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Æ26 - Valerian and Gallienus ϹΑΜΙΩΝ
| Issuer | Samos (Conventus of Miletus) |
|---|---|
| Year | 253-260 |
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| Shape | Round (irregular) |
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|---|---|
| Obverse script | Greek |
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| Reverse description | Tyche of Samos standing left, her figure rendered in the local Ionian artistic tradition, wearing a kalathos (basket crown) on her head as an emblem of civic prosperity. In her right hand she holds a small cult statue of Samian Hera, the chief deity of the island, and in her left arm she cradles a cornucopia symbolising abundance. The ethnic legend ϹΑΜΙΩΝ appears in the field, identifying the issuing civic authority. |
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| Additional information |
Samos issued coins under both Valerian I and his son Gallienus during the co-regency that began in 253, a pairing the mint celebrated on a number of bronze types showing both emperors together. The island's civic coinage had long operated under the Conventus of Miletus, the Roman judicial district that grouped together the cities of the eastern Aegean for administrative purposes. This arrangement gave Samos — historically one of the more prestigious mints in the region — continued license to strike bronze for local circulation well into the third century.
The co-regency ended abruptly when Valerian was captured by the Sasanian king Shapur I at the Battle of Edessa in 260, the only time a sitting Roman emperor was taken prisoner by a foreign enemy.