A coin that perhaps only a niche collector could love, a barbarous radiate, and potential collection expansion...

[EtTu]

I'm pretty sure my heart skipped several beats when this coin popped up on eBay from Romae Aeternae. It's far from the prettiest coin, but I'm to the point where I only need a few types from the Gallienus Zoo collection to have every type represented and this is one I just didn't think I'd ever find! I was prepared for some heavy opposition on this coin due to the rarity, but I faced very little and admittedly did a little dance in my computer chair when the auction ended in my victory! 

Gallienus, Rome 267-268AD

23mm, 2.91g

GALLIENVS AVG, Radiate head right

APOLLINI CONS AVG, Centaur rearing right while drawing bow and arrow; Z in exergue

Ref- Wolkow 3a7

As I have very few types left in my Gallienus Zoo collection, I've been thinking of expanding into new territories. I'll still continue to collect exceptional or unusual coins though. One of my recent acquisitions, although not too far out of my of current realm, is this barbarous radiate of Gallienus. I've added a few barbarous coins, but will continue to look for more. 

As for more of an expansion, I've been thinking of collecting portrait Radiates and/or coins of Probus. 

[Qcumbor]

Wow, great acquisition with this 3a7 Wolkow type only a connoisseur could recognize from the plebs....

Congrats

Q

[Valentinian]

 

23 hours ago, EtTu said:

APOLLINI CONS AVG, Centaur rearing right while drawing bow and arrow; Z in exergue

 

I,  the too, like Gallienus zoo series. Here is mine of that type:

 

19 mm. 3.61 grams.
RIC 163. Sear III 10177.

There is a webpage by Jim Phelps:
https://www.forumancientcoins.com/numiswiki/view.asp?key=Gallienus Zoo
about zoo types with relative numbers in the huge Cunetio hoard. 
 

[EtTu]

On 11/11/2022 at 12:16 AM, Valentinian said:

 

I,  the too, like Gallienus zoo series. Here is mine of that type:

 

19 mm. 3.61 grams.
RIC 163. Sear III 10177.

There is a webpage by Jim Phelps:
https://www.forumancientcoins.com/numiswiki/view.asp?key=Gallienus Zoo
about zoo types with relative numbers in the huge Cunetio hoard. 
 

That's a very nice centaur and a beautiful bust of Gallienus. I find that on a lot of his coins you have either a nice bust or a nice reverse, but rarely both. 

Yours is actually a different type than mine. There are 3 Apollini centaur types. Mine is 3a7 and yours is 2a7. @DonnaML has a really good post that includes an entire list of all the types here:

 

[hotwheelsearl]

I don't know enough about the varieties to know whats good, but these two cost me $12 each.

[hotwheelsearl]

I had a rather terrible centaur with bow that I ended up selling for like $7.

[EtTu]

14 hours ago, hotwheelsearl said:

I don't know enough about the varieties to know whats good, but these two cost me $12 each.

For $12 those are pretty decent. I like the pegasus style where the wings are dotted instead of solid lines. The centaur you sold for ~$7 actually looks like a barbarous imitation.