Skip to content
Orbis Collectibles

RIC V Gallienus 18

DocumentedSupported by at least one credible specialist source.

Record status

Individual type · research required

Period

AD 259

Issuing entity

Roman Empire

Maker / issuer

Rome (ancient mint)

Aureus in gold struck at Rome under Gallienus, AD 259, catalogued as RIC V Gallienus 18. Obverse: Head of Gallienus, crowned with reeds, left. Reverse: Gallienus, holding parazonium in right hand and spear in left hand, standing between two river gods.

Obverse legend: GALLIENVS AVG. Reverse legend: P M TR P VII COS P P.

Evidence at a glance

Linked sources
2
Photograph views
2
Catalogue references
1

Counts describe this entry’s documentation, not authenticity, rarity or completeness. Photographs may show one specimen; check each caption and licence.

Historical context

Publius Licinius Egnatius Gallienus served as Roman emperor alongside his father Valerian from 253 to 260, before ruling alone until 268. His reign took place amidst the Crisis of the Third Century, marked by internal civil strife, usurpers, and conflicts with Germanic tribes. Following an administrative division of the empire, Gallienus oversaw the west, where he destroyed an Alemanni army at Mediolanum in 259. During this period, the aureus remained the principal gold denomination of the empire, struck at Rome before being superseded by the solidus in the fourth century.

Physical characteristics

Material
Gold
Manufacture
Struck
Denomination
Aureus

Technical characteristics

Mint
Rome
Issuing authority
Gallienus

Design

Obverse type
Head of Gallienus, crowned with reeds, left
Reverse type
Gallienus, holding parazonium in right hand and spear in left hand, standing between two river gods
Obverse legend
GALLIENVS AVG
Reverse legend
P M TR P VII COS P P

Identification

How to identify
RIC separates types by mint and officina marks, obverse legend and bust form, and reverse legend and type; check the exergue and field marks against the RIC number before accepting a match.
Type corpus record
https://numismatics.org/ocre/id/ric.5.gall(2).18
Catalogue reference
RIC V Gallienus 18
Type corpus identifier
ric.5.gall(2).18
Source note
The type record is Online Coins of the Roman Empire (OCRE), the American Numismatic Society's digital edition of Roman Imperial Coinage.

Documentation checklist

Denomination
Recorded
Issue or mint date
Recorded
Material
Recorded
Weight
Research required
Mint or printer
Recorded
Mint or printer mark
Research required
Catalogue reference
Recorded
Attached photograph (check rights)
Recorded

Recorded means a field is present, not independently verified. Read its wording, supporting source and the entry’s confidence level.

Catalogue references

Research required

  • Nominal weight not transcribed from a primary reference
  • Diameter and die axis not transcribed
  • Mint mark and officina detail not transcribed
  • No rights-cleared photograph identified yet
Can you source one of these? Submit a reference