RIC IV 79* (officina mark variant)

Roman Empire, Trebonianus Gallus (251-253), Antoninianus, Antioch mint, 2nd emission, ? officina.

Obverse: IMP C C VIB TREB GALLVS P F AVG, radiate, draped and cuirassed bust right, seen from behind, • below;

Reverse: ADVENTVS AVG, Emperor on horseback prancing left, raising right hand and holding spear in left hand, •• below;

Notes: The Antioch mint struck ADVENTVS coinage for all the emperors from Philip I & II all the way to Gallus & Volusian, even though it appears that none of them actually visited the city - ADVENTVS may thus metaphorically refer to the rise to the throne of the Emperor. On this example the number of pellets differs between obverse and reverse - a relatively common error in this series of Antiochene antoniniani. This coin seems to be an oddity because, according to the official system of classification for Gallus' Antioch issues, all the draped busts are of rough style and thus belong to the third and final emission; however, this example is part of a very small group of coins that have fine style portraits and draped busts - could they represent a transitional issue? It's also worth noting that, on the reverse, the emperor is sometimes holding a spear, like on my example, though RIC lists it as a sceptre.

Riferimento : RIC IV - (c.f. RIC IV 79 - this combination of officina marks not listed); Gallwey - ; Metcalf - ;

Collezione : Trebonianus Gallus - Antioch