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Julia Cornelia Salonina was proclaimed Augusta around 254 AD after her husband, Gallienus, took the throne. The time, place, and circumstances of her birth and death are not known for certain. A few details about her life can be gleaning from coinage struck between her ascension and Gallienus’ murder in 268 AD.
Even so, Salonina's coinage can't tell us much about her as a person. On this particular example, a double denarius struck around 255-257 AD in Rome, she doesn't appear very cheerful. The obverse is otherwise typical for an Empress of the period. Her bust sits atop a crescent, representing the moon, and complements the sun crown worn by her husband on his coins (see Gallienus’ double denarius in this NGC Ancients Set for an example).
The verso depicts Venus, the Roman adaptation of Aphrodite, the goddess full of persuasive female charm. Venus represented a plethora of related concepts: love, sex, beauty, enticement, and seduction, to name a few. Venus could bring prosperity, good fortune, sexual prowess, and even military victory. The latter guise is Venus Victrix, as depicted on this coin. Venus stands, a shield at her feet, holding a scepter in one hand and a helmet in the other. On other coins, Venus Victrix bears non-military accouterments, such as an apple and an olive branch. Like most Roman gods, the sultry Venus was multi-faceted, and here she simultaneously represents the beauty and status of the Augusta and her support and harmony with the military.
Common with many ancient Roman coins touting harmony with the military, the imagery proved ironic. During the siege of Mediolanum, wherein Gallienus desperately strove for the Empire’s preservation, he was murdered by some of his own men. Salonina’s reign as Augusta came to an end, and her fate afterwards remains uncertain.
Coin Details: ROMAN EMPIRE, Salonina, AD 254-268, AR Antoninianus (22mm, 3.49 g, 6h), Rome mint, 2nd-4th emission of Valerian I and Gallienus, AD 255-257, NGC Grade: MS*, Surface: 5/5, Strike: 5/5, Obverse: Draped bust right, wearing stephane, set on crescent, SALONINA AVG, Reverse: Venus standing left, holding helmet and scepter; shield at side, VENVS VICTRIX, References: RIC V 37 corr. (Venus described as seated); MIR 36; RSC 129.