Gallienus AD 253-268 Billon Antoninianus

Gallienus 253-268AD Billon Antoninianus 2 captives under trophy

RCV 10225, 20x22mm, 3.59g

Gallienus was the son of Valerian and Mariniana and was born around AD 218. He was in his mid thirties by the time he was elevated to co emperor along with his father, Valerian.
Given responsibility to the Rhine and the northern frontier he enjoyed some success against the Franks and Alamanni. AD 260 proved to be a catastrophic year for the empire. Not only was Valerian captured and humiliated in the east in the west the usurper Postumus besieged Cologne and upon its capture put Gallienus’ younger son Salonius to death. Postumus then founded an independent Gallic empire which was to remain autonomous for 14 years.
After AD 260 Gallienus was sole emperor however he was not to see the empire reunited although he tried to hold the empire together. In AD 268 after putting down a rebellion in Greece Gallienus returned to Italy where he was faced with another rebellion. During the siege of Milan Gallienus was assassinated by his own troops.
Gallienus was a cultured man and oversaw a number of reforms of the military which included the exclusion of senators from military command. He also ended persecution of the Christians. His coinage however continued its decline in quality and minting of the sestertius, dupondius and as ceased. Milan also became a major mint due to Gallienus using the city as the main base for his army.