Ave!

Gallienus, Eternal Victory reverse!

Æ Antoninianus; 21mm/3.1gm     Mint of Rome; struck ca. 268 AD

Con/ Chipped edges, otherwise, Very Fine. Well-centered and crisply struck in high relief.

Obv/ GALLIENVS AVG; Radiate but right.

Rev/ VICTORIA AET (eternal victory); Victory standing left, raising wreath in right hand, palm frond in left hand, Z in left field.

Ref/ RIC 297 (Gallienus)

Seller's Note/ The reverse legend abbreviates victoria aeterna - Victory forever. In 267, the Goths sacked several cities in southern Greece including Athens, Corinth, Argos and Sparta. An Athenian militia force of 2,000 men under the historian Dexippus, pushed the invaders to the north where they were intercepted and defeated by the Roman army under Gallienus. Gallienus had improved the mobility of the army and was able to meet and defeat the enemy, but only after horrific losses.