Numismatica Ars Classica
Auction 132 30-31 May 2022
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Galeria Valeria, wife of Galerius Maximianus
Aureus, Siscia 308–309, AV 5.38 g. GAL VALE – RIA AVG Diademed and draped bust r. on crescent. Rev. VENERI – VICTRICI Venus standing facing, head l., holding apple in upraised r. hand and raising drapery over l. shoulder; in exergue, SIS. C 4. RIC 196. Depeyrot 11/7. Kent pl. 154, 601 (this obverse die). Calicó 4969 (this coin illustrated).
Very rare. A lovely portrait, minor marks and an almost invisible nick at twelve
o'clock on obverse, otherwise about extremely fine
Ex NFA XIV, 1984, 551 and NAC 38, 2007, 217 sales.
In AD 293, Valeria, the daughter of Diocletian and Prisca, was married to Galerius when her father appointed him Caesar, thereby making him a junior co-emperor in the Eastern Roman Empire. The marriage was intended to strengthen the relationship between Diocletian and Galerius, but proved to be childless. As a solution to this problem, Valeria adopted her husband's illegitimate son Candidianus as her own. In 308, Galerius was recognized as the sole legitimate Eastern Augustus at the Conference at Carnutum, which had been called to settle the tetrarchic conflicts that erupted following the abdication of Diocletian. At the same time, Valeria also received the title of Augusta and Mater Castrorum. Galerius honored her further by renaming the province of Pannonia Superior as Valeria. The present gold aureus was struck at Siscia, an important imperial mint city in Pannonia. After the death of Galerius in 311, both Valeria and Prisca were placed in the care of Licinius I, but, mistrustful of his intentions, the two women fled to the court of his rival, Maximinus Daza, whose daughter was betrothed to Candidianus. Unfortunately, Valeria was stripped of her property and placed under arrest after refusing a marriage proposal from Maximinus. The situation deteriorated further in 313, when Maximinus died and Licinius ordered the execution of both Valeria and Prisca. The two women went into hiding, but after a year of avoiding the authorities they were recognized in Thessalonica. Valeria and Prisca were both beheaded and their bodies cast into the sea.
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Aureus, Siscia 308–309, AV 5.38 g. GAL VALE – RIA AVG Diademed and draped bust r. on crescent. Rev. VENERI – VICTRICI Venus standing facing, head l., holding apple in upraised r. hand and raising drapery over l. shoulder; in exergue, SIS. C 4. RIC 196. Depeyrot 11/7. Kent pl. 154, 601 (this obverse die). Calicó 4969 (this coin illustrated).
Very rare. A lovely portrait, minor marks and an almost invisible nick at twelve
o'clock on obverse, otherwise about extremely fine
Ex NFA XIV, 1984, 551 and NAC 38, 2007, 217 sales.
In AD 293, Valeria, the daughter of Diocletian and Prisca, was married to Galerius when her father appointed him Caesar, thereby making him a junior co-emperor in the Eastern Roman Empire. The marriage was intended to strengthen the relationship between Diocletian and Galerius, but proved to be childless. As a solution to this problem, Valeria adopted her husband's illegitimate son Candidianus as her own. In 308, Galerius was recognized as the sole legitimate Eastern Augustus at the Conference at Carnutum, which had been called to settle the tetrarchic conflicts that erupted following the abdication of Diocletian. At the same time, Valeria also received the title of Augusta and Mater Castrorum. Galerius honored her further by renaming the province of Pannonia Superior as Valeria. The present gold aureus was struck at Siscia, an important imperial mint city in Pannonia. After the death of Galerius in 311, both Valeria and Prisca were placed in the care of Licinius I, but, mistrustful of his intentions, the two women fled to the court of his rival, Maximinus Daza, whose daughter was betrothed to Candidianus. Unfortunately, Valeria was stripped of her property and placed under arrest after refusing a marriage proposal from Maximinus. The situation deteriorated further in 313, when Maximinus died and Licinius ordered the execution of both Valeria and Prisca. The two women went into hiding, but after a year of avoiding the authorities they were recognized in Thessalonica. Valeria and Prisca were both beheaded and their bodies cast into the sea.
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