IMP VALERIANVS AVG, radiate draped and cuirassed bust right /  FELICITAS AVGG, Felicitas standing left, holding long caduceus and cornucopiae. 22mm, 3.86 grams. Antioch mint. RIC 282; RSC 58; Sear 9936. 

Valerian I (Publius Licinius Valerianus) was Roman emperor from 253 to 260 AD, ruling during the Crisis of the Third Century, a time of political instability, economic decline, and external threats. Initially a respected senator and military commander, he was proclaimed emperor by his troops and confirmed by the Senate. His reign was marked by efforts to repel Germanic incursions in the West and the rising power of the Sassanian Persians in the East. In 260, while campaigning against Shapur I of Persia, Valerian was captured in battle - the only Roman emperor ever taken prisoner by a foreign power - and spent the remainder of his life in captivity, reportedly subjected to humiliation. His capture was a severe blow to Roman prestige and symbolized the empire’s deepening crisis.