Let's do Gallienus

We haven't pulled out this emperor's coins in a while. There's a lot of common, inexpensive stuff here, but I find it all of great numismatic interest.

I came across this ant today, for the price of lunch, so I guess I'll just skip lunch.

Of course, you all know many ants of Gallienus are pretty decrepit, so finding one that's got a strong strike, full lettering, good surfaces, and reasonably nice flan is definitely worth the cost of a meal. There are a few different Victory types - does anyone have any of the others?

 

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Very nice. My favorite emperor of all. I tend to favor the silver based ones then the "pretty decrepit" ones & silver wash.

The first one I ever bought and still a favorite:

Gallienus (253 - 268 A.D.)
AR Antoninianus
O: IMP C P LIC GALLIENVS AVG, Radiate and cuirassed bust right.
R: IOVI CONSERVA, Jupiter standing left, head turned right, holding scepter in right and thunderbolt in left.
5.1g
24mm
RIC 143F (Rome) Sear 10237

With my favorite error type

Gallienus (253 - 268 A.D.)
AR Antoninianus
O: GALLIENVS P F AVG, radiate and cuirassed bust right.
R: DEO MARTI, Mars in temple.
Colonia Agrippinensis (Cologne) mint, 258-259 A.D.
21mm
3.45g
RIC 10

Reverse Die Clash



Gallienus (253 - 268 A.D.)
AR Antoninianus
O: IMP C P LIC GALLIENVS AVG : Radiate, draped, cuirassed bust right, seen from behind.
R: PIETATI AVGG : Pietas standing facing, head left, left arm leaning on column, vertical long scepter in right.
Antioch, 253-255 A.D.
3.95g
22mm
RIC V, Part I, 295; Göbl 1563d

Published on Wildwinds

 

Great coins, Mat! Of course, the coins of good silver have more eye-appeal, but you can also track the gradual decline of fineness. Yours are the best of the best. These two start showing the debasement. The first still has a considerable amount of silver, but it's clearly billon. The second is lighter, and clearly more copper than silver, with remnants of a wash...

 

By the end of Gallienus' reign, the Rome mint wasn't using any silver at all, likely not even in the washes. Here is one of my favorites: TRP XVI makes this the last in the series of dated ants, minted during the emperor's final year of rule. The flan preparation and striking also degraded to the point of amateurism, although (curiously) the engraving of dies maintained a decent level of artistry...

 

here's my best...

 

yesss i have one..


GALLIENUS Emperor AD 253-268
Silver Antoninianus
Asian mint.
Obverse: GALLIENVS P.F.AVG, His radiated cuirassed bust right
Reverse: VIRTVS AVGVSTI, Hercules standing right
holding lion's skin and leaning on club set on rock. Star in right field.
22mm
3.2g
RIC 672
Cohen 1321
Sear -, Van Meter 346

 

Gallienus ...

=> mmmm, Gallienus x 3

 

Last winter I wanted this one, but unfortunately it got lost/stolen in transit:




AV: GALLIENVS · P · F AVG; radiate, draped and cuirassed bust right

REV: RESTIT GALLIAR; Gallienus, holding spear, raising kneeling figure of Gallia.

EXE: -

REF: Elmer 59d, Rocquencourt Hoard 2213, joint reign, Cologne mint 259AD.

Scarce issue, minted in Cologne to celebrate Gallienus's general Postumus victory against the germans and the liberation of Gaul. Postumus would claim the title of Augustus for himself in Gaul, marking the beginning of the so-called Secessionist Empire or Gallo-Roman Empire.

 

Gallienus BI Antoninianus, 253-268 AD, Rome mint, 2.0g, 20mm

OBV: GALLIENVS AVG, Radiate head right.

REV: MARTI PACIFERO, Mars standing left, holding olive-branch, spear & shield, H in left field.

REF: RIC 236, Cohen 617


This coin is close to being done, just a little more surface dirt on both sides. It's not going to improve detail wise. I just wanted to attribute this coin and I'm keeping it since I don't have this reverse type.



Gallienus BI Antoninianus, Asia mint, 267 AD, 3.9g, 21.53mm

OBV: GALLIENVS AVG, Radiate, draped & cuirassed bust right.

REV: AETERNITAS AVG, Saturn standing right holding scythe, PXV (short for TR P XV) in ex.

REF: Cohen 44. RIC V-1 (S) 606.



Gallienus BI Antoninianus, 3.0g, 24mm

OBV: GALLIENVS AVG, Radiate head right.

REV: ROMAE AETERNA, Roma helmeted, seated left on shield, holding victory on globe and spear right.

REF: Unlisted



Gallienus Billon Antoninianus. 267-268 AD, 4.2g, 22.0mm

OBV: GALLIENVS AVG, Radiate head right.

REV: IOVI CONS AVG, Goat standing or walking left.

REF: RIC 207



Gallienus BI Antoninianus. Milan mint, sole reign, 2.0g, 21mm

OBV: GALLIENVS AVG, Radiate head right.

REV: ORIENS AVG, Radiate Sol standing left, holding globe & raising right hand.

REF: RIC 495



I have another Gallienus that is in the cleaning process right now and I don't have a photo of it yet. This one and the first photo I posted are from that uncleaned lot I picked up recently.

 

EGYPT, Alexandria. Gallienus
year 13, CE 265/6
tetradrachm, 21 mm, 9.1 gm
Obv: Laureate, draped, and cuirassed bust right
Rev: AVTKΠΛIKΓAΛΛIHNOCCEB; eagle standing right, holding wreath in beak, palm over shoulder; L IΓ across field
Ref: Emmett 3806(13), R1
Ex Museum of Fine Arts, Boston 88.203 (accessioned 1888); Benjamin Pierce Cheney Collection


Gallienus, sole reign
CE 260-268
Antoninianus, Rome mint
Obv: GALLIENVS AVG, radiate head right
Rev: LIBERO P CONS AVG, striped tigress standing left; D (B?) in exergue Ref: RIC V 230 (Sole reign)
Purchased for the excellent reverse

 

Ugh, that is beyond disheartening! Why couldn't it have been a common issue, like mine??

 

I won't even mention that in the same shipment I also lost a Quietus Antoninianus.

 

A few of Gallienus I have not shown before.

Here is my silvered Virtus.

Here are two Gallienus coins with Hermes on the reverse. First Bust right, then left. The bust left Povidentia is one of my all time favorite coins. I got it in trade. Trading is more meaningful I think.

 

I'm actually still holding my breath for a Gallienus from the SPQR series...

 

My latest one. Still need to identify. The reverse is odd. It looks like there is a horse by his legs. I know it's beat up but hey, it was $1.

 

Wow. That first coin is a gem and the last a beauty. Very rarely do Gallienus coins attract my attention - those did.

 

Maybe Diana with hound at feet?

 

That makes a lot more sense than a horse haha. I'll look into it!

 

A problem I have is remembering what I showed the last time we did Gallienus here. There are a huge number of Gallienus types and a huge proportion of really junky coins. The secret is to find a type with a little interest in a grade we like. Doing one is not hard but both can be more work.
Saturn with a nice strike of his 'hook' he used to castrate his father.


Luna Lucifera (bringer of light) - This would be a nice coin were it not for the weak reverse strike in the center. Note the ear was not struck up either making this a mint state - fine at best.



The whole reverse is OK but I like the palm in exergue.


The lion could have been bigger couldn't it? Note it also has a palm at the bottom but the whole coin was cut with small things.


Barbarous radiates are not always this barbarous.

 

I like a good Gallienus, and there are some terrific ones shown here, but I have difficulty hating even the decrepit ones. With all their faults, they're true testaments to their times, and compared to many other rulers of the 3rd Century Crisis period, his coins exhibit a wide and interesting range of styles and types. Oh, and it helps that they're cheap!

Zoo series panther...


Legio I Minerva from the Legionary series...


Unusual Hercules depiction...