I bought a group of coins that are attributed to the Samosata mint. Samosata was a city in what is now eastern Anatolia at the border of modern Syria. I always considered the coins that are attributed to Samosata unattractive. However, when this group came up I could not resist. Valerian I Obv.: IMP C P LIC VALERIANVS PF AVG Rev.: RESTITVT ORIENTIS Mint: Samosata or Antioch Date: 255 Weight: 4.21g, Diameter: 19mm RIC V-1, 287 The coin appears to be all copper. Who is the figure that is presenting the laurel wreath to the emperor? Gallienus Obv.: IMP C P LIC GALLIENVS PF AVG Rev.: IOVI CONSERVATORI Mint: Samosata Date: AD 260 Weight: 3.61 g, Diameter: 22mm RIC V 440, Cunetio 1874 What is Jupiter handing to the emperor? Saloninus Obv.: SALON VALERIANVS NOB CAES Rev.: SPES PVBLICA Mint: Samosata or Antioch Date: AD 256 Weight: 3.45g, Diameter: 22mm RIC V-1, 36A Antioch Salonina Obv.: CORN SALONINA AVG Rev.: CONCORDIA AVGG Mint: Samosata Date: AD 255-258 Weight: 2.9g; Diameter: 21mm EF, with complete and lustrous silvering This one was not part of the group, but since it matches the theme: Quietus Obv.: IMP C FVL QVIETVS P F AVG Rev.: AP OLINI CONSERVA Mint: Samosata or Antioch Date: Late 260 Weight: 5.14g, Diameter 23mm I guess there is no certain way of distinguishing coins from Antioch from those of Samosata. Please show us your Eastern Mint coins of Valerian, his family and the usurpers.
My understanding (I may be wrong) was that eastern mint coins of this period were attributed by RIC to Antioch. While later references (Göbl) attributed the same coins to Samosata or “uncertain eastern mint” as the scholarship pointing to Antioch as the mint city was rethought. Here’s a few of my favorite eastern mint Valerian coins. …one more of Saloninus for fun.
Great coins, I love the two Valerian I Antoniniae. Apparently large numbers of coins were minted in the eastern part of the Empire to finance the continuous conflict with the Persian Sassanid Empire. I suppose it is no surprise that the standard of these coins was lowered under the condition of war finance. The main mint for these issues was Antiochia at the Orontes, which was the capital of the Syrian Province. During the time of Valerian and Gallienus Antiochia was twice conquered by the Sassanids, showing just how volatile the region must have been. "A second eastern" mint was identified by Helene Huvelin and Pierre Bastien in a 1969 study of a large eastern hoard. Robert Göbl identified this "second eastern mint" to have been Samosata on the Eurphrates. Samosata seems to have minted in the period from 255 and 258 and again in 260/1, when it replaced Antioch, which at the time had fallen to the Sassanids. The RESTITVT ORIENTIS issues that were minted at Samosata propagandistically announced the intended recovery of Antioch and the East. Valerian is known to have resided in Antioch in 254-55 and in May 258. In June/July 260 Valerian was captured by the Sassanids and famously never returned. A Persian inscription claims that both Antioch and Samosata had fallen to them. However, in Samosata Macrianus Maior (who seemed to have been some kind of fiscal official) seized control and had his two sons Macrianus Minor and Quietus proclaimed emperors in 260. Coins were minted for the two usurpers at Samosata. The usurpation faltered in 261 and Gallienus managed to re-establish control over the east. Coins were struck for Gallienus at Samosata in AD 260/1. Apparently these distinctive, low standard eastern issues were largely inflationary money produced to pay the troops and finance the campaigns against the Persians.
Great coins, @Tejas and @Orange Julius The information on Samosata/Antioch is very helpful (I am saving it in my permanent reference file). Here are some Samosata/Antioch issues I have: Gallienus Antoninianus (255-256 A.D.) (joint reign) Asia (RIC) Samosata (Göbl) IMP CP LIC GALLIENVS AVG radiate, draped and cuirassed bust right / PIETAS AVGG, Gallienus and Valerian, standing face to face, sacrificing at altar; holding patera, sceptre, etc. RIC V 446; Göbl 1676m. (2.85 grams / 21 mm) eBay Mar. 2021 Lot @ $5.63 Attribution Notes: Only Wildwinds describes RIC 446 as being from Rome. Bust is described as draped, but this also cuirassed. See: Nomos, Obolos Web Auction No. 4, Lot 757, 21.02.2016 Leu Numismatik, Web Auction 15, Lot 2003, 27.2.2021 Valerian II Antoninianus (son of Gallienus) (c. 256-258 A.D.) Antioch or Samosata Mint VALERIANVS NOBIL CAES, radiate, draped bust right / SPES PVBLICA, Spes advancing left, with flower, raising hem of robe. RIC 52A Antioch; Sear 10740; Göbl 1695b Samosata. (3.56 grams / 22 mm) eBay Nov. 2018 Valerian I Antoninianus (c. 256-258 A.D.) Antioch or Samosata mint IMP C P LIC VALERIANVS PF AVG, radiate, draped and cuirassed bust rt. / RESTITVT ORIENTIS, Orient, turreted, right presenting wreath to Valerian, in military attire, left. RIC 287c; RSC 189; Sear 9967 (3.77 grams / 20 mm) eBay Oct. 2018 Valerian II Antoninianus (son of Gallienus) (c. 256-258 A.D.) Antioch or Samosata Mint VALERIANVS NOBIL CAES, radiate, draped and cuirassed bust rt. / PRINC IVVENTVTIS prince standing crowning trophy to left, holding spear and shield. RIC 49; Göbl 1694b; RSC 67a. (3.26 grams / 21 x 18 mm) eBay Oct. 2018
This is an interesting thread that deserves more attention and a bump. Mint locations for this period are a topic of debate. Even when following Göbl's catalogue, it sometimes is hard to attribute single coins. For example, I believe this antoninian to be Göbl 1605c from Antioch, but it might as well be Göbl 1701i from Samosata. I don't have enough expertise to identify the style of the coin with certainty: Salonina, Roman Empire, BI antoninian, 255/6 AD, Antioch mint. Obv: SALONINA AVG; bust of Salonina, diademed, draped, on crescent, r. Rev: ROMAE AETERNAE; Gallienus, standing r., receiving Victory from Roma, seated l., holding spear in l. hand. 21mm, 3.83g. Ref: RIC V Salonina 67; MIR 36, 1605c. This Gallienus is apparently from Antioch: Gallienus, Roman Empire, BI antoninian, 263/4 AD, Antioch mint. Obv: GALLIENVS P F AVG; bust of Gallienus, cuirassed, radiate, r. Rev: VIRTVS AVGVSTI; Hercules, standing r,, holding club in right hand and lion-skin in left hand (type of the Farnese Hercules). 21.5mm, 4.01g. Ref: RIC V Gallienus 672; MIR 36, 1616b. Several issues from eastern mints are attributed to Viminacium or Siscia in RIC, which is not a good reference work for this period: Valerian I, Roman Empire, AE/BI antoninian, 253–255 AD, Antioch mint (RIC: Viminacium) mint. Obv: IMP C P LIC VALE[RIANVS P] F AVG; bust of Valerian, radiate, draped, cuirassed, r. Rev: FORTVNA REDVX; Mercury, nude except for cloak draped over l. shoulder, standing left, wings on head, holding purse in r. hand and caduceus in l. hand. 22mm, 3.59g. RIC V Valerian 214; MIR 36, 1561a. Salonina, Roman Empire, AE/BI antoninian, 265 AD, Antioch mint. (RIC: Siscia) Obv: SALONINA AVG; bust of Salonina, diademed, draped, on crescent, r. Rev: SALVS AVG; Salus, draped, standing r., feeding serpent held in arms. 23mm, 2.83g Ref: RIC V Salonina 88; MIR 36, 1656h.
I have a similar piece: Valerian I, 253 - 260 Obv: IMP C P LIC VALERIANVS AVG Rev.: PIETATI AVGG Mint: Antioch (or Viminacium?) RIC 219A Viminacium; Goebl 1563a Antioch; Sear 9956. Based on my own observations I tend to think that Göbl is right and that the coin is from Antioch rather than Viminacium. I would argue that coins from Viminacium don't look anything like the issues from Syria. This is my nicest Valerian I from Viminacium. Valerian I, 253 - 260 Obv.: IMP P LIC VALERIANO AVG Rev.: FIDES MILITVM Mint: Viminacium Year: AD 253 Weight: 4.06 MIR 792d
Happy to see this thread kept alive. Earlier this year I got a Valerian antoninianus that has be a little puzzled; RIC 227 VIRTVS, which OCRE says is from Viminacium, Wildwinds also says Viminacium. However, the Wildwinds plate coin is listed on Vcoins, where the seller says it is from Antioch: https://www.vcoins.com/en/stores/ro...h_virtvs_avgg_very_scarce/561615/Default.aspx Valerian I Antoninianus (256 A.D.) Viminacium Mint (Antioch?) IMP C P LIC VALERIANVS PF AVG, radiate, draped and cuirassed bust right / VIRTVS AVGG, soldier standing left, right hand resting on shield, left hand holding spear. RIC 227; Göbl 1584b. (2.93 grams / 20 mm) eBay Sept. 2021 Attribution Notes: OCRE and Wildwinds notes this as draped only, but this example is cuirassed as well; Wildwinds photo clearly shows cuirass. This appears to be scarce; I found only a couple examples; OCRE only has one. Here's another one I had trouble with - the draped/cuirassed descriptions were all over the place: Valerian I Antoninianus (254-255 A.D.) Viminacium or Antioch Mint IMP [C P LIC] VALERIANVS AVG, radiate, draped and cuirassed bust right / [AE]TERNITATI AVG[G], Saturn veiled, draped, standing right, holding scythe RIC 210; Göbl 1559a. (3.63 grams / 21 mm) eBay Mar. 2021 Attribution Notes: RIC 210: Saturn holding scythe; bust draped only, but this one is cuirassed, as are others online. RIC: Viminacium Mint; Göbl: Antioch Mint RIC 67 (Rome): Saturn holding sceptre; obverse bust is cuirassed I could find no correctly-described examples. A second Saturn type antoninianus of Valerian showed up in a lot a couple months later; it is pretty rough, but maybe this one is draped only, no cuirass?: Here's another Viminacium/Antioch ant. for Valerian: Valerian I Antoninianus n.d. (c. 254-255 A.D.) Viminacium or Antioch Mint IMP C P L[IC VAL]ERIANVS AVG, radiate, draped and cuirassed bust right / PACATORI ORBIS, Jupiter seated left holding patera and scepter, eagle at feet. RIC 218; Göbl 1562a. (3.45 grams / 21 x 19 mm) eBay Dec. 2020 And another - like the one @Tejas shows above, Pietas leaning on a column (usually Securitas is shown in this insouciant pose, but the legends say PIETATI). This is one of my favorite Valerian portraits; he is gazing heavenward like Constantine: Valerian I Antoninianus (c. 254-255 A.D.) Viminacium or Antioch mint IMP C P LIC VALERIANVS AVG, radiate, draped bust right / PIETATI AVGG, Pietas standing left, holding sceptre leaning on column. RIC 219A Viminacium; Goebl 1563a Ant.; Sear 9956. (3.25 grams / 20 mm) eBay May 2018
I’m a bit late for the party, but very interesting coins and thread. I’ll post what the Cunetio book has to say about your Gallienus 1874 and the mysterious « second eastern mint ».
Many thanks, that is very helpful. So the object that Jupiter is handing to the Emperor is a globe. My coin is very sharp, but I would not have guessed that it is a globe. But a globe does of course make sense.
I get the impression that there is very little in the way of clear characteristics to decide whether a coin of that period is from Antioch or from Samosata (i.e. the second eastern mint). I suppose that the situation is complicated by the fact that the coin standard (and possibly the designs) deteriorated rapidly, because of an accelerated emission to pay for the war against the Persians. For example, the coin below is heavy and apparently of relatively good silver Obv.: IMP VALERIANVS P F AVG Rev.: PM TR P V COS IIII P P Mint: Antioch Date: 256/257 RIC 277 While this coin, which I posted already above is very coppery billon. Yet, both coins are said to have been minted at Antioch: I think what happened is a rapid deterioration in the coin standard at Antioch.
I wish someone would compile recent hoard information to produce an updated account of the evidence for all this. Right now it just seems to be a mess! A small note: it seems to me the style similarity between these portraits of Saloninus and Quietus indicates they are from the same mint, or at least the same mint workers: To add to the confusion, there is another mint for Quietus and Macrianus, here's an example: Here's a coin of Quietus (not mine) from this other mint, of cruder style than my Macrianus: Where are these coins from?? (Mattingly suggested Emesa; Gysen and Jacquier seem to accept this attribution, at least tentatively. Why, though?)
Part of me wants to say I would prefer 'experts' separate the coins into groups labelled A, B, C etc. rather than tagging them with guesses based on weak evidence or strong hunches. That still leave open the possibility that later scholars will say A and B were the same city or the same workers who were reassigned to a different place or perhaps even a mint travelling with the emperor without adding to the mess that comes when city ID's are given as gospel. I like the situation with Sellwood Parthian. You can still use his numbers for the groups even though several of his attributions have been 'updated'.
If Turkey et al. had antiquities laws like the U.K. rather than the current draconian mess, we'd already know where all these mints were located based on find data.
I think the historical dates, which I mentioned above should help. If Antioch was occupied by the Persians in AD 255 to 258 and again in 260-261, coins produced in that period were likely made by a mint other than Antioch and I think Samosata is a very reasonable proposition. I think it is possible that the whole mint of Antioch (including the die engravers) were moved to Samosata in times of emergency. So it may just be that the mint of Antioch operated from different locations, which can be determined at best from historical events and find spot evidence, but not from stylistic characteristics.
The ANS attributes this issue to Cyzicus, Göbl to Samosata, and RIC to Antioch. According to the introduction of RIC volume V, during Valerian's reign, some coins minted in Asia cannot certainly be attributed to either Antioch or Cyzicus (p.22-26). RIC dates this issue to AD 255-56. Valerian I, AD 253-260. Roman AR antoninianus, 2.75 g, 20 mm, 7 h. Uncertain Eastern mint, 2nd emission, AD 256-260. Obv: IMP C P LIC VALERIANVS·P·F·AVG, radiate, draped and cuirassed bust right, seen from the front. Rev: PIETAS AVGG, Valerian, holding eagle-tipped scepter, and Gallienus, holding parazonium, standing facing each other, sacrificing over lighted altar between them. Refs: RIC 285; Göbl 1684e; Cohen/RSC 152; RCV 9955; Hunter 73.
If this date is correct, according to my information, the coin cannot have been issued at Antioch, which was under Persian control at the time. Hence, Samosata (or Cyzicus) are more likely places of production.
