Coin Roman Empire Gallienus - Antoninianus, Pax - 265 Mediolanum

Obverse: GALLIENVS AVG

Reverse: PA-X AVG / S

Struck in the 2nd Officina of Milan.

The reverse features the personification of Pax, Peace, depicted in motion, running to the left. She raises in her right hand an olive branch, the traditional symbol of peace and concord, while her left hand holds a transverse sceptre. The dynamic of the depiction, unusual for this allegorical deity generally shown static, gives this issue a particularly expressive character.

The reign of Gallienus (253?268) falls within the period known as the Crisis of the Third Century, marked by intense military pressure on all frontiers of the Empire. In 260, the capture of his father Valerian by the Sasanians left Gallienus as sole ruler of a fragmented Empire: in the west, the Gallic Empire had been established under Postumus, while in the east, Palmyra was extending its influence. Internally, usurpations multiplied. The mint of Milan, which became under Gallienus a strategic monetary centre due to its proximity to the Rhine and Danube frontiers, produced at this time numerous series with strong ideological connotations. The issue of Pax-type coinage in this troubled context represents a deliberate propagandistic assertion: proclaiming restored peace even as the Empire was experiencing one of the most unstable phases in its history.