Salonina Roman AE (AD 253–268) NGC

Own a certified Roman bronze AE of Julia Cornelia Salonina (AD 253–268), authenticated and slabbed by NGC. This coin honors the empress who stood beside Gallienus during one of the most chaotic eras in Roman history — the Crisis of the Third Century.

Salonina was the wife of Emperor Gallienus and the mother of three imperial princes: Valerian II, Saloninus, and Marinianus. She served as Augusta during a time marked by political instability, foreign invasions, and repeated power struggles. Her husband, Gallienus, initially ruled jointly with his father, Emperor Valerian. But in 260 AD, Valerian was taken prisoner by the Persian king Shapur I — the only Roman emperor ever captured alive — leaving Gallienus to govern a fractured empire alone.

Salonina’s middle son, Saloninus, briefly held the title of Caesar in Gaul. However, during the same year as his grandfather's capture, the young prince was executed by rival forces in the rebellion that led to the breakaway Gallic Empire under Postumus.

Throughout these crises, Salonina remained at the imperial court, a symbol of dynastic continuity and imperial dignity. She is remembered as a cultivated and composed figure during a time of imperial fragmentation and personal tragedy.

Bronze AE coins of Salonina typically depict her diademed and draped bust on the obverse, with reverses invoking ideals of peace (Pax), harmony (Concordia), and the endurance of Roman imperial power.

Certified by NGC, this AE coin offers collectors a rare connection to the empress who witnessed — and endured — Rome’s darkest century.