442, Lot: 531. Estimate $100. Sold for $110. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

Lot of three (3) coins. 531a Valerian I. AD 253-260. Antoninianus (22mm, 2.45 g, 11h). Contemporary forgery. IMP C P LIC VALERIANVS P F AVG, radiate, draped, and cuirassed bust right / APOLLO SALVTARIS, Apollo standing left, holding laurel branch and lyre. Cf. MIR 36, 91c, RIC V 76, with legend APOLL SALVTARI. Fine, pitting and porosity.

Bought from Tyll Kroha, Kölner Münzkabinett, 1981.

The style of the portrait is somewhat unusual, and the coin is of light weight and very base metal, suggesting that it is not an official striking, although the dies are of reasonably skilful workmanship. The unabbreviated version of this reverse legend is not known at this period or during previous reigns.

531b Valerian I. AD 253-260. Antoninianus (21mm, 2.93 g, 5h). Contemporary cast and plated forgery. VALERIANVS · P · F · AVG, radiate, draped, and cuirassed bust right / VICTORIA AVGG, Victory standing left, holding wreath and palm. Fine, some silver content, pitting deposits and porosity.

Bought from Baldwin's, 1988.

This coin is a cast base metal forgery with a thin silver wash, part of which has been lost through surface corrosion. The obverse mould has been made from a coin of Cologne, but the reverse is from a coin of Rome.

531c Valerian I. AD 253-260. Antoninianus (21mm, 3.00 g, 12h). Contemporary struck forgery. IΛΛVIPVALEPIANVSϽAVG, radiate and cuirassed bust right / SALVS AVGG, Salus standing right, feeding snake held in her right hand. As MIR 36, 825c, RIC V 253, of Viminacium. VF, some silver content.

Bought from CGB, Paris, 2012. Ex CGB Rome 32 (2012), no. 283573.

An unusual counterfeit of a Viminacium mint antoninianus.

. .