Constantine I A.D. 312- 313 21mm 4.7g IMP C CONSTANTINVS P F AVG; laureate and cuirassed bust right. HERCVLI VICTORI; Hercules standing right, leaning on club and holding Victory on globe and lion’s skin. In ex. R S RIC VI Rome 299 Here's a recent acquisition. This rarer reverse type was issued after the defeat of Maxentius. During this period, the mint of Rome struck coins for Maximinus and Licinius I also, but a few types, including this one, were struck only for Constantine I. It is also an unlisted workshop (RIC VI only lists P and Q) and is ex- Dattari. The use of the Hercules reverse is perhaps a reference to the Tetrarchic system in which rulers belonged to either the family of Jupiter or Hercules; though there were HERCVLI VICTORI reverses issued from the East for all three rulers. On a side note-- there is also a herculean allusion from Praxagoras of Athens via the review of Photius in which Constantine was forced by Galerius to fight a lion. http://www.constantinethegreatcoins.com/Constantine/Photius.html CNG’s Dattari bio “Giovanni Dattari, an Italian businessman born in the mid-1850s, moved to Cairo, Egypt 30 years later and became fascinated with the Roman provincial coinage of Alexandria. His vast and comprehensive collection of Roman Egyptian coinage was first published in 1901 and still serves a primary reference for the series. Dattari also collected other coin types as well, including nearly 20,000 Roman Imperial coins of Alexandria and other mints, with the same eye for quality and variety that he devoted to the provincial coinage, although he did not employ the same intensive cataloguing and record keeping. His collections were dispersed in large group lots in the early 1900s, several of which remained intact until they were acquired by two European dealers in recent years and were sold in a series of auctions.” post em if you got em-- ex- dattari Constantine coins and HERCVLI VICTORI from the tetrarchy period.
Nice catch! Interesting story, too, about Constantine, Galerius and the lion. I hadn't come across that one before. I have one ex Dattari Constantine I, but from one of the earlier Jesús Vico sales. CONSTANTINE I AE3. 3.4g, 21.3mm. Constantinople, AD 327-328. RIC VII Constantinople 22 (R3). O: CONSTANTI-NVS MAX AVG, rosette-diademed head right. R: GLORIA EXERCITVS, soldier standing left, looking right, holding spear and resting hand on shield; Γ in left field, CONS in exergue. Ex Giovanni Dattari Collection (1853-1923) And a HERCVLI VICTORI... MAXIMIANUS AE Follis. 10.5g, 26.7mm. Alexandria mint, 1st officina, AD 304-305. RIC VI 38. O: IMP C M A MAXIMIANVS PF AVG, laureate head right. R: HERCVLI VICTORI, Hercules standing slightly right, head left, holding club and apples, with lion skin draped over arm; S in left field, P over A in right field, ALE in exergue.
Three coins of Constantine I, two of which I have already shown: 1) This is a recent acquisition - ex-Dattari: Thessalonica mint, A.D. 308-310 RIC 39b Obv: CONSTANTINVS•FIL•AVGG Rev: VIRTVTI E-XERCITVS - Virtus, advancing right in military dress, holding transverse spear in right hand and trophy over left shoulder. •SM•TS• in exergue; ✳ in left field, Δ in right 26 mm, 7.2 g. The next two are post tetrachy, but close: 2) I think I may have gotten this one from you, Victor: Ticinum mint, A.D. 307-308 RIC 99 Obv: CONSTANTINVS P F AGV[sic] Rev: VIRTVS PER-PETVA AVG - Hercules, strangling Nemean lion; club behind left leg ST in exergue 26 mm, 7.1 g. 3) This is one of my favorites: Cyzicus mint, A.D. 311-312 RIC 89b (var.: unlisted officina) Obv: IMP C FL VAL CONSTANTINVS P F AVG Rev: HERCVLI VICTORI - Hercules, leaning on club covered by lion skin MKV in exergue; Γ in left field 21 mm, 4.2 g.
Super find, @Victor_Clark ! Great looking coin. Regretfully, I completely strike out on your coin post request!
