Numismatica Ars Classica
Auction 132 30-31 May 2022
View prices realized
► Sale information
Find similar lots
Gallienus, 253 – 268
Aureus, Siscia 266, AV 4.56 g. GALLIE – NVS AVG Head l., crowned with reeds. Rev. FID – ES – MIL Fides standing facing, head r., holding two standards. C 226 var. (head of Fides l.). RIC 18 var. (head of Fides l.). Göbl 1435b. Calicó 3494 (these dies).
Extremely rare. A magnificent portrait of superb style and a lovely light
reddish tone. Minor edge marks, otherwise good extremely fine
Ex Sotheby, Wilkinson & Hodge, 13 July 1908, O'Hagan, 641 and M&M 93, 2003, Bally-Herzog, 253 sales.
This gold aureus of Gallienus was probably struck for distribution as part of a donative to the army at the Roman New Year celebrations in January 266. At New Year it was customary for the army and imperial officials to swear their allegiance to the Emperor and the Emperor undertook vows to the gods for the continued success of his reign. Gold coins such as the present piece went far to cement the loyalty of the army and its commanders. The reverse type here even goes so far as to advertise the fides mil(itum) ("faith of the soldiers") that it was used to ensure. In truth, throughout the reign of Gallienus, the faith of the army was in question much more frequently than it was something to be relied upon. While Gallienus was struggling to hold the Rhine frontier against Germanic invaders in 258, the Pannonian governor Ingenuus rebelled with the support of the troops under his command. In the following year, a dispute arising from spoils taken from the defeated Alemanni after the Battle of Mediolanum (Milan) became an excuse for the commander Postumus to claim the imperial title and establish his own breakaway Gallic Empire. A decade later, the cavalry commander Aureolus, who was tasked with preventing Postumus from seizing further territory, also turned his troops against Gallienus. The Emperor shut the forces of Aureolus up in Medolanum, but during the siege he made the mistake of leaving his tent without his usual bodyguard. He was then murdered by his own frustrated commanders. Fides militum, indeed.
View a video of this lot
Aureus, Siscia 266, AV 4.56 g. GALLIE – NVS AVG Head l., crowned with reeds. Rev. FID – ES – MIL Fides standing facing, head r., holding two standards. C 226 var. (head of Fides l.). RIC 18 var. (head of Fides l.). Göbl 1435b. Calicó 3494 (these dies).
Extremely rare. A magnificent portrait of superb style and a lovely light
reddish tone. Minor edge marks, otherwise good extremely fine
Ex Sotheby, Wilkinson & Hodge, 13 July 1908, O'Hagan, 641 and M&M 93, 2003, Bally-Herzog, 253 sales.
This gold aureus of Gallienus was probably struck for distribution as part of a donative to the army at the Roman New Year celebrations in January 266. At New Year it was customary for the army and imperial officials to swear their allegiance to the Emperor and the Emperor undertook vows to the gods for the continued success of his reign. Gold coins such as the present piece went far to cement the loyalty of the army and its commanders. The reverse type here even goes so far as to advertise the fides mil(itum) ("faith of the soldiers") that it was used to ensure. In truth, throughout the reign of Gallienus, the faith of the army was in question much more frequently than it was something to be relied upon. While Gallienus was struggling to hold the Rhine frontier against Germanic invaders in 258, the Pannonian governor Ingenuus rebelled with the support of the troops under his command. In the following year, a dispute arising from spoils taken from the defeated Alemanni after the Battle of Mediolanum (Milan) became an excuse for the commander Postumus to claim the imperial title and establish his own breakaway Gallic Empire. A decade later, the cavalry commander Aureolus, who was tasked with preventing Postumus from seizing further territory, also turned his troops against Gallienus. The Emperor shut the forces of Aureolus up in Medolanum, but during the siege he made the mistake of leaving his tent without his usual bodyguard. He was then murdered by his own frustrated commanders. Fides militum, indeed.
View a video of this lot