Branch Mint
(RIC incorrectly attributes these to Milan)
This issue had long been attributed to Milan. In The
Cunetio Treasure, Besly and Bland showed that the existence of hybrids that
combined both the so-called Milan mint, with the Rome mint proved that these
special issue coins (or fifth issue) were either minted by the Rome mint, or at
least by dies supplied by that mint. According to Jérôme Mairat in Rome
XI – Trébonien Galle au Coeur de l’Anarchie Militaire, these special issue
coins are found disproportionally higher in hoards of the Balkan regions so it
seems that although the coins were minted at Rome, they were shipped to the
Balkans to fund the war against the Goths. Besly and Bland also
showed that this special issue was contemporary with issue two and three of
Gallus Rome issues.
RIC |
Obverse/Reverse |
Notes |
Obverse Photo |
Reverse Photo |
69 |
IMP CC VIB TREB GALLVS
AVG Bust radiate, draped,
cuirassed r. |
|
|
|
IVNO MARTIALIS Juno std. l., holding corn ears (?) and
sceptre |
70 |
IMP CC VIB TREB GALLVS
AVG Bust radiate, draped,
cuirassed r. |
|
|
|
LIBERTAS PVBLICA Libertas stg. l., holding pileus and
transverse sceptre. |
70 var
unlisted
|
IMP CC VIB TREB GALLVS
AVG Bust radiate, draped,
cuirassed r. |
Missing the final 'A' in PUBLICA. This coin was
shown to me by collector/dealer
Guy Braun, who runs
a nice internet coin shop in France called
GB Collection.
The coin does not even have a trace of the final reverse
letter, so I don't think it is the result of a clogged die. |
|
|
LIBERTAS PVBLIC Libertas stg. l., holding pileus and
transverse sceptre. |
71 |
IMP CC VIB TREB GALLVS
AVG Bust radiate, draped,
cuirassed r. |
|
|
|
PAX AETERNA Pax stg. l., holding branch and transverse
sceptre |
72 |
IMP CC VIB TREB GALLVS
AVG Bust radiate, draped,
cuirassed r. |
|
|
|
PIETAS AVGG Pietas, stg. l., raising both hands, altar left. |
75 |
IMP CC VIB TREB GALLVS
AVG Bust radiate, draped,
cuirassed r. |
Reverse proper to Volusian |
|
|
FELICITAS PVBL Felicitas stg. l., holding long caduceus and
cornucpiae |
76 |
IMP CC VIB TREB GALLVS
AVG Bust radiate, draped,
cuirassed r. |
Reverse proper to Volusian. Here's a bit of trivia:
whenever you see an antoninianus of Gallus with a super-long nose as is
on this coin, it will invariably be a branch mint coin (and it is not
limited to just a few dies!). We can firmly establish then that
these branch mint coins were struck after Gallus lied about how Hostilian
died :) |
|
|
VIRTVS AVGG Virtus stg. r.,
holding spear and leaning on shield |
Special Issue Hybrids
35 |
IMP CAE C VIB TREB GALLVS
AVG Bust radiate, draped,
cuirassed r. |
(Rome obverse / Branch reverse) RIC
incorrectly lists this as a Rome mint coin. |
|
|
IVNO MARTIALIS Juno std. l., holding corn ears (?) and
sceptre |
50 |
IMP CAE C VIB TREB GALLVS
AVG Bust radiate, draped,
cuirassed r. |
(Rome obverse / Branch reverse)
RIC notes that this coin has a Rome mint obverse and a
'Milan" mint reverse. The fact that many of these mules exist is
the basis of Besly and Bland's conclusion that these coins do not come
from Milan, but from Rome. |
|
|
LIBERTAS PVBLICA Libertas stg. l., holding pileus and
transverse sceptre. |
unlisted |
IMP CAE C VIB TREB GALLVS
AVG Bust radiate, draped,
cuirassed r. |
(Rome obverse / Branch reverse)
Based on data in "The Cunetio Treasure", mules with the
Rome obverse are about six times more common that those with the special
issue obverse and normal Rome reverse. |
|
|
PAX AETERNA Pax stg. l., holding branch and transverse
sceptre |
59 |
IMP CAE C VIB TREB GALLVS
AVG Bust radiate, draped,
cuirassed r. |
(Rome obverse / Volusian special issue reverse) |
|
|
FELICITAS PVBL Felicitas stg. l., holding long caduceus and
cornucpiae |
unlisted |
IMP CAE C VIB TREB GALLVS
AVG Bust radiate, draped,
cuirassed r. |
(Rome obverse / Special issue reverse) |
|
|
PIETAS AVGG SC Pietas, stg. l., raising both
hands, altar left |
unlisted |
IMP CAE C VIB TREB GALLVS
AVG Bust radiate, draped,
cuirassed r. |
(Rome obverse / Volusian special issue reverse) |
|
|
VIRTVS AVGG Virtus stg. r.,
holding spear and leaning on shield |