Vabalathus Antoninianus

Lucius Julius Aurelius Septimius Vabalathus Athenodorus, son of Queen Zenobia of Palmyra, styled himself as King of the "Pamyrene Empire" as well as a claimant to equality with the Roman emperor Aurelian. Intially, Aurelian did not contest Vabalathus' pretensions, but being the very capable military commander he was, he understood clearly that Zenobia's and Vabalathus' independence and control of Egyptian grain supplies jeopardized his commerce with and governance over the eastern Roman provinces. Thus once he wasn't being pressed with one or another of the various usurpers or barbarian hordes with which he was more or less constantly plagued during his reign, Aurelian crushed Palmyra and took captive both Vabalathus and his mother, eventually trumphantly marching them through the streets of Rome.





I wish this specimen was in better shape, but it's interesting nonetheless as an atypical "two portrait" coin. On the obverse (or reverse, I suppose, depending upon your point of view) is Aurelian (radiate), while on the other side is Vabalathus. I have it as RIC 381 (Sear 11718), struck at Antioch. Does anybody want to take a stab at the letter designating the officina?