An Unorthodox Portrait

One of the Finest Known

Gallienus AV Heavy Aureus. Rome, AD 265-266. GALLIENVS P F AVG, head to left, with slightly uplifted gaze, wearing wreath of grain leaves / VICTORIA AVG, emperor standing facing, head to left, holding globe and transverse sceptre, being crowned with wreath by Victory standing behind, holding palm. RIC V.1 81 (Sole Reign); C. 1112; Göbl, MIR 692b; Biaggi 1478; Calicó 3614. 6.09g, 21mm, 5h.

Near Mint State. Very Rare; a wonderfully solid and very heavy example (the type was issued on planchets as light as 2.75g) and one of the finest known surviving specimens.

Ex Long Valley River Collection; Ex Leu Numismatik AG, Auction 2, 11 May 2018, lot 306.

15,000

Gallienus was named Caesar at the same time his father Valerian became emperor in AD 253, but within a month he was promoted to the rank of Augustus and co-ruler. The responsibility for the western provinces fell to him the following year as Valerian marched east to campaign against the Sassanid Persians. Gallienus proceeded to take military action to secure the Rhine and Danube frontiers from German attacks; his efforts were successful and earned him the title ‘Germanicus Maximus’ five times between 255 and 258, though at the cost of his eldest son during a campaign in the Danube region early in 258. This was the beginning of a series of unfortunate events to befall the western emperor.

Valerian was captured by the Sassanid Persian king Shapur I in 260, significantly weakening Gallienus’ position and leaving a power vacuum in the east. The first to take advantage was Ingenuus, governor of Pannonia and Moesia, who was proclaimed emperor at Sirmium by the troops under his command but defeated soon after by Gallienus’ general Aureolus. Rebellion also broke out on the Danube frontier when Regalianus proclaimed himself emperor, requiring a prompt and successful action on Gallienus’ part. A further uprising occurred in 260, when Macrianus and Quietus were proclaimed joint emperors, making Antioch their capital with widespread support in the Eastern provinces. Macrianus marched against Gallienus but was killed by Aureolus in 261, while Quietus was murdered in Emesa where he was taking refuge. The following year saw Gallienus’ general Aureolus himself revolt, although he was swiftly convinced to make peace. Whilst the uprisings in the east had been successfully quelled, it had cost Gallienus dearly in the West. By the end of 261, Postumus had taken control of Gaul, Britain and Spain and assumed the title of Augustus, establishing an independent empire that would survive for almost 15 years.

Unable to successfully challenge the Gallic Empire carved out by Postumus, Gallienus spent the following years dealing with minor invasions and rebellions until the Goths and the Heruli launched a large scale incursion into the Balkans in 268. Leaving Aureolus in charge at Milan, Gallienus advanced to counter the invasion, but was unable to prevent the sacking of Athens before finally catching up with and defeating the invaders at Naissus. Taking advantage of the Gothic War, Aureolus defected to Postumus, compelling Gallienus to return to Italy in September 268, where he defeated Aureolus’ forces at Pontirolo and laid siege to him in Milan. Before Gallienus could bring matters to a decisive conclusion however, he was murdered in his camp by the commander of his Dalmatian cavalry.

727.

Quietus BI Antoninianus. Samosata, AD 260-261. IMP C FVL QVIETVS P F AVG, radiate, draped and cuirassed bust to right / SOL INV[IC]TO, Sol standing facing, head to left, raising hand and holding globe; star in left field. RIC V.2 10 (Antioch); MIR 1741n; RSC 12c. 5.05g, 24mm, 6h. Mint State; struck on a broad flan, with exceptionally complete silvering.

Acquired from Leu Numismatik AG; Ex collection of Dipl.-Ing. Adrian Lang, privately acquired in the early 2000s.

729.

Postumus Æ Double Sestertius. Treveri, AD 261. IMP C M CASS LAT POSTVMVS P F AVG, radiate, draped and cuirassed bust to right / LAETITIA, galley rowing to left; AVG in exergue. Mairat, 2014 (unpublished PhD Thesis), 124; RIC V.2 143 (Lugdunum); Elmer 243. 17.83g, 33mm, 5h.

728. 1,500

Good Very Fine.

Ex North German collection of Roman Imperial Bronzes, Leu Numismatik AG, Auction 7, 24 October 2020, lot 1680; Ex F. Sternberg AG, Auction XXVI, 16 November 1992, lot 416.

Carausius BI Radiate. Uncertain mint (London?), AD 286-293. IMP C CARAVSIVS P F AVG, radiate, draped and cuirassed bust to right / PAX AVG, Pax standing to left, holding olive branch and cornucopiae; S-P across fields. RIC V.2 475; Webb 532. 4.50g, 24mm, 6h.