The coins that I have had the greatest difficulty finding during the past forty or so years are the LON mint marked unreduced folles listed in RIC Volume VI, Londinium, Group I, (i), struck in the names of Diocletian, Maximianus, Constantius and Galerius. I have encountered just a very few offered for sale during that time -- mostly in not very good condition and at very exorbitant prices. If you have any coins in this series please post pics here. RIC volume VI, Londinium, Follis. No. 1 a -- Diocletian 10.2gm., 28mm nominal diameter RIC Volume VI, Fig 1 a
Does PLON count? I also have a couple MLN, but I don't have any just LON. BTW, that's a nice looking Diocletian. CONSTANTINE II AE Follis OBVERSE: CONSTANTI-NVS IVN N C, radiate, draped & cuirassed bust left REVERSE: VIRTVS EXERCIT, standard inscribed VOT/XX, captive seated on either side, PLON in ex. Struck at London 317-337 AD 2.7g, 18mm RIC VII 190 CONSTANTINE II AE Follis OBVERSE: CONSTANTI-NVS IVN NC, laureate, draped and cuirassed bust left REVERSE: BEATA TRAN-QVILLITAS, globe on altar inscribed VOT / IS / XX, three stars above, PLON in ex. Struck at London 323-324 AD 2.5g, 19mm RIC VII 284
Thanks Bing. PLN and PLON marked reduced folles are mostly quite common and readily available -- the M series marked London mint reduced folles somewhat less so. It is the LON mint marked unreduced folles (c. 297) that are rare -- the first coins produced at the re-opened London mint by Constantius. Only a small quantity were produced before the unmarked folles (that is without mint marks) were introduced to prevail until the PLN marked reduced folles were introduced in the summer of 307.
Added: The initial unreduced London mint (c. 297) folles had a weight range of 11gm.--9.5gm. with flan sizes that allowed for the genius reverse GENIO POPVLI ROMANI peripheral inscription. The first coin reduction to 8.5gm--6gm was c. late 306 -- initially a small unmarked issue followed by PLN mint marked coins -- the smaller flan sizes resulted in the genius reverse peripheral inscription being fore-shortened to GENIO POP ROM.
None of the LON's, very hard to come by. I did some time ago have a number of the unmarked laureate bust issues.
This is the condition I often find LON mint marked coins in (Maximianus, 9.8gm., 27mm nominal diameter).
Thanks for posting those (very nice) coin pics tbc. They are my specialty, including the "Invasion coinage" produced at the Constantius (uncertain) Gaul mint manned by Lugdunum mint workers.
Well, then here is a MLN CONSTANTINE I AE2 Follis OBVERSE: Constantine I AE3. 315-316 AD. IMP CONSTANTINVS AVG, laureate, cuirassed bust right REVERSE: SOLI INVICTO COMITI, Sol, radiate, standing left, chlamys across left shoulder, holding globe, right hand raised, S-F across fields, MLN in ex. Struck at London 315-16 AD 3.1g, 20mm RIC VII 43
BTW, It has been many years since I bought a LON marked follis (I can't find any to buy). The last about very good condition one cost me around $500 (I cannot remember the exact amount). I think VF/EF specimens have been selling in the $1000 to $2000 price range in the past few years, but I haven't been keeping up with auction prices.
