Salonina, wife of Gallienus 253-268

Here are some of my Salonina ants!

AVG IN PACE


CONCORD AET


DEAE SEGETIAE

IVNONI CONS AVG


IVNO REGINA


PVDICITIA


VENS (sic!) VICTRIX

 

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Salonina, wife of Gallienus, who reigned 253-268.

SALONINA AVG
DEAE SEGETIAE, goddess in temple

RIC Salonina, joint reign) 5. Sear III 10631. Struck at Cologne, 259-260.

This depicts a famous statue of the agricultural deity Segetia (an ancient Italian corn-goddess and archetype of Ceres) which had had an altar near the Circus Maximus. Apparently, Salonina built her a temple. [Hill, Monuments, page 37]


Earlier on CoinTalk,
https://www.cointalk.com/threads/deae-segetiae.298167/#post-2769428
@Roman Collector wrote this about the type


According to Seth W. Stevenson's A Dictionary of Roman Coins, Salonina had taken it upon herself, in a time of great public calamity, to procure a plentiful supply of provisions for the population of Rome. Because of this, she built in that city a temple to the rural divinity, Segetia, whose duty it was to protect the crops of corn and other grain after they had sprouted above ground. Before the crop sprouted, the goddess Seia provided its protection.

Prior to the erection of this temple to Segetia by Empress Salonina, the goddess had only an altar in the Circus Maximus.

St. Augustine, in City of God, discusses the worship of this goddess:

"Do you think they dared trust one god with their lands? No, Rusina must look to the country, Jugatinus to the hilltops, Collatina to the rest of the hills, and Vallonia to the valleys. Nor could Segetia alone protect the grain: when it was in the ground Seia most look to it; when it was up and ready to mow, Segetia."

 

I have only two coins of Salonina, one Imperial and one Provincial.

Salonina (wife of Gallienus), Billon Antoninianus, 257-258 AD, Cologne Mint. Obv. Diademed bust draped right, on crescent, SALONINA AVG / Rev. Vesta seated left on throne holding Palladium and transverse scepter, VESTA. RIC V-1 70, RSC IV 142, Sear RCV III 10664. 22 mm., 3.4 g.


Salonina (wife of Gallienus), Billon Tetradrachm, 266-267 AD (Year 14), Alexandria, Egypt mint. Obv. Draped bust right, wearing stephane (Milne obv. type t4), KOPNHΛIA CAΛѠNЄINA CЄB / Rev. Tyche wearing long chiton and peplum, crowned with modius, reclining left on lectisternium* adorned with double garland, resting right hand on rudder, resting left elbow on arm of lectistermium and supporting head with left hand, LIΔ (Year 14) in left field, palm branch in exergue. 23.6 mm., 10.94 g. Emmett 3865.14 (R2), Milne 4140 at p. 99, K&G 91.47 (ill. p. 323), BMC 16 Alexandria 2266 at p. 294, Sear RCV III 10716, Dattari (Savio) 5342, Köln (Geissen) 2982. Purchased from Marc R. Breitsprecher Oct. 2021. Ex. Stack’s Coin Galleries Mail Bid Sale, Nov. 13, 1985, part of Lot 209 (with original coin tag).



Original Coin Tag:



Coin Galleries Mail Bid Sale catalog, 11.13.1985, Part of Lot 209 at p. 23:



*Definition of lectisternium at https://www.forumancientcoins.com/numiswiki/view.asp?key=Lectisternium:

“Lectisternium, a species of sacrifice, at which, in times of great public calamity, the gods themselves were invited to a solemn feast. Their statues were taken from their pedestals, and they were laid on pulvinaria, or lecti, that is to say, on beds prepared purposely for their reception in the temples, with pillows under their heads, and in this posture they were each day of the festival served with a magnificent banquet, which the priests never failed to clear away in the evening. There were tables set out in all the different quarters of the city, to which everyone, without distinction, was admitted. . . .

The word lectisternium signifies the act of making or preparing beds. It is derived from lectus, a bed, and sternere, to raise, prepare, and spread. The word also designates sometimes the bed itself, on which is placed the statue of the divinity in honour of whom the above mentioned ceremony of the lectistern was celebrated.” (Emphasis added.)