Dear Friends of
ancient coins!
I
had already posted this coin a few years ago, but no result was achieved. I am therefore making here a new attempt:
Thrace,
Serdica,
Gallienus, AD 235-268
AE 27, 20.24g, 27.32mm, 15°
obv. AVT K ΓAΛ - ΛIHNOC
Bust, draped and
cuirassed, seen from behind,
radiate, r.
rev. OVΛΠIAC - CEPΔIKHC
in l.
field in 3 lines one below the other ΦIΛO / MOV / COC
Eros, nude, winged, with unknown attribute on
head, stg. l., holding in lowered l. hand bow and arrow, and holding in extended r. hand small figure.
ref. a)
cf. Ruzicka 479:
has laureate
head r. and doesn't mention the
legend in
fieldb)
Varbanov III, 2626:
calls the
rev. figure
Genius and the statuette an idol
c)
Moushmov 4955:
calls the
rev. figure
Genius (
Apollo?) and has no name for the statuette
d) Hristova/Jekov 12.46.41.1:
calls the
rev. figur
Genius and the statuette a Muse
very
rare, F
We see that the description of the
rev. is not homogeneous. I tend towards
Eros because the figure is winged.
The 2nd problem is the small statuette. Because the
legend ΦIΛOMOVCOC seems to be a connected the small statuette it should be a "friend of the Muses, friend of art and science". But what it is?
We know of
Gallienus that he was a literate emperor, familiar with Greek literature. Does ΦIΛOMOVCOC mean
Gallienus and is an adulation for the emperor? But
Gallienus as small figur in the hand of
Eros: Impossible!
Any suggestions highly appreciated!
Thanks in advance
Jochen