Salonina Silver Antoninianus RIC V Salonina (2) 5

Monetary Context and the Crisis of the Sole Reign

The coinage designated as RIC V Salonina (2) 5 was produced during the turbulent sole reign of Emperor Gallienus, spanning from AD 260 to 268. Following the catastrophic defeat and capture of Emperor Valerian I by Shapur I in AD 260, Gallienus inherited a fragmented empire besieged by northern incursions, domestic usurpers, and economic collapse. The imperial treasury faced soaring military expenditures alongside a catastrophic reduction in tax revenues from breakaway territories in Gaul and the East. In response to these fiscal pressures, Gallienus instituted drastic measures at the official mints, foremost among which was the aggressive debasement of the principal silver denomination, the antoninianus or double denarius. The silver content of antoniniani, which had hovered around twenty percent in the late 250s AD, fell precipitously during the sole reign to below five percent, transforming the denomination into a base-metal coin given a superficial silver wash. In this monetary climate, coins struck in the name of the Augusta, Cornelia Salonina, served essential state functions. Her coinage reinforced the legitimacy of the central dynasty at Rome while simultaneously participating in the rapid expansion of base-metal currency production necessary to maintain the solvency of the central imperial administration.

Production and Mint Organization at Rome

RIC V Salonina (2) 5 is securely attributed to the imperial mint situated in Rome. During the sole reign of Gallienus, the Rome mint functioned on an unprecedented industrial scale, organizing its output into discrete operational officinae or workshops. The mint's operations expanded to twelve distinct officinae to strike the immense volume of billon coinage needed to fund the army and administrative apparatus. Although many issues of Gallienus and Salonina from the Rome mint incorporate explicit Greek or Latin workshop numerals in the reverse field or exergue, early or specific typological phases of RIC V Salonina (2) 5 frequently appear without officina marks. Dies were cut in mass quantities by local engravers following standardized models, leading to slight variations in engraving style, crescent positioning, and the posture of the child. The metal blank preparation reflected the urgent monetary debasement: planchets were cast and struck from heavily leaded copper-tin-silver alloys, and finished blanks often received an enriched surface treatment or chemical pickling to make the thin silver coating visually prominent prior to distribution into circulation.

Obverse Iconography and Imperial Regalia

The obverse of RIC V Salonina (2) 5 presents the diademed and draped bust of Empress Salonina facing right, set above a horizontal crescent. This crescent mount is the conventional numismatic convention designating a female portrait on the antoninianus, analogous to the radiate crown worn by male emperors to indicate the double-unit denomination. Salonina is shown with the refined, formal coiffure typical of the mid-third century AD, characterized by tightly waved hair drawn back from the temples into an elaborate, braided plait pinned flat against the back of the head. Over her head rests an imperial diadem, emphasizing her status as reigning Augusta. The execution of the bust ranges from fine, classical rendering on early dies to flatter, more schematized treatment on later dies cut under the pressure of mass output. Engravers consistently preserved the prominent crescent, ensuring that the coin was immediately recognized as an antoninianus despite its declining intrinsic silver content.

Reverse Iconography and Dynastic Symbolism

The reverse of the coin illustrates Fecunditas, the Roman personification of fertility, abundance, and imperial offspring. She is depicted draped in traditional stola and palla, standing left. In her left arm she cradles a substantial cornucopiae, the horn of plenty overflowing with agricultural produce, symbolizing prosperity and wealth granted through the agency of the imperial house. At her feet to the left stands a small child, reaching upward or standing beside her drapery. In Roman imperial visual propaganda, the type of Fecunditas held specific dynastic meaning when applied to empresses. For Salonina, who had borne Valerian II, Saloninus, and possibly Marinianus, the motif served as a direct reminder of her maternal role in securing the imperial succession. Even after the premature deaths of her eldest sons, the persistent invocation of Fecunditas on the coinage emphasized familial continuity, enduring divine favor, and the protective oversight of the imperial house over the Roman world.

Epigraphy and Legend Structure

The inscriptions on RIC V Salonina (2) 5 are succinct and follow the standard epigraphic formulas of the Rome mint during the sole reign of Gallienus. The obverse legend reads SALONINA AVG, an abbreviation of Salonina Augusta. This concise inscription reflects the broader trend of Gallienus's sole reign, which simplified earlier, lengthy titular formulas in favor of brief, prominent legends that accommodated rapid die production and smaller planchet sizes. The reverse legend reads FECVNDITAS AVG, translating to 'The Fertility of the Augusta' or 'Imperial Fruitfulness.' The lettering is executed in Roman capital letters, which vary in style from crisp, well-spaced letterforms to compact, crowded characters depending on the die-cutter. The alignment is circular, oriented outwards or inwards following contemporary mint conventions, and provides unambiguous identification of the empress and the virtues attributed to her reign.

Typological Classification and Chronological Placement

Under the system created by Percy H. Webb in the fifth volume of Roman Imperial Coinage, coins of Salonina are organized into joint reign issues struck under Valerian I and sole reign issues struck under Gallienus alone. Type RIC V Salonina (2) 5 is specifically catalogued under the sole reign series produced at the Rome mint between AD 260 and 268. Within this broad period, numismatists have sought to refine the sequence based on reverse legend variations, portrait styles, and hoard chronology. While earlier joint-reign issues of Fecunditas often featured different attributes, such as patera or multiple children, the specific combination of a standing Fecunditas with cornucopiae and one child at her feet under the simple legend FECVNDITAS AVG represents a stable, recurring type produced at Rome. The absence of field marks on the core type places it alongside the earlier phases of the sole reign before the systematic introduction of officina markings in later decorative series, though some specimens may reflect transitional issues.

Circulation, Hoards, and Archaeological Context

Coins of type RIC V Salonina (2) 5 circulated widely throughout the Roman Empire, reflecting the ubiquity of base-metal antoniniani during the 260s AD and the following decades. In archaeological contexts and numismatic hoard finds across Italy, the Danubian provinces, Britain, and Gaul, antoniniani of Salonina from the Rome mint appear in substantial numbers. The debasement of the coinage accelerated Gresham's Law: earlier, higher-grade silver issues from the Severan period down to the early 250s AD were systematically hoarded and removed from circulation, leaving low-fineness antoniniani of Gallienus and Salonina to dominate daily transactions. Even after the Aurelianic monetary reforms of AD 274 introduced a reformed radiate with guaranteed silver proportions, millions of uncleaned sole-reign radiates continued to circulate at a discount until the comprehensive tetrarchic currency reforms of Diocletian in AD 294 to 296 permanently demonetized the residual billon currency.

References

1. Coin Hoards and Hoarding in the Roman Empire. pp. 85-112
2. Roman Coins from the Earliest Times to the Fall of the Western Empire. pp. 130-145
3. Online Coins of the Roman Empire: RIC V Salonina (2) 5. Type record ric.5.sala(2).5
4. The Roman Imperial Coinage, Vol. V, Part I. pp. 191-193