Can anyone tell me what mint this Valerian I Antoninianus is from? I looked at wildwinds and they have the description, but no mention of mint..... I know many of these Valerian coins were minted at eastern mints..... anyone know? here is what I got from the description at wildwinds: ---------------------------- Valerian I AR Antoninianus. obv: IMP C P LIC VALERIANVS P F AVG, radiate, draped, cuirassed bust right (seen from the front) rev: APOLINI CONSERVA, Apollo standing left holding branch & lyre resting on rock. RIC 72, Cohen 17. ---------------------------- Can anyone tell me where this was minted? I don't think it is a very rare type...
The letters do look a bit like a Rome mint issue, but I have trouble telling with coins of this period.
I doubt these photos help much, but I took a couple new ones, trying to show the letters better to see if anyone can tell me surely what mint it was struck at.
Apolini propvg - ric 74 Here is another Valerian I. I am pretty sure this one is from the Rome mint, but I could use someone elses' opinion on this.... so please let me know what you think.... I'm still not sure about the mint of the one in the above posts.... ----------------------- Emperor Valerian I (253-260 AD) AR Antoninianus. Struck 253 AD. obv: IMP C P LIC VALERIANVS AVG - Radiate, draped and cuirassed bust right. Seen from the front. rev: APOLINI PROPVG - Apollo standing right, drawing bow. RIC 74 ----------------------- I think this coin is a beautiful example of the type myself.
Valerian - RESTITVT ORIENTIS Here is another Valerian I antoninianus I picked up quite cheap.... I haven't gone and become too into these types of coins, I just like a few of the designs and had the chance to get these few at very good prices, I like the style of this one. The only Valerian I coin I have left on my list is the one with the reverse similar to that of the Augustus 'Gaius and Lucius' standing with sheilds and spears reverse that was struck under Valerian. This one was sold to me saying 'Antioch Mint' but when looking on wildwinds, the one that looks most like mine, and matches the titles and everything, RIC 287, says 'Unknown Syrian Mint' anyone have anything to comment or add to that? All comments are appreciated folks.... ------- Valerian I, Uncertain Syrian Mint, AR Antoninianus. obv: IMP C P LIC VALERIANVS PF AVG - Radiate, draped and cuirassed bust right, seen from the front. rev: RESTITVT ORIENTIS - Turreted female figure (The Orient) standing right, presenting wreath to Valerian, in military attire, standing left, resting on spear held in left hand. ------- I always thought this RESTITUT ORIENTIS was an interesting reverse type, especially considering the fate of Valerian I himself, being captured by the Persians and all.... even though I guess one would not consider 'Persians' to be 'Oriental' today.... anyhow.... mint? anyone? and I am pretty sure the APOLINI PROPVG with Apollo drawing his bow, is from the Rome mint, I only say this due to the style and style of lettering used.
Valerian I - Restorer of the Human Race I bought this one mislabelled as Gallienus, quite a nice coin in my opinion, and I love the powerful message on the reverse, and the design with the emperor. The clarity of his radiate crown on the reverse is great, the obv has some of the titles off the flan, but still a great coin, and a great price, I have a question about the mint though... Maybe doug or someone can help.... The only listing of this one on wildwinds I can find, lists it as being "Moesia (Viminacium) mint, AD 254-255. Cohen 179 " - I notice that the bust and lettering look very similar to my RESTITUT ORIENTIS coin, one also which I am not sure the mint of, that one is said to be either Antioch or 'Uncertain Syrian Mint' But I have seen other claiming to be unknown asian mints.... ------------ Emperor Valerian I (253 - 260 AD) AR Antoninianus obv: IMP C P LIC VALERIANUS AUG - Radiate bust right, draped and cuirassed. Seen from the front. rev: RESTITUT GENER HUMANI - (Restorer of the Human Race) - Valerian, radiate, walking right, holding globe and raising right hand. 4.20grams ------------- Any idea about this being from Moesia or what? I am stumped here.... Any help would be great....
Well as for the Valerian I. The best that I can make out is the letter "E." This may stand for the provincial mint in Ephesus on the mainland east of Ionia.
Ummm... which particular Valerian I coin are you speaking of? They are all antoninianii of Valerian I. And where do you see the 'E'? This last one 'RESTITUT GENER HUMANI' seems to have a drapery on the bust unique to my other examples posted in this thread, but the portrait itself, looks most similar to the 'RESTITUT ORIENTIS' example posted above. Also the first one posted 'APOLINI CONSERVA' seems to have the most 'Eastern' looking style and lettering, although it's hard to tell with certain letters missing or worn down.... so I do not know the mint 'for sure' for any of the coins I have posted in this thread... despite what they were sold as being.
http://www.cngcoins.com/Coin.aspx?CoinID=164098 I haven't found any records of the last coin, so I'll have to look in the books. (The old-fashioned way!) And by the way - Ripley is very wrong, there was no IMperial mint at Ephesos past the time of the Flavian dynasty.
Darn I just wrote out a long response and accidently deleted it .... argh.... Anyhow thanks Ardatirion, and yes I also recall that the coins struck at Ephesos used Greek lettering rather than Latin, I wasn't sure when they stopped production though. However I am very interested as to where Ripley saw this letter 'E' he was speaking of... Ripley, as far as the letter 'E' did you just mean one of the letters in the titles? I am just stumped as to the mint of these.... I know several mints in Asia were used to strike coins of Valerian and Gallienus, and I am aware it can sometimes be difficult identifying from which mint a particulat coin came from. I mean.... the APOLINI PROPVG Antoninianus, with Apollo drawing his bow.... some of the lettering makes me think it could possibly be from the Rme mint.... but again, can't be sure.
Rex on the very first photo. The reverse side, by the foot at the 6 0'clock position. I blew it up and suspected the letter "E". But these ancients can be like Rorchah test & you see what you want to see. Regards. Ms. Ripley
Ah, I see, thank you for your input ma'am. When I look very closesly it does look like a letter 'E', but I think that the thing to the right of Apollo next to his foot on that first coin is supposed to be a rock he is resting his lyre on, or a tripod..... but with such wear it is hard to say for sure. However, speaking of mints and ancient mintmarks... I did just get a billon antoninianus of Empress Salonina, Wife of Gallienus.... and on the reverse, in exergue is the letters 'M P' . I suppose the 'P' stands for first officinae, and the 'M' stands for Milan? I have looked to try to find coins with similar mintmarks, and found one that had 'MS' I assume for 'Milan' second officinae..... but am not sure.... I will start a thread on the Salonina one when I take photos.
