The Rome "conservator" coins of Gallienus

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The last sole reign coins of Gallienus from the mint of Rome invoke a pantheon of deities as conservator of the emperor. The twelve workshops each had a dedicated reverse type (officina four had two substantive reverses, one for Gallienus and one for his wife, Salonina).

Five of the workshops also struck a signficantly rarer subsidiary issue of coins. I sometimes wonder if these secondary coin types not only feature animals that may be (losely) assosciated with the deity named but also may feature a legionary badge, perhaps linked to the campaign against Postumus.

The circumstances that surround the issue of this rather exceptional series are explored by R D Weigel in the 1990 Numismatic Chronicle volume. He concludes that

 "it cannot be proven that the chioce of gods to be inclluded on the coins was not made with appeals to certain groups of sodiers in mind, but Gallienus's legionary series was, of course, designed specifically for that purpose. The numerous connections between the nine protective deities honoured and traditional Roman religious practices, especially the Sybilline Books, with the lectisternium, and with the performance of circus games, appear to be more than mere coincidence. It seems more likely that Gallienus's 'animal series' was intended to focus attention primarily on gods who had come to Rome's defence repeatedly in the past and whose cults featured the Graecus ritus sacrifices and celebrations with ludi circenses".  

The description of the animals in what follows below more or less follows that of Ian Carradice in his commentary of these coins in the Cunetio hoard report by Besley and Bland.

My collection

Workshop 1

GALLIENVS AVG

Radiate bust right

SOLI CONS AVG

Winged horse right

RIC 283; G 712b; Cunetio 1337

 

HERCVLI CONS AVG

Lion

(Subsidiary issue)

Not represented in my collection

 

Workshop 2

GALLIENVS AVG

Radiate bust right

LIBERO P CONS AVG

Panther walking left

RIC 230; G 713b; Cunetio 1341

GALLIENVS AVG

Radiate, draped bust left

SOLI CONS AVG

Winged horse right

RIC 230; G 713o; Cunetio -

 

Workshop 3

GALLIENVS AVG

Radiate bust right

DIANAE CONS AVG

Antelope walking left

RIC cf 181; G 716b; Cunetio 1344

 

Workshop 4

IMP GALLIENVS AVG

Radiate bust right

APOLLINI CONS AVG

Griffin standing left

RIC 165; G 718y; Cunetio 1350

SALONINA AVG

Diademed, draped bust on crescent right

IVNONI CONS AVG

Capreolus walking left

RIC 15; G 725x; Cunetio 1421

COR SALONINA AVG

Diademed, draped bust on crescent right

IVNONI CONS AVG

Capreolus walking right

RIC cf14; G 726cc; Cunetio 1420

 

Workshop 5

GALLIENVS AVG

Radiate bust right

DIANAE CONS AVG

Doe standing left, head turned back

RIC 177; G 727b; Cunetio 1365

GALLIENVS AVG

Radiate, cuirased bust left

DIANAE CONS AVG

Doe standing left, head turned back

RIC -; G 727v; Cunetio -

GALLIENVS AVG

Radiate bust right

DIANAE CONS AVG

Doe standing right, head turned back

RIC 177; G 728b; Cunetio 1361

IMP GALLIENVS AVG

Radiate bust right

DIANAE CONS AVG

Doe standing right, head turned back

RIC 176; G 728z; Cunetio 1357

GALLIENVS AVG

Radiate bust right

HERCVLI CONS AVG

Boar standing right

RIC 202; G 729b; Cunetio 1367

(Subsidiary issue)

GALLIENVS AVG

Radiate bust right

HERCVLI CONS AVG

Boar standing right

RIC 202; G 729b; Cunetio 1367

(Subsidiary issue) Duplicate

 

Workshop 6

GALLIENVS AVG

Radiate bust right

IOVI CONS AVG

Goat standing left

RIC 207; G 730b; Cunetio 1368

GALLIENVS AVG

Radiate bust right

IOVI CONS AVG

Goat standing right

RIC 207; G 731b; Cunetio 1375

GALLIENVS AVG

Radiate bust right

NEPTVNO CONS AVG

Capricorn right

RIC 245; G 732b; Cunetio 1377

(Subsidiary issue)

 

Workshop 7

GALLIENVS AVG

Radiate bust right

APOLLINI CONS AVG

Centaur standing right with bow

RIC 163; G 735b; Cunetio 1378

GALLIENVS AVG

Radiate bust right

APOLLINI CONS AVG

Centaur standing right with bow

RIC 163; G 735b; Cunetio 1378

Duplicate

 

Workshop 8

GALLIENVS AVG

Radiate bust right

APOLLINI CONS AVG

Centaur standing left with globe & rudder

RIC 164; G 738b; Cunetio 1386

GALLIENVS AVG

Radiate bust right

MERCVRIO CONS AVG

Criocamp right

RIC 242; G 741b; Cunetio 1389

(Subsidiary issue)

 

Workshop 9

GALLIENVS AVG

Radiate bust right

NEPTVNO CONS AVG

Hippocamp right

RIC 245; G 743b; Cunetio 1392

GALLIENVS AVG

Radiate bust right

NEPTVNO CONS AVG

Hippocamp right

RIC 245; G 743b; Cunetio 1392

Duplicate

 

Workshop 10

GALLIENVS AVG

Radiate bust right

DIANAE CONS AVG

Stag standing right

RIC 179; G 744b; Cunetio 1400

 

Workshop 11

GALLIENVS AVG

Radiate bust right

DIANAE CONS AVG

Gazelle standing right

RIC 181; G 747b; Cunetio 1401

GALLIENVS AVG

Radiate, draped and cuirassed bust right

SOLI CONS AVG

Bull standing right

RIC 285; G 749k; Cunetio 1405

(Subsidiary issue)

 

Workshop 12

GALLIENVS AVG

Radiate bust right

DIANAE CONS AVG

Gazelle standing left

RIC 181; G 750b; Cunetio 1408

GALLIENVS AVG

Radiate, cuirassed bust right

DIANAE CONS AVG

Gazelle standing left

RIC 181; G 750s; Cunetio 1410

GALLIENVS AVG

Radiate, cuirassed bust right

DIANAE CONS AVG

Gazelle standing left

RIC 181; G 750t; Cunetio -

Brockage

DIANAE CONS AVG

Gazelle standing left

RIC -; G -; Cunetio -

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