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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;dougsmit, post: 2942279, member: 19463&quot;]Dating coins within the reign will take more than a little study but there are specialist works suggesting some pattern if you get into these deeply.&nbsp; The big division is whether a coin was issued before or after Valerian was captured.&nbsp; Two emperors is signaled by the plural AVGG abbreviation while the later, sole reign coins show singular AVG.&nbsp; Not all legends ended with &#039;Augustus&#039; so this clue is not always available.&nbsp; Early coins had enough silver to appear gray without a silver wash while the late ones will look entirely copper.&nbsp; Your coin seems to have a decent amount of remaining silver wash but not a lot in the alloy of the core so it might date to the middle to later period.&nbsp; Add to this the fact that Gallienus struck coins from several mints and not all reduced the quality on the exact same schedule.&nbsp; I suggest, for now anyway, you just be happy with separating sole reign from joint.&nbsp; </p><p><br /></p><p>Better silver, earliest, joint reign but legend not having AVGG&nbsp; (IOVI CONSERVA)</p><p>[ATTACH=full]716663[/ATTACH]</p><p><br /></p><p>Decent silver but toned, earlier, joint reign PIETAS AVGG</p><p>[ATTACH=full]716662[/ATTACH] </p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>Later, sole reign with partial retained silver wash (a zoo series hippocamp NEPTVNO CONS AVG)</p><p>[ATTACH=full]716666[/ATTACH] </p><p><br /></p><p>Later, sole reign with all silver gone (this looked silver when new but no more) SALVS AVG - More coins of Gallienus you will see look like this in color today. </p><p>[ATTACH=full]716667[/ATTACH] </p><p><br /></p><p>Gallienus ruled at the time when the coinage passed gradually from barely enough silver to look gray to not much of any but the silver wash made all appear the same in the beginning. If you decide to specialize in these (I do not) you will develop a feel for the differences between metal contents as well as mints and possible dates.&nbsp; Gallienus is only one of many very interesting periods available for study and collecting.&nbsp; I recommend being a general collector for a while until you decide if there is one specialty that makes you want to be exclusive.&nbsp; Here on Coin Talk we have collectors of all kinds.&nbsp; Whichever you choose, you will most likely find someone sharing your interests.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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