Colonial Acres Coins
SKU: SKU:Jun.DOD-N214
Ancient Rome 253-260 AD Valerian I w/ Victory Reverse Silver Antoninianus in Slab (DOD)
Ancient Rome 253-260 AD Valerian I w/ Victory Reverse Silver Antoninianus in Slab (DOD)
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Ancient Rome 253-260 AD Valerian I with Victory Reverse Silver Antoninianus in Slab
Rising out of the absolute chaos of the third century (his predecessor lasted two months), Valerian inherited a Rome that was falling apart. He was an older man, probably in his middle 50s at the start of his reign, and he was immediately faced with war on seemingly every front. The biggest problem was in the east: Shapur I, King of Kings of the Sasanian Empire, was occupying Armenia and had plundered Antioch. With little choice but to face him, Valerian gathered his army and went to war.
The Roman and Persian armies met at the Battle of Edessa, and Valerian lost. He lost badly. He lost so badly, in fact, that he has the distinction of being the first Roman emperor taken prisoner in battle. Valerian then disappears into history, his ultimate fate a mystery. There are two diverging and wildly different ends to the story: either Valerian aided in Sasanian construction projects and was released with the rest of the captive Roman army to retire comfortably in the Iranian countryside, or he was force-fed molten gold, flayed, taxidermied, and displayed in the Sasanian court like a fleshy, Roman scarecrow. Feel free to pick your favourite, because there's really no way to know.
This silver antoninianus features, ironically, the goddess Victoria (Victory) on the reverse. It is a relic from a chaotic period in Roman history, and a token of a fascinating first in the long, slow decline of the empire.
Rising out of the absolute chaos of the third century (his predecessor lasted two months), Valerian inherited a Rome that was falling apart. He was an older man, probably in his middle 50s at the start of his reign, and he was immediately faced with war on seemingly every front. The biggest problem was in the east: Shapur I, King of Kings of the Sasanian Empire, was occupying Armenia and had plundered Antioch. With little choice but to face him, Valerian gathered his army and went to war.
The Roman and Persian armies met at the Battle of Edessa, and Valerian lost. He lost badly. He lost so badly, in fact, that he has the distinction of being the first Roman emperor taken prisoner in battle. Valerian then disappears into history, his ultimate fate a mystery. There are two diverging and wildly different ends to the story: either Valerian aided in Sasanian construction projects and was released with the rest of the captive Roman army to retire comfortably in the Iranian countryside, or he was force-fed molten gold, flayed, taxidermied, and displayed in the Sasanian court like a fleshy, Roman scarecrow. Feel free to pick your favourite, because there's really no way to know.
This silver antoninianus features, ironically, the goddess Victoria (Victory) on the reverse. It is a relic from a chaotic period in Roman history, and a token of a fascinating first in the long, slow decline of the empire.
