Oh, they also come in nice?! A fine style Valerian I

..when i was getting info on mine, yours came up on Google

 

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Wonderful coin... I would be like you @Orielensis and jump at any coin that has a superior portrait of this Emperor... most are so very poor. I think the story (what we know of it) of Valerian is so unique, interesting and so dramatic that it certainly ranks among the most amazing events in Roman history.
I posted this thread last year ... Hollywood should take note!!

https://www.cointalk.com/threads/valerian-an-epic-story-mostly-lost-to-history.333286/

 

That is indeed an exceptional portrait of Valerian! I really like the toning too, and the reverse type is neat.

I jumped at this one for the portrait (and paid extra, just like you):

 

If I had to guess... I'd think that's a really early coin before they knew what Valerian looked like. The portrait is great and they dude is pretty handsome. Based on Valerian's later coins, I think he was a bit of a toad. I bet Valerian was happy to see this coin and saw his younger self but knew they may have got it wrong. haha. Great coin! (It actually looks a lot like some of Gallienus' really early busts before the style got all late third century)

 

Thanks! You're right that it's early... first emission at Viminacium. (Reattributed from Milan. No, I don't know why!) I think only these early ones show him bearded, too. If that's inaccurate it's a pretty big mistake!

 

Yeah, I guess thinking about it... I don't have any imperial Valerian coins with a beard and I have quite a few of them... but none as nice as yours. I do have one of those Alexandria Troas coins with the horse reverse where Valerian has a scraggly beard but I don't know if that counts.

 

Thanks for the kind words and for posting your coins, everyone!

To me, that coin looks like an overweight Aemilian or Trebonianus Gallus. I can imagine the dialogue at the Viminacium mint:

Engraver 1: Any idea how the new guy looks like?
Engraver 2: Nope. But I heard a rumor he's fat.
Engraver 1: Okay. In this case, let's just do a chubby version of the old one...

Also, @Clavdivs is absolutely right. Were there a Netflix series about the crisis of the 3rd century, I would immediately watch it. At least twice. Probably three times. And I would force my friends and family to watch it with me. (If there are any screenwriters lurking this forum, please take this as encouragement. Nobody needs another Marvel series. We want Valerian instead!)

In addition to the nice Valerian that I posted above, I got two less attractive coins listed for Lugdunum in RIC, though Cologne now is discussed as an alternative mint location for reasons that I don't know enough about. One is the same type @Roerbakmix has shown, the other one I bought because of the rare depiction of Vulcan on the reverse. Both coins show how this mint in particular used its dies until they literally fell apart. You might think that Valerian's radiate crown on the second example has some additional rays – but those are just massive die flaws...


Valerian I, Roman Empire, AR antoninianus, 258 AD, Lugdunum mint (?). Obv: Obv: VALERIANVS P F AVG; bust of Valerian I, radiate, draped, l. Rev: DEO VOLKANO; Vulcan, draped, wearing pilos, standing l. in temple, holding hammer in r. hand and pincers in l. hand; at his feet l., anvil. 22mm, 3.16g. Ref: RIC V Valerian 5. Ex Aux Potins Senons, Sens, France.


Valerian I, Roman Empire, AR antoninianus, 258–259 AD, Cologne mint (RIC: Lugdunum mint), Obv: VALERIANVS P F AVG; draped, cuirassed, radiate bust of Valerian I r. Rev: ORIENS AVGG; Sol standing l., raising r. hand and holding globe in l. hand. 21mm, 2.86g. Ref: RIC V Valerian 13. Ex Forvm Ancient Coins.

This last unspectacular Valerian is from the Rome mint during the later period of his reign. Just as many coins of his son Gallienus, it contains only a homeopathic amount of silver.

Valerian I, Roman Empire, AE/BI antoninian, 256–257 AD, Rome mint. Obv: IMP C P LIC VAL[ERIANVS P F] AVG; bust of Valerian, radiate, draped, cuirassed, r. Rev: [P]AX AVG[G]; Pax standing l. holding olive-branch and sceptre; in l. field, T. 20mm, 2.09g. Ref: RIC V Valerian 109var (fieldmark).