GALLIENVS VV (N retrograde), radiate and draped bust right / VNV..,, Sol advancing left, carrying whip. 16mm, 1.97 grams.

Rare imitation of Gallienus. Most imitations were struck in the names of Tetricus I, Tetricus II and (to the lesser extent) Victorinus. This imitation is in the name of Gallienus - these are generally quite rare.

Ancient barbarous radiates seem to have been produced between the reigns of Claudius II and ca.274 AD, when Aurelian banned the circulation of these small imitative bronzes throughout the Empire. It is likely that at least some of the barbarous radiates were produced after 274 AD all the way into the early 280's. The value of the barbarous imitations was almost certainly not equal to their official counterparts - they probably saw only local limited circulation, and fulfilled the role of token coinage in times of an acute coin shortage.