Gallienus, 253-268. Antoninianus (Bronze, 21 mm, 4.26 g, 6 h), Siscia, 264-265. GALLIENVS AVG Radiate and cuirassed bust of Gallienus to right. Rev. SISCIA AVG Siscia seated left, holding fold of drapery with her right hand and raising her left; below, river god Savus swimming right, holding urn from which water flows. Alföldi, Siscia, 96 and pl. I, 11-12 (same dies). Cohen -. MIR -, cf. 1416ff (river-god swimming left). RIC 582. An extremely rare variety of a very rare issue, sharply struck and with excellent reverse details. Very minor roughness and with light deposits, otherwise, nearly extremely fine.


The city of Siscia was situated on the confluence of the Savus (Sava) and the Colapis (Kupa) in modern-day Croatia, a strategically important location, as it was here that the Sava became navigable and thus served as a quick and reliable transport route between the important military infrastructure of Northern Italy and the Danube frontier. The appearance of a river god on this very rare issue of Gallienus can thus be easily explained, but it is still exceptional, as such local motives are only very rarely encountered on Roman imperial coins. More than a decade later, under Probus, Siscia would even appear with two river gods on the reverse, symbolizing both the Savus and the Colapis rivers.