TREBONIANUS GALLUS and STAR WARS

[Montmercure]

Hello everyone,
A new question (still related to a caduceus ;-)

I saw that there were Antoninians by Trebonien Gallé with a reverse presenting felicity holding a caduceus and a cornucopia, some of which (a priori the fewest) with a STAR in the right field.

so far no problem (apart from the meaning of star’s presence),
but I had the opportunity to reference slightly different specimens (and a priori less numerous) where the star had 8 branches against 6 for the previous ones.
None of the catalog and site that I have been able to consult makes a difference
Do you have any elements or ideas on it?

[Pekka K]

Your coin without star is from Antioch mint. (Note  on obverse and reverse)

OCRE lists it as subtype 7: http://numismatics.org/ocre/id/ric.4.tr_g.82.7

Pekka K

[Montmercure]

  ok for the Antioch mint, Rome mint exist also without star (OCRE 33 : http://numismatics.org/ocre/id/ric.4.tr_g.33)

............ but that does not explain the fact of the 6/8 branche's stars ..... if there is an explanation 

[AMICTUS]

The six branches stars seem to be somewhat hastily engraved (and clumsily placed in the field on the reverse) so it could be the result of a suddenly  added mint mark to already prepared dies. The eight branches stars are more carefully engraved (and placed in the field on the reverse) so they could have followed a little later. A few coins of Valerian and Gallienus attributed to Viminacium (SAECVLI FELICITAS and PROVID AVG) and dated 254-256 also have always a eight branches star in the reverse field.

[Montmercure]

  Thank you for your response and your interest.
The lead you give seems serious and possible.
It is true that the 6-branches star sometimes encroaches on the legend of the reverse of the coin (Publica).

an old study (H. Mattingly 1946 : REIGNS OF TREBONIANUS GALLUS, VOLUSIAN and AEMILIAN) seems to go in this direction: first the emission with the star (without making a distinction between 6 and 8 branches) then the emission without star.

maybe there has been something new since but I haven't found.