This follis uses the name "Constantino" on the obverse, as in "IMP C FL VAL CONSTANTINO AVG" presumably as an acclamation, with the reverse "JOVI CONSERVATORI", Jove standing left, holding globe and scepter. Curious as to if any of you are knowledgeable about this type. It came out of a hoard of LRB I purchased last year. Please feel free to share your Constantine coins in this thread. Thanks!
Sweet OP coin with that CONSTANTINO legend. Never seen that before. And nice IOVI reverse. It really is a very special coin. I have the Sol version from London, which is not that uncommon but not overly abundant either. But I do have a very rare Constantine according to RIC. Less than 15 known to exist of this type from London. Of course, RIC is wrong. I know of one other person who has one of these from London, plus between auctions, Vcoins, eBay, and other sites, I know of at least 18 others known to exist, for a total of 20. Which probably means there are at least 120+ when you count those in museums, being held for decades in personal collections out there, dealers hands (that haven't been listed), etc. *Not to mention the thousands of coins of the same design from other imperial mints (if you care more about the design than the mint mark itself). You have to take some of those claims of "Extreme Rarity" with a pinch of salt for some of these Late Roman Bronzes.
RIC is not wrong, it is just a snapshot of what was seen when it was written. Even then, it did not make claims that all existing examples had been seen, it was only a survey of museum holdings, hoards, large collections etc. The RIC rarity system, however, is useful as far as relative rarity. If something is rated as rare in RIC, it is generally true, even today, that it is more rare than something rated as common.
a example Constantine I, follis, Heraclea, 3rd dispensary, c.312 A / IMP C FL VAL CONSTANTINO P F INV AVG Head laureated right R / IOVI CONS - ERVATORI // (crown) / HT (gamma) Jupiter standing on the left holding a scepter and a victoriola SUP, RR Billon, 23.2 mm, 3.98 g, 6 h RIC.67 (unpublished pharmacy) The gamma pharmacy is missing from the RIC, and a copy of the delta pharmacy is also noted (not reported) either in a Mail Bid Sale CNG 81 n ° 1137. Very interesting legend of law (IMP C FL VAL CONSTANTINO PF INV AVG) And a rare follis, superb with its rest of silver
Interesting OP coin. As far as I know, this obverse inscription is known only from the Heraclea mint while it was under the control of Maximian. There are also coins of Maximian where the legend reads Maximiano rather than Maximianus. Surprisingly, these obverse inscriptions are contemporaneous with similar inscriptions that have the -VS (nominative) rather than -O (dative) endings. Both varieties end with "P F INV AVG--the "INV," for "Invictus," being somewhat unusual. Greek was probably much more widely spoken than Latin in Heraclea at that time, so it's possible that the -O inscriptions were cut by someone who just didn't know Latin very well. This would suggest that there was more than one person adding the lettering to the dies. Below is a coin from my collection, minted in Thessalonica about 5 years after yours, with the nominative form of Constantine. It lacks the "IMP C FL VAL" at the beginning, but like yours, it has "P F INV AVG" at the end. My apologies for the rough condition. Thessalonica mint, A.D. 316-317 RIC 4 Obv: IMP CONSTANTINVS P F INV AVG Rev: IOVI CONS-ERVATORI - Jupiter leaning on scepter, holding Victory on globe; eagle with wreath at feet [dot]TS[dot]Γ [dot] in exergue 20 x 22 mm, 3.2 g.
Here's my Constantine, a medallion weighing 6 siliquae, part of a group of coins and medallic issues that were produced to commemorate the official dedication of Constantinople in 330 AD:
Thanks for all the replies. So I guess I can infer that it is a rare type (which I suspected) which might command a premium price, though I have no immediate plans to sell it. It sure made buying the entire hoard (250 coins) worthwhile, I guess.
In the case of LRBs, unless it's a really hard to find ruler condition is paramount price-wise. So while it is an interesting -- although not very rare legend -- the chip missing and the overall condition does not help if you try to sell it.
I really LIKE the chip! And Rare? BONUS! Really cool Constantine @ancient coin hunter ! Wakka-Wakka!!! My ONLY Constantine... RI Constantine I Folles 306-337 CE Captives VOTA Banner
In case you would like to know more about your medallion, you will find comprehensive information in a paper I published in 2012. It deals with the then 18 known examples, yours in the 19th. The reference is: Lars Ramskold and Noel Lenski, 2012: Constantinople’s Dedication Medallions and the Maintenance of Civic Traditions. Numismatische Zeitschrift, Vol. 119, pp. 31-58. If you can't get the journal, I will be happy to send you a pdf. Or you can download it on Academia.edu or ResearchGate. Congratulations to a fine medallion. Lars Ramskold
Thank you for the great article and research - I've downloaded a copy now and will be reading it in detail later today. Much appreciated!
