Ancient Roman Silver Coin of Emperor Gallienus (Defender of the Empire in a Time of Chaos)

Own a Silver Coin That Declared "Peace Established" While the Roman Empire Was Splitting Into Three

A real silver-washed bronze antoninianus of Gallienus — bearing the bold inscription PAX FVNDATA, "Peace Established," struck at the exact moment his father was rotting in Persian captivity, the west had broken away as the Gallic Empire, and the east was fragmenting under Palmyrene control. NGC certified, RIC 652.

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🏆 Reverse bears a military trophy flanked by captives with the inscription PAX FVNDATA — "Peace Established" — one of Roman coinage's most ironic propaganda claims given the reality of his reign
⚔️ From the emperor who governed alone after his father Valerian I was captured by Shapur I — the only Roman emperor ever taken prisoner by a foreign enemy
🤲 Weighing approximately 4.29 grams of debased silver-washed bronze — endurance declared in coin form during Rome's darkest hour. NGC certified.

Own This Piece of History

Why This Coin Matters

Gallienus governed Rome for fifteen years — the longest reign of the entire Crisis of the Third Century — and he did it under conditions that would have destroyed most emperors within months. In AD 260, the worst year of his reign, three catastrophes struck simultaneously. His father and co-emperor Valerian I was captured at Edessa and taken to Persia in chains — the first Roman emperor ever taken prisoner, displayed as a trophy by Shapur I. The western provinces broke away under Postumus, forming the independent Gallic Empire. The eastern territories drifted toward the autonomy that would become the Palmyrene Empire under Zenobia. Rome was splitting into three pieces in real time.

Into that catastrophe, Gallienus struck coins declaring PAX FVNDATA — Peace Established. The audacity of the claim is either propaganda of the most brazen kind or a genuine statement of intent — this emperor refusing to acknowledge that his empire was fragmenting around him, insisting in metal and inscription that stability existed because he declared it so. The military trophy flanked by captives on the reverse reinforced the message: Rome wins, Rome dominates, Rome endures.

And in a sense, it did — because Gallienus endured. He enacted crucial military reforms, removing senators from army commands and building a professional cavalry force that would prove decisive for his successors. He held the core of the empire together through fifteen years of Gothic invasions, internal usurpers, plague, and economic collapse. He was assassinated in AD 268 during the siege of Milan — betrayed by his own officers — but the empire he preserved was intact enough for Aurelian to reunite within a decade. This coin, weighing 4.29 grams, was struck during those fifteen years of extraordinary, embattled survival. Certified by NGC.

Perfect for:

• Collectors of Crisis of the Third Century, Gallienus era, and Roman silver-washed bronze antoniniani
• History lovers drawn to Gallienus, the fragmentation of Rome, and the PAX FVNDATA propaganda series
• RIC 652, trophy reverse, and NGC certified Crisis-era silver enthusiasts
• Anyone seeking a historically layered piece from the emperor who kept Rome alive through its most fragmented era

What You'll Receive

• One authentic silver-washed bronze antoninianus of Gallienus — RIC 652
• Denomination: Antoninianus (silver-washed bronze — debased currency of the era)
• Weight: approximately 4.29 grams
• NGC certified for authenticity and preservation
• Struck AD 253–268

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• Guaranteed authentic ancient coin
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• 30-day return policy
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