The ‘Animal’ Series at Rome

442, Lot: 247. Estimate $150. Sold for $425. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

Gallienus. AD 253-268. Antoninianus (21mm, 2.97 g, 12h). Rome mint, 1st officina. 10th issue, AD 267-268. GALLIENUS AVG, radiate head right / HERCVLI CONS AVG, lion walking left; A in exergue. MIR 36, 709b; RIC V (sole reign) 201; Wolkow 15a1 (R3); Cunetio 1339. Good VF, green patina. Very rare.

Bought from Baldwin's, 1989.

Coins of the last issue at Rome – the so-called ‘animal series’ - are catalogued additionally according to Wolkow 2017. This publication provides a rarity guide based on the number of coins of each type found by the author in a total of 10,050 which he examined. This is as follows:

C+: more than 500; C: between 101 and 500; C-: between 61 and 100; R: between 31 and 60; R2: between 16 and 30; R3: between 6 and 15; R4: between 2 and 5; U: unique.