I won 3 coins this week-end. One of them is my first Saloninus misattributed by the auction house with Valerian II, even if on the obverse legend we clearly read SALON VALERIANVS NOB CAES ! He was the younger son of Gallienus, and was giving the rank of Caesar upon the death of his brother Valerian II. Saloninus was sent near the German frontier, where in 260 AD he got into a disagreement with the Commander of the Rhine Postumus. It seems it was about the disposition of some loot taken from the Germans. When Valerian was captured, Postumus seized the opportunity to have himself proclaimed emperor by the troops, and invested Cologne, where Saloninus had made his headquarters. The besieged garrison elevated him to the rank of Augustus, but shortly afterwards surrendered. Saloninus was quickly executed by Postumus... So when I realized the mistake, I did not notify the seller but instead bought the coin for 12 £...which I think is a pretty good deal. So please show me your coins of Saloninus...or his brother...or his father...or his grandfather... Saloninus Antoninianus 21mm 3.74g Antioch or Samosata SALON VALERIANVS NOB CAES SPES PVBLICA Saloninus receiving flower from Spes, raising hem of robe RIC 36
Nice one! I have one just like it, but not nearly as nice. Saloninus Antoninianus (son of Gallienus) (c. 258-260 A.D.) Antioch or Samosata Mint SALON VALERIANVS NOB CAES, radiate, draped bust right / SPES PVBLICA, Saloninus standing right, receiving flower from Spes, raising hem of robe. RIC 36; Cohen 95; Sear 10775. (3.84 grams / 21 mm)
Nice, I like the rough look of it. Saloninus (258 - 260 A.D.) AR Antoninianus O: SALON VALERIANVS CAES, radiate, draped and cuirassed bust right. R: PIETAS AVG, priestly implements - littus, knife, jug, simpulum, and sprinkler. Rome 4.3g 21.1mm RIC V 9, RSC IV 4 Saloninus (258 - 260 A.D.) Egypt, Alexandria Billon Tetradrachm O: PO LI KORCA VALERIANOC K CEB, Bareheaded, draped, and cuirassed bust right. R: Eagle standing left, head turned, holding wreath, L Z(?) in fields. 23.3mm 7.38g Köln 3005; Dattari (Savio) 5377; K&G 93.8; Emmett 3776.7.
I showed this a couple of days ago, but will share again. SALONINUS Antoninianus OBVERSE: SALON VALERIANVS NOB CAES Radiate, draped, and cuirassed bust right, seen from behind REVERSE: SPES PVBLICA, Prince, holding spear and Spes, holding flower standing face to face; wreath above Struck at Samosata, 259-260 AD 2.81g, 22mm RIC V 36 var.
Here's one: Saloninus Caesar, Billon Antoninianus, 258-260 AD, Cologne Mint. Obv. Radiate draped bust right, SALON VALERIANVS CAES/ Rev. sacrificial implements, PIETAS AVG. RIC V-1 9, RSC IV 41, Sear RCV III 10767 (ill.). 20.5 mm., 3.13 g.
Sounds to me like a pretty good deal - congrats. Here's my first and only: Saloninus as Caesar, AD 258-260. AR Antoninianus Mediolanum (Milan) mint. 1st emission, AD 258-260 Obv: SAL VALERIANVS CS, radiate and draped bust right Rev: PRINC IVVENT, Saloninus standing facing, head left, holding baton and transverse spear; one standard behind Size: 21.5-23mm, 3.51g Ref: RIC V 10; RSC 61
Nice find, @Ocatarinetabellatchitchix ... and thank you for the writeup. RI Saloninus 259 BI Ant Stndg Globe Spear Captive at feet Mom RI Salonina wife of Gallienus 254-268 CE AE Ant 3.61g 20mm Rome mint 267-268 CE crescent Deer Walking delta RIC V 16
Ocatarinetabellatchitchix, Congratulations on your score ! Your coin looks unusually well struck for the type. Are you going to try & remove some of that incrustation ?
DonnaML, That's a lovely portrait on your coin . The over-sized radiate crown gives the impression that this is a small child . Who knows, maybe he was....
Here's another SPES PVBLICA, but with different reverse imagery. From the Cologne mint--notice the crudeness of the lettering. It looks almost barbarous: Cologne mint Silver Double Denarius Obv: SALON VALERIANVS CAES Rev: SPES PVBLICA - Spes, walking left, holding flower and raising skirt RIC 13, var. 22x20mm, 2.2g.
I like that SPES PVBLICA reverse type. What a bargain, too, @Ocatarinetabellatchitchix ! That's because some of the types struck in the name of Valerian II have erroneously been assigned by the authors of older references, such as Cohen, to Saloninus. Such references should be used cautiously. As you note, inclusion of SAL or SALON in the inscription is a certain indicator that the coinage is of Saloninus and not Valerian II; similarly, without SAL or SALON, the coinage probably belongs to Valerian II. I have the more common and less interesting priestly implements reverse type: Saloninus, Caesar AD 258-260. Roman billon antoninianus, 2.39 g, 22.2 mm, 12 h. Cologne, AD 258-260. Obv: SALON VALERIANVS CAES, radiate and draped bust, right. Rev: PIETAS AVG, lituus, jug, simpulum and sprinkler. Refs: RIC 9; Göbl 914e; Cohen 41; RCV 10767; Cunetio 744; Hunter 8.
He was 16 or 17, so not as young as he looks on the coin. The over-sized crown definitely creates the impression that he was a young child.
Here's my Valerian II. I just lost out on a Saloninus last week. Valerian II, AR antoninianus, 23 mm 4.2 grams Struck: 257-258, Cologne. Obverse: VALERIANVS CAES, radiate, draped bust right Reverse: IOVI CRESCENTI, the child Jupiter sitting right on the goat Amalthea, looking left, right hand raised, left hand holding the goat's horn. Reference: RIC 3 (Lyons); Cohen 26 (Saloninus); Elmer 67a; Goebl 0907e; Sear 10731.
