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In the most recently published comprehensive survey of the coinage of the Valerianic dynasty (AD 253-268), the late Professor Robert Gobi attributed just two unique bronze medallions to the mint of Viminacium, on the River Danube in modern Serbia. In the case of MIR 865 the clue to the first question may be found in the reverse legend and design, which are clearly related closely to the very common antoniniani struck for Valerian II at Rome, Viminacium and Cologne with reverse legend IOVI CRESCENTI. The design is the same, with the infant Jupiter shown riding on the back of the Amalthean goat, and is completely unparalleled in all the Roman imperial coinage.

Among the more frequently encountered coins issued during the joint reign of Valerian I and Gallienus (AD 253-260) are the antoniniani struck for Valerian II, elder son of Gallienus, with reverse IOVI CRESCENTI and the image of a boy seated side-saddle on the back of a goat, facing to the right. This reverse type is unparalleled in any other coin series, and its significance in terms of imperial propaganda has been touched on in various fairly old sources but, perhaps because of its very familiarity, it has received little attention in more recent studies of the iconography of the coinage of this period. The recent appearance in the trade of what appears to be the first recorded occurrence of the IOVI CRESCENTI reverse on a bronze coin has provided the impetus for this short study, focussing on the coin series as a whole and the derivation of the reverse type.

Holmes focuses on the development of imperial portraiture on the coinage of Gallienus (AD 253-268). Perhaps the chief element which distinguishes the coinage of the Roman emperors of the second half of the third century AD from that of their immediate predecessors is the wide variety of imperial portraits which were used, to a greater or lesser extent, by all of them. Gallienus pioneered the use of several styles of portrait never previously seen on coins of central imperial mints. Gallienus was to demonstrate by many of his actions that he did not feel bound by these accepted guidelines at all. The consequences of this disagreement may lie behind some of the numismatic innovations which he instituted.

Holmes focuses on some gold coins of Gallienus and Saloninus. Coins of the earliest years of the joint reign of Valerian I and Gallienus struck using reverse dies previously used for issues of Trebonianus Gallus, Volusian and Aemilian are not unknown, and late Professor Robert Gobi listed a number of billon and bronze types which fall into that category. He was not aware of any gold equivalents, however. Gold quinarii (half aurei), like the Saloninus Caesar quinarius aureus, are all extremely rare today. Such tiny gold coins can not have been intended to serve as circulating currency, and they presumably formed part of military donatives. This particular type has not been recorded in modern times.