Obverse: Gallienus facing right, wearing a military style drape and a radiate crown, framed by the inscription ''GALLIENVS AVG,'' which simply means ''Emperor Gallienus.''
Reverse : PROVIDAVG - Providentia standing left, holding wand over globe and scepter.
In Roman mythology, Providentia was the goddess of forethought. Providentia (Providence). With all their vices, follies, and gross superstitions (indeed, in spite of them), the Romans still appear to have cherished a belief in the perpetual and direct interposition of the gods with respect to human affairs. Among the various monuments which attest this religious feeling, or at leas this profession of religion, on the part of both princes and people, none are more conspicuous than those to be found on their imperial coins, for it is to be observed that previous to the substitution of the monarchical for the republican form of government, that allegorical divinity whose name is derived from providere (to foresee) is not seen either on metal or on marble. In ancient Roman religion, Providentia is a divine personification of the ability to foresee and make provision. She was among the embodiments of virtues that were part of the Imperial cult of ancient Rome. Providentia thus figures in art, cult, and literature, but has little or no mythology as such.
Providentia was an important moral and philosophical abstraction in Roman discourse. Cicero says it is one of the three main components of prudentia, ''the knowledge of things that are good or bad or neither,'' along with memoria, ''memory,'' and intellegentia, ''understanding.'' The Latin word is the origin of the Christian concept of divine providence.
Gallienus was Emperor of the Roman Empire from AD 253-268, sharing the throne with his father Valerian until AD 260, then as sole ruler until his death in AD 268. Based upon the inscriptions, this Billon Double-Denarius of Gallienus was struck during his solitary reign, AD 260-268. The Romans typically used doubled letters to indicate plurality. Coinage of Gallienus minted during his joint reign are inscribed ''AVGG'' (two emperors), while later coins bear the inscription ''AVG.''
Publius Licinius Egnatius Gallienus ( c. 218 – September 268) was Roman emperor with his father Valerian from 253 to 260 and alone from 260 to 268. He ruled during the Crisis of the Third Century that nearly caused the collapse of the empire. He won a number of military victories against usurpers and Germanic tribes, but was unable to prevent the secession of important provinces. His 15-year reign was the longest in half a century.
Born into a wealthy and traditional senatorial family, Gallienus was the son of Valerian and Mariniana. Valerian became Emperor in September 253 and had the Roman senate elevate Gallienus to the ranks of Caesar and Augustus. Valerian divided the empire between him and his son, with Valerian ruling the east and his son the west. Gallienus defeated the usurper Ingenuus in 258 and destroyed an Alemanni army at Mediolanum in 259.
The defeat and capture of Valerian at Edessa in 260 by the Sasanian Empire threw the Roman Empire into the chaos of civil war. Control of the whole empire passed to Gallienus. He defeated the eastern usurpers Macrianus Major and Lucius Mussius Aemilianus in 261–262 but failed to stop the formation of the breakaway Gallic Empire under general umus. Aureolus, another usurper, proclaimed himself emperor in Mediolanum in 268 but was defeated outside the city by Gallienus and besieged inside. While the siege was ongoing, Gallienus was assassinated, stabbed to death by the officer Cecropius, as part of a conspiracy.
Please check out my other listings and we will be happy to combine in one package !
Our office will be closed on August 30, 2024 to September,18 2024. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. You can purchase items from our store or If you need to get into contact with us, please send a message and we will reply your message or process orders as soon as our office reopens on September, 19, 2024. During this period, we may take longer than usual to ship the order or reply to your messages.