Gallienus, 253-268. Medallion (Bronze, 31 mm, 21.09 g, 12 h), Rome, 261-262. IMP GALLIENVS P F AVG Laureate head of Gallienus to right. Rev. MONETA AVG The three Monetae standing front, their heads to left, each holding cornucopiae in her left hand and a scale over a pile of coins in her right; the Monetae on the left and right both holding balance scales with a short handle (for weighing silver and aes); the central Moneta holding a small balance scale with a very long handle (for weighing gold). Cohen 648. Gnecchi II, p. 107, 11. MIR 775Aa. Very rare. Slightly rough and with minor traces of cleaning and some spots of corrosion, otherwise, nearly very fine.



It was long believed that coins and medallions depicting the three Monetae were always issued in connection with monetary reforms. However, the motif appears too regularly for this interpretation to hold. Medallions such as this very rare piece of Gallienus more broadly proclaim the financial stability of the Roman trimetallic currency system. Given that Roman coinage served as a key vehicle for imperial propaganda, it is perhaps not surprising that the more unstable the currency became during the third century, the more frequently the Monetae appeared as a reverse type. This trend is reminiscent of the proliferation of military motifs under the so-called barracks emperors, who declared endless victories amid a time of ongoing military crisis.