281, Lot: 414. Estimate $150. Sold for $170. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

Gallienus. AD 253-268. Æ (21mm, 8.92 g, 12h). Uncertain mint (Rome?). Struck AD 260-268. GALLIENVS AVG, laureate head right / [....]AVG, female figure (Pax? Providentia? Fortuna? Aequitas?) standing left, holding uncertain object and cornucopia; uncertain letter to right. RIC -; MIR 36, -. Fine, dark green patina, scratch across portrait, large metal flaw.

The weight and fabric of this coin is that of an as, but the radiate head clearly marks it as a double. The letter in the right reverse field could be a “C” for “S C” (the left side of the reveres lacking virtually all detail), but could just as equally be an other letter or numeral (officina). Perhaps we are not dealing with a middle bronze denomination but rather some form of trial strike for an antoninianus.