LYDIA. Bagis. Gallienus, 253-268. 'Medallion' (Lead, 39 mm, 34.76 g, 4 h), Homonoia with Temenothyrae. AY KA ΠO ΛIK ΓAΛΛIHNOC Laureate and cuirassed bust of Gallienus to right. Rev. KAICAPЄΩN BAΓHNΩN THMЄNOΘYPЄΩN / OMONOIA (but tooled and blundered in antiquity) Mên, on the left, standing right, wearing Phrygian cap and with crescent on his shoulders, holding scepter in his right hand and pine cone in his left, facing Tyche, on the right, standing front, head to left, holding rudder in her right hand and cornucopiae in her left. Cf. BMC 54-56 and SNG von Aulock 2918 (for prototype from the same obverse die). A highly unusual and interesting piece. Minor scratches, otherwise, very fine.

This is certainly one of the most curious items this cataloguer has ever handled. It was cast in lead from a medallion of Gallienus from Bagis and has all the signs of being authentic, but for some inexplicable reason, the fabricator tooled the mold for the reverse and completely blundered the legend in the process. The only reason this cataloguer can come up with for why this was done is that the impression in the mold was perhaps deemed not sharp enough, and thus the anepigraphic manufacturer 'improved' it himself. Of course, if this is true, it still does not explain why somebody produced a lead copy of such a coin in the first place!