref : RCV #10370 var, Cohen #1021 var, Göbl #1653g



Gallienus, Antoninianus - Antioch mint, AD 265-266
GALLIENVS AVG radiate head left
AETERNITAS AVG she wolf standing right, suckling twins Romulus and Remus. Branch at exergue
3,9 gr, 20 mm
Ref : RIC V-1 # 628, Göbl # 1628a

Q

 

Kevin works at the Rome mint:

 

Another Hexassarian, 34 mm dia, 16.99 grams. This one from Pergamum in Turkey down from the Dardanelles in the Turkish Straits.

The Attalids made the city of Pergamum one of the most important and beautiful of all Greek cities in the Hellenistic Age; it is one of the most outstanding examples of city planning in that period. They built a library excelled only by that at Alexandria.
-- from Britannica



Sadly this is a coin that I bid on but didn't win. Thus my namesake coin remains the $15 antoninnanius I bought many years ago which is not that nice.

 

Gallienus AE Antoninianus, Antioch. sole reign. GALLIENVS AVG, radiate, draped bust right / VIRTVS AVG, Emperor standing right, holding globe and spear. Mintmark: palm branch. RIC V-1 (S), Asian Mint 670; Goebl 1636c; Sear 10406.