Just picked up this one. I do not even have a Licinius II coin at all so this one will fill the spot for now. Licinius II, as Caesar, BI Nummus. Rome, AD 320. LICINIVS IVN NOB C, laureate, draped and cuirassed bust to right. ROMAE AETERNAE, Roma seated to right, inscribing X V in two lines in shield; R ЄѠC P (partially ligate) in exergue. RIC VII 199. 3.23g, 19mm, 7h.
it's a nice coin to have for a Licinius example. here's my Constantine I example Constantine I A.D. 320 19mm 3.6gm CONSTANTINVS AVG; helmeted and cuirassed bust right. ROMAE AETERNAE; Roma std. r., shield in lap inscribed X/V [note that Victory holds a clear example of a stylus that she used to inscribe the shield] in ex. R ЄѠC P RIC VII Rome 194 and I just bought this VOT XX for Licinius I Licinius I A.D. 320- 321 18mm 3.0gm IMP LIC-INIVS AVG; laureate head right. D N LICINI AVGVSTI surrounding wreath enclosing VOT XX In ex. R EROS (in Greek) S RIC VII Rome 228 my page on the curious cryptogram http://www.constantinethegreatcoins.com/ROMAE/
My only other one with this kind of very different mint mark. Constantine II, AE follis of Rome. Obv: CONSTANTINVS IVN NOB C, laureate, draped, cuirassed bust right. Rev: VOT X-ET XV F R ЄѠC S in three lines within wreath. (Mintmark is the 3rd line) RIC VII Rome 206
i have Licinius l but no ll...i've been putting off delving into the 4th century this year..but always lQQking Licinius l, Jupiter(?)reverse, 308-324AD 22mm, 3.64gms
That's an interesting type, @bcuda. Mine is more pedestrian. Licinius II, Caesar, AD 317-324. Roman Æ follis, 3.36 g, 17.55 mm, 5 h. Antioch, AD 317-318. Obv: D N VAL LICIN LICINIVS NOB C, laureate bust, left, holding mappa in the right hand and globe and scepter in left. Rev: IOVI CONSERVATORI CAESS, Jupiter standing left, holding Victory on globe; resting on scepter; at left, captive. SMANT in exergue, H in field, right. Refs: RIC 29; RCV 15415. Did you know there is a band called Death of Licinius II?
Sensational portrait and new acquisition @bcuda If @Roman Collectors coin is pedestrian then mine is outright destitute! Licinius II 308-324 CE Ticinum Follis Æ LICINIVS IVN NOB CAES, radiate head right / DOMINORVM NOSTRORVM CAESS around VOT dot V in three lines within wreath. Mintmark ST. RIC 137 var. Here's papa dog (Licin) and my last coin purchased from a local coin show 3-4 years ago (really needs A reshoot as it has much more detail in hand): LICINIUS I 308-324 CE Follis. Heraclea. Obv: IMP C VAL LICIN LICINIVS P F AVG . Laureate head right. Rev: IOVI CONSERVATORI AVGG / Δ / SMHT. Jupiter standing facing, head left, holding sceptre and Victoriy set on globe; to feet left, eagle standing left with wreath in beak. RIC 6.
That's a pretty spectacular way to get started on Licinius II! Your Constantine II example is awesome too. Here's mine, with the Roma reverse:
@bcuda......Very nice!...Youthful portrait and a much more interesting reverse design than normally seen....Congrats.. @Ryro....I think your Lic I is Cyzicus RIC#4..? Here's my little mans example.. Licinius II (320 ad)Follis.Siscia 3.00gr 20mm dia. Obv.LICINIVS IVN NOB C.(Laureate head right) Rev.CAESARVM NOSTRORVM (Wreath inscribed VOT.V Mintmark (delta)SIS(star) RIC VII Siscia #162 (Rated scarce)
Very nice, @bcuda. I think Licinius II is the only one that @dougsmit is missing in this mintmark series? Your Constantine II is excellent as well. The mintmark is a little muddy-looking on mine... CONSTANTINE II AE3. 3.33g, 19.6mm. Rome mint, AD 320. RIC VII Rome 200 (R4). O: CONSTANTINVS IVN NOB C, laureate, draped and cuirassed bust right. R: ROMAE AETERNAE, Roma seated right on shield set on ground, inscribing with her right hand shield set on her knees with X/V in two lines; R ЄѠC T in exergue. Ex Peter Weiß Collection, Kiel, acquired between 1967 and 2015
Nice find, @bcuda ! LICINIUS II RI Licinius II 317-324 CE Folles Jupiter w Eagle sinister left Antioch ROMAE AETERNAE (my only) RI Clodius Albinus 193-197 CE AR Denarius ROMAE AETERNAE Roma seated
This a very interesting period in the coinage of Italy and the Eros-Amor (Roma) mintmark is tied to the quindecennalia of Constantine and his dynastic assertion with his sons having their own vota suscepta issues (and not just Constantine's XV soluta and XX suscepta). The irregular mintmark was in use until mid 321. Constantine Jr. with his vota quinquennalia in the first half of 321:
Why do you omit the P in ЄPѠC? Yes, I have no LII. I believe the rest were shown here except for Crispus: That is a wonderful coin!
Doug, as you know, it's a ligature and that is merely how I represent it for simplicity sake. If you look at my page I linked to, I break down the cyptogram. If you have a graphic for the ligature, I will use that. Is it okay if I have R EROS (in Greek) S...you didn't comment on that.
I guess logically it'd have to either be linearized as R ѠC P (where the Ѡ subsumes the ερι), or how about R ερις P for such an epic mintmark ?
I've posted this before, but it has been a while ;-) Licinius II as Caesar, AD 317-324, AE Follis Mint: Ticinum, AD 319-320 Obv.: LICINIVS IVN NOB C; Laur., dr. and cuir. bust r. Rev.: VIRTVS EXERCIT; in ex, TT; in l. field, star or perhaps Iota-Chi/Christogram; Vexillum inscribed VOT/X, two captives seated on either side. Weight: 2.88 gr. Diam.: 21 mm. Attrib.: RIC 120 (officina unattested); rare variant with this bust type. Ex Schulten 1988, lot 1172 and collection Wolfgang Drösser, (this coin) published in W. Drösser, “Christus auf Münzen – in Zeichen, Worten und Bildern: Rom, Byzanz und Axum” (Brühl, Duitsland, 2011).
That was exactly the question. Why did the Latin keep the R but the Greek dropped the P? I always thought the Eros/Amor/Roma thing was fascinating just like so many technical oddities we find on coins. I am sure the experts of the last century were embarrassed by the matter so it did not get much press then. How many 'jokes' can we find on our coins?
Alföldi wrote about this cryptogram in his 1958 book The Conversion of Constantine and Pagan Rome where he suggested this may have been an attempt by the pagan aristocracy of Rome to use the old religion of mystery and romance to confront the pro-Christian policies of Constantine. The next oldest reference I have is Maurice in Numismatique Constantinienne but he merely mentions it and then references H Dressel in Zeitschrift fur Numismatik xxii 1899; which I don't have.
