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\u00a0![\"\"](\"http:\/\/blog.richmond.edu\/romancoins\/files\/2020\/12\/R1979.11.0151b-300x280.jpeg\")
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Silver Antoninianus of Valerian I (253-260 CE), minted in Antioch (Syria), 253\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n
Diameter: 2.25 cm<\/span><\/p>\n Des<\/b>cription<\/b><\/em><\/p>\n <\/b>Obverse: Reverse: <\/p>\n Commentary<\/b><\/em><\/p>\n The obverse legend reads IMP C P LIC VALERIANVS AVG. \u2018IMP\u2019 is short for Imperator which means \u201cemperor\u201d in English. \u2018C\u2019 is short for Caesar, \u2018P\u2019 for Publius, and \u2018LIC\u2019 for Licinius. \u2018VALERIANVS\u2019 can be rewritten as Valerianus. Lastly, \u2018AVG\u2019 stood for Augustus. Augustus was the Roman title meaning emperor and this title was assumed by every successive imperial leader (Smith 1999b). All together the legend gives the full name and imperial title of the emperor pictured on the obverse, \u201cEmperor Caesar Publius Licinius Valerianus Augustus.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n The reverse legend reads \u2018VOTA ORBIS,\u2019 meaning \u2018vows (prayers) of the world.\u2019 \u2018Vota\u2019 comes from the second-declension noun \u2018votum\u2019 which means a \u2018vow to the gods\u2019 (Klose 2006). Here, it is either in the nominative or accusative plural form. Vota commitments were imperial vows promising to perform pleasing actions to the gods in exchange for protection (Klose 2006). \u2018ORBIS\u2019 translates literally to circle or orb. On Roman coins it refers to the entirety of the Roman Empire. When \u2018ORBIS\u2019 is written in connection to an emperor it signifies the emperor\u2019s possession of supreme power (Stevenson 1889, 587). \u2018ORBIS\u2019 is in the genitive form here,\u00a0 indicating the emperor\u2019s possession of the Roma empire. When these words are put together, they indicate the emperor’s commitment and hope for a successful reign. \u2018VOTA ORBIS\u2019 is commonly found alongside an image of two Victories standing and attaching a <\/span>shield<\/span><\/a> to a palm tree. On the face of the shield are the letters \u2018S C\u2019 which are abbreviations for \u2018Senatus Consulto,\u2019 \u201cby the decree of the senate.\u201d SC indicated a formal resolution in which the Roman Senate had given non-legally binding advice or instructions at the request of magistrates (Kierdorf and Klose 2006). Similar images of Victories affixing an \u2018SC\u2019 shield to a palm tree appear on other coins of <\/span>Valerian I (such as <\/span>RIC V Valerian 295<\/span><\/a>)<\/span><\/a> as well as coins of Valerian\u2019s son and co-ruler <\/span>Gallienu<\/span><\/a>s and of <\/span>Claudius II<\/span><\/a> (for instance,<\/span> RIC V Gallienus 460<\/span><\/a> and <\/span>RIC V Claudius Gothicus 196<\/span><\/a>), and the abbreviation SC occurs in connection with other imagery on other coins of Valerian (such as <\/span>RIC V Valerian 155<\/span><\/a>) and many other emperors before him, going back to the first emperor, Augustus (<\/span>RIC I Augustus 528<\/span><\/a>).\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Valerian I, who ruled from 253 to 260 CE, was a member of the elite class and succeeded Aemilian by proclaiming himself emperor and killing his predecessor. The Senate approved both Valerian I and his son, Gallienus, and they ruled Rome together. At first, Valerian I had many military victories, especially in Syria and Persia. This initial success led to Valerian I being called \u201cRestorer of the Orient\u201d (The British Museum). Later, however, he failed as a military leader and died in Persian captivity.<\/span><\/p>\n The crown Valerian I is wearing is a radiate crown. This crown draws influence from Ancient Greece, where it was reserved for gods or kings who wanted to publicize a special devotion to the gods, especially Helios. In Rome, this crown was used to show devotion to the sun god, Sol, and the sun rising in the East, referencing Valerian I’s military victories (Forum Ancient Coins). As seen on\u00a0 similar coins in online databases (such as <\/span>RIC Valerian V 295<\/span><\/a>), Valerian I often presented himself with the radiate crown, which could liken him to successful Roman emperors, such as Augustus, who were also depicted wearing this crown (in the <\/span>OCRE database<\/span><\/a>, there are 140 coin types issued by Valerian that show him wearing a radiate crown). This crown was also used to show that this coin is a double-denomination, with the value of two denarii (Manders 2012, 16).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The winged figures on the reverse are personifications of the goddess Victory; the presence of two figures here signifies\u00a0 two different victories (Smith 1999a). Since this coin is dated to 253 CE (OCRE), early in Valerian\u2019s reign, one of the two victories may represent his rise to power in 253. His first act as emperor was to raise his son Gallienus\u2019s status from <\/span>Caesar<\/span><\/i> to <\/span>Augustus,<\/span><\/i> so father and son were co-emperors. Valerian then declared Gallienus\u2019s son the next heir, doing the same to the second son when the first one died (Wasson 2017). This established a sense of peace during Valerian\u2019s reign, after a tumultuous era of quick successions by \u2018soldier emperors.\u2019\u00a0 Perhaps the second Victoria refers to establishing a line of succession and therefore hope\u00a0 of peace following his reign.\u00a0 Additionally, the palm tree behind the figures and \u201cSC\u201d is a symbol of victory, peace, and triumph, which reinforces the idea of a time of peace during Valerian\u2019s reign (World Heritage Encyclopedia).<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Works cited:<\/b> Kierdorf, Wilhelm and Klose, Dietrich. 2006., \u201cSenatus consultum.\u201d In <\/span>Brill\u2019s New Pauly<\/span><\/i>, edited by Hubert Cancik, Helmuth Schneider, and<\/span> Christine F. Salazar<\/span>. Accessed December 4, 2020. DOI:\u00a0 <\/span>http:\/\/dx.doi.org\/10.1163\/1574-9347_bnp_e1108400<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n Klose, Dietrich. 2006. \u201cVota.\u201d In <\/span>Brill\u2019s New Pauly<\/span><\/i>, edited by Hubert Cancik, Helmuth Schneider, and<\/span> Christine F. Salazar. Leiden: Brill. Accessed December 4, 2020. DOI:<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>http:\/\/dx.doi.org\/10.1163\/1574-9347_bnp_e12208060<\/span><\/p>\n Manders, Erika. 2012. <\/span>Coining Images of Power. <\/span><\/i>Patterns in the Representation of Roman Emperors on Imperial Coinage, A.D. 193-284. <\/span><\/i>Leiden: Brill. DOI:<\/span> https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1163\/9789004224001<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n OCRE. Online Coins of the Roman Empire. \u201cRIC V Valerian 294.\u201d Online Coins of the Roman Empire, American Numismatic Society. Accessed December 5, 2020. <\/span>http:\/\/numismatics.org\/ocre\/id\/ric.5.val_i.294<\/span><\/p>\n Smith, Doug. 1999a. \u201cPersonifications.\u201d Forum Ancient Coins. Accessed December 5, 2020. <\/span>https:\/\/www.forumancientcoins.com\/dougsmith\/pers.html<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n Smith, Doug. 1999b. \u201cAbbreviations on Roman Imperial Coins.\u201d Forum Ancient Coins. Accessed December 5, 2020. <\/span>http:\/\/www.forumancientcoins.com\/dougsmith\/abb.html.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Stevenson, Seth William.1889. <\/span>A Dictionary of Roman Coins, Republican and Imperial<\/span><\/i>. London: G. Bell and Sons. <\/span>Accessed on Forum Ancient Coins, December 5, 2020. <\/span>https:\/\/www.forumancientcoins.com\/numiswiki\/view.asp?key=Orbis.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Swoveland, Michael S. 2003. \u201cReading Ancient Roman Coins.\u201d WNC Coins. Accessed December 5, 2020. <\/span>http:\/\/www.wnccoins.com\/0022.htm.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The British Museum. \u201cProfile for Emperor: Valerian (emperor).\u201d The Portable Antiquities Scheme. The British Museum. Accessed December 5, 2020. <\/span>https:\/\/finds.org.uk\/romancoins\/emperors\/emperor\/id\/71<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n \u201cVOTA Coins of the Roman Empire.\u201d index. Accessed December 5, 2020. <\/span>http:\/\/augustuscoins.com\/ed\/VOTA\/index.html.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Wasson, Donald L. 2017. \u201cGallienus.\u201d Ancient History Encyclopedia. Last updated February 9, 2017. Accessed December 5, 2020. <\/span>https:\/\/www.ancient.eu\/Gallienus\/<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n World Heritage Encyclopedia. \u201cPalm of Martyrdom.\u201d Palm of martyrdom | Project Gutenberg Self-Publishing – eBooks | Read eBooks online. Gutenberg Project. <\/span>http:\/\/www.self.gutenberg.org\/articles\/palm_of_martyrdom<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n
\n<\/b>IMP C P LIC VALERIANVS AVG<\/span>
\n<\/span>(Imperator Caesar Licinius Publius Valerianus Augustus)<\/span>
\n<\/span>Bust of Valerian I, facing right, wearing a radiate crown and cloak fastened over right shoulder. Border: ring of dots.<\/span><\/p>\n
\n<\/b>VOTA ORBIS
\nTwo winged figures hold a shield inscribed \u201cSC\u201d between them, with a palm tree behind. Border: ring of dots.<\/p>\n
\n<\/b>Forum Ancient Coins. 2016. \u201cRadiate.\u201d NumisWiki – The Collaborative Numismatics Project. Forum Ancient Coins. Accessed December 5, 2020. <\/span>http:\/\/www.forumancientcoins.com\/numiswiki\/view.asp?key=radiate<\/span><\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n
![)<\/span><\/a> as well as coins of Valerian\u2019s son and co-ruler <\/span>Gallienu<\/span><\/a>s and of <\/span>Claudius II<\/span><\/a> (for instance,<\/span> RIC V Gallienus 460<\/span><\/a> and <\/span>RIC V Claudius Gothicus 196<\/span><\/a>), and the abbreviation SC occurs in connection with other imagery on other coins of Valerian (such as <\/span>RIC V Valerian 155<\/span><\/a>) and many other emperors before him, going back to the first emperor, Augustus (<\/span>RIC I Augustus 528<\/span><\/a>).\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\nValerian I, who ruled from 253 to 260 CE, was a member of the elite class and succeeded Aemilian by proclaiming himself emperor and killing his predecessor. The Senate approved both Valerian I and his son, Gallienus, and they ruled Rome together. At first, Valerian I had many military victories, especially in Syria and Persia. This initial success led to Valerian I being called \u201cRestorer of the Orient\u201d (The British Museum). Later, however, he failed as a military leader and died in Persian captivity.<\/span><\/p>\nThe crown Valerian I is wearing is a radiate crown. This crown draws influence from Ancient Greece, where it was reserved for gods or kings who wanted to publicize a special devotion to the gods, especially Helios. In Rome, this crown was used to show devotion to the sun god, Sol, and the sun rising in the East, referencing Valerian I’s military victories (Forum Ancient Coins). As seen on\u00a0 similar coins in online databases (such as <\/span>RIC Valerian V 295<\/span><\/a>), Valerian I often presented himself with the radiate crown, which could liken him to successful Roman emperors, such as Augustus, who were also depicted wearing this crown (in the <\/span>OCRE database<\/span><\/a>, there are 140 coin types issued by Valerian that show him wearing a radiate crown). This crown was also used to show that this coin is a double-denomination, with the value of two denarii (Manders 2012, 16).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\nThe winged figures on the reverse are personifications of the goddess Victory; the presence of two figures here signifies\u00a0 two different victories (Smith 1999a). Since this coin is dated to 253 CE (OCRE), early in Valerian\u2019s reign, one of the two victories may represent his rise to power in 253. His first act as emperor was to raise his son Gallienus\u2019s status from <\/span>Caesar<\/span><\/i> to <\/span>Augustus,<\/span><\/i> so father and son were co-emperors. Valerian then declared Gallienus\u2019s son the next heir, doing the same to the second son when the first one died (Wasson 2017). This established a sense of peace during Valerian\u2019s reign, after a tumultuous era of quick successions by \u2018soldier emperors.\u2019\u00a0 Perhaps the second Victoria refers to establishing a line of succession and therefore hope\u00a0 of peace following his reign.\u00a0 Additionally, the palm tree behind the figures and \u201cSC\u201d is a symbol of victory, peace, and triumph, which reinforces the idea of a time of peace during Valerian\u2019s reign (World Heritage Encyclopedia).<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\nWorks cited:<\/b>\n<\/b>Forum Ancient Coins. 2016. \u201cRadiate.\u201d NumisWiki – The Collaborative Numismatics Project. Forum Ancient Coins. Accessed December 5, 2020. <\/span>http:\/\/www.forumancientcoins.com\/numiswiki\/view.asp?key=radiate<\/span><\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\nKierdorf, Wilhelm and Klose, Dietrich. 2006., \u201cSenatus consultum.\u201d In <\/span>Brill\u2019s New Pauly<\/span><\/i>, edited by Hubert Cancik, Helmuth Schneider, and<\/span> Christine F. Salazar<\/span>. Accessed December 4, 2020. DOI:\u00a0 <\/span>http:\/\/dx.doi.org\/10.1163\/1574-9347_bnp_e1108400<\/span><\/a><\/p>\nKlose, Dietrich. 2006. \u201cVota.\u201d In <\/span>Brill\u2019s New Pauly<\/span><\/i>, edited by Hubert Cancik, Helmuth Schneider, and<\/span> Christine F. Salazar. Leiden: Brill. Accessed December 4, 2020. DOI:<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>http:\/\/dx.doi.org\/10.1163\/1574-9347_bnp_e12208060<\/span><\/p>\nManders, Erika. 2012. <\/span>Coining Images of Power. <\/span><\/i>Patterns in the Representation of Roman Emperors on Imperial Coinage, A.D. 193-284. <\/span><\/i>Leiden: Brill. DOI:<\/span> https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1163\/9789004224001<\/span><\/a><\/p>\nOCRE. Online Coins of the Roman Empire. \u201cRIC V Valerian 294.\u201d Online Coins of the Roman Empire, American Numismatic Society. Accessed December 5, 2020. <\/span>http:\/\/numismatics.org\/ocre\/id\/ric.5.val_i.294<\/span><\/p>\nSmith, Doug. 1999a. \u201cPersonifications.\u201d Forum Ancient Coins. Accessed December 5, 2020. <\/span>https:\/\/www.forumancientcoins.com\/dougsmith\/pers.html<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\nSmith, Doug. 1999b. \u201cAbbreviations on Roman Imperial Coins.\u201d Forum Ancient Coins. Accessed December 5, 2020. <\/span>http:\/\/www.forumancientcoins.com\/dougsmith\/abb.html.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\nStevenson, Seth William.1889. <\/span>A Dictionary of Roman Coins, Republican and Imperial<\/span><\/i>. London: G. Bell and Sons. <\/span>Accessed on Forum Ancient Coins, December 5, 2020. <\/span>https:\/\/www.forumancientcoins.com\/numiswiki\/view.asp?key=Orbis.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\nSwoveland, Michael S. 2003. \u201cReading Ancient Roman Coins.\u201d WNC Coins. Accessed December 5, 2020. <\/span>http:\/\/www.wnccoins.com\/0022.htm.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\nThe British Museum. \u201cProfile for Emperor: Valerian (emperor).\u201d The Portable Antiquities Scheme. The British Museum. Accessed December 5, 2020. <\/span>https:\/\/finds.org.uk\/romancoins\/emperors\/emperor\/id\/71<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n\u201cVOTA Coins of the Roman Empire.\u201d index. Accessed December 5, 2020. <\/span>http:\/\/augustuscoins.com\/ed\/VOTA\/index.html.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\nWasson, Donald L. 2017. \u201cGallienus.\u201d Ancient History Encyclopedia. Last updated February 9, 2017. Accessed December 5, 2020. <\/span>https:\/\/www.ancient.eu\/Gallienus\/<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\nWorld Heritage Encyclopedia. \u201cPalm of Martyrdom.\u201d Palm of martyrdom | Project Gutenberg Self-Publishing – eBooks | Read eBooks online. Gutenberg Project. <\/span>http:\/\/www.self.gutenberg.org\/articles\/palm_of_martyrdom<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\nCoin type:<\/b> RIC V Valerian 294<\/span><\/a>; Goebl 1682e Samosata; Sear 9996 (assigned to “uncertain Syrian mint, AD 255-6”)<\/span><\/p>\nResearch by:<\/b> Sarah Edwards, Class of 2023; Caitlin Wiegert, Class of 2023; Ali Mills, Class of 2024\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"\u00a0 Silver Antoninianus of Valerian I (253-260 CE), minted in Antioch (Syria), 253\u00a0 Diameter: 2.25 cm Description Obverse: IMP C P LIC VALERIANVS AVG (Imperator…<\/p>\nContinue readingR1979.11.0151<\/span><\/a><\/div>\n","protected":false},"author":4998,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[163042,163024,163031],"tags":[],"coauthors":[163067,163047,163069],"class_list":["post-286","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-antoninianus","category-coin-catalog","category-valerian-i","entry"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.richmond.edu\/romancoins\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/286","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.richmond.edu\/romancoins\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.richmond.edu\/romancoins\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.richmond.edu\/romancoins\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4998"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.richmond.edu\/romancoins\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=286"}],"version-history":[{"count":13,"href":"https:\/\/blog.richmond.edu\/romancoins\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/286\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":817,"href":"https:\/\/blog.richmond.edu\/romancoins\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/286\/revisions\/817"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.richmond.edu\/romancoins\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=286"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.richmond.edu\/romancoins\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=286"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.richmond.edu\/romancoins\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=286"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.richmond.edu\/romancoins\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=286"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}](\"https:\/\/www.wildwinds.com\/coins\/ric\/valerian_I\/RIC_0155.jpg\"){kind=link}