Silver Antoninianus of Gallienus (253-268 CE), minted in Asia, 255-256 CE
Diameter: 2.04 cm
Description
Obverse:
IMP C P LIC GALL[IENVS A]VG
(Imperator Caesar Publius Licinius Gallienus Augustus)
Bust of Gallienus facing right, bearded and wearing a radiate crown and military cloak (paludamentum). Border: ring of dots.
Reverse:
P[IETA]S A[VGG]
(Pietas Augustorum)
The two emperors Gallienus and Valerian stand opposite one another over an altar with X design on the front and a small flame projecting upwards. The figure to the left holds a patera (libation bowl in his right hand and a scepter with curved top in his left. The figure to the right extends his right hand (probably also with patera) towards the altar and holds his left hand before his waist, on a dagger or sword that extends down and to the right of the figure. The two emperors wear slightly different crowns, with the one on the left more pointed, possibly the radiate crown, and the one on the right more rounded or studded, possibly to make it look jeweled. Border: ring of dots.
Other notes: Heavy wear on the right side of both the obverse and reverse, with some letters completely faded away. The full legends and details of the figures are determined by comparison with other coins of the same type (RIC V Gallienus 446).
Commentary
The Emperor Gallienus ruled jointly with his father, Valerian, from 253 until 260 when Valerian was captured by the Persians while at war. The reverse side of the coin shows the two emperors facing each other while praying before an altar. Gallienus is shown on the left side with a scepter in his hand, while Valerian appears to be equipped with a sheathed sword, which could reflect how the elder emperor waged war while his son governed the empire. The presence of both emperors was likely to have symbolized their shared power, as neither emperor is larger than the other; emperors and deities were frequently depicted larger than regular people to reflect the power and stature of such figures.
The obverse legend reads IMP C P LIC GALLIENVS AVG. IMP is short for “imperator,” which means “emperor.” C is derived from Caesar, the name applied to all Roman rulers since the beginning of the Roman empire after its adoption by the first emperor, Octavian Augustus, to emphasize his familial connection to Julius Caesar (Strothmann 2006). P LIC GALLIENVS stands for the full name of the emperor, Publius Licinius Gallienus. AVG means “Augustus,” the honorary title given to all emperors since Octavian Augustus. In full, the legend gives the full imperial title of Gallienus, “Emperor Caesar Publius Licinius Gallienus Augustus.”
The obverse imagery shows Gallienus bearded, as was customary for his portraits and for most emperors since the time of Hadrian. The radiate crown he wears symbolizes the sun, or the powers associated with the sun. It is generally depicted as a crown of spiky rays jutting out at even intervals. This is to give the impression of the rays of the sun with the sun being the head of whichever emperor happens to be wearing the crown (Forum Ancient Coins).
The reverse legend read PIETAS AVGG, short for Pietas Augustorum, meaning “piety/religious devotion of the emperors (Augusti).” Augustorum is a reference to the two ruling emperors at the time, Gallienus and Valerian, in the Genitive case showing possession. This phrase asserts one of the qualities the two emperors possessed, piety. It corresponds directly to the reverse image, which shows Gallienus and Valerian beside an altar, engaging in imperial sacrifice. The dedication to piety was important not only to reinforce the importance of such values, but to also connect their rule to those of emperors past. Beginning with Augustus, emperors would take the title of Pontifex Maximus upon their ascension and lead religious processions as the head of state religious activities. Images of imperial family members sacrificing together had occurred on state reliefs since the Augustan period. Displaying this piety on everyday objects such as coins shows the sense of duty that these rulers had for their faith and their empire. Valerian had also issued coins with the same legend and nearly identical imagery (see RIC V Valerian 284 and 285). This duplication may have served to underscore the cooperation and accord between the two co-rulers–they worship together as they rule together, and their coins were also in agreement.
Works cited:
Forum Ancient Coins. 2016. “Radiate.” NumisWiki – The Collaborative Numismatics Project. Forum Ancient Coins. Accessed December 6, 2020. http://www.forumancientcoins.com/numiswiki/view.asp?key=radiate.
OCRE. Online Coins of the Roman Empire, American Numismatic Society. http://numismatics.org/ocre/
Strothmann, Meret. 2006. “Caesar.” In Brill’s New Pauly, edited by Hubert Cancik, Helmuth Schneider, and Christine F. Salazar. Leiden: Brill. https://referenceworks.brillonline.com/entries/brill-s-new-pauly/augusta-e208550?s.num=0&s.f.s2_parent=s.f.book.brill-s-new-pauly&s.q=augusta
Coin type: RIC V Gallienus (joint reign) 446
Research by: Brett Tivnan, Class of 2021; Aidan Doran, Class of 2023; Shabab Mahmood, Class of 2023