Happy Friday! I was tempted to title this "Cibum ad Sol" as this first series of coins feature Sol and has been a collection theme of mine. I've recently buttressed my Constantine collection with a handful, no quite a few, more coins. Catechuman means one who practices or follows the beliefs of Christianity without being baptized which was the case for Constantine the Great. While not cheap, this area of collecting allows one to go a little further and reach into some fine style coins relatively reasonably. Granted we are seeing a bit of a deterioration in quality here vs say Pax Romana but these coins carry an artistic beauty in their own right even if meant for mass consumption. The first two are from AMCC, really happy with those additions to my Constantine - Food for the Sol collection. Fine style portrait on this first coin, with a really nice strike. Constantine I 307-337 A.D. follis RIC VII Treveri 101 Trier laureate, draped, & cuirassed bust right IMP CONSTANTINVS AVG SOLI INVIC-TO COMITI Sol, radiate, chlamys draped over left shoulder, standing left, raising right hand and holding globe in left hand, T/F//BTR From the Caesar_Augustus collection I had not had any fancy mintmarks from Constantine or many from Roma at all so was happy to add this one as well and do like the military dress portrait. I know there is another thread on mint or control marks but I find it interesting they start to appear more frequently in this time period. Constantine I 307-337 A.D. follis RIC VII Rome laureate & cuirassed bust right IMP CONSTANTINVS P F AVG SOLI INV-I-CTO COMITI SOLI INV-I-CTO COMITI Sol, radiate, chlamys draped over left shoulder, standing left, raising right hand and holding globe in left hand; R/F//R✱P From the Caesar_Augustus collection When you know what you like, you end up having more than one of them even if they aren't die matches, but the first one looks just like fellow Brooklynite Jimmy Fallon... Constantine I 307-337 A.D. follis RIC VI 869 Sol 310-313 Treveri Laureate and cuirassed bust right Sol standing left, raising hand and holding globe; T|F//PTR Constantine I 307-337 A.D. follis RIC VI 869310-313 Treveri Laureate and cuirassed bust right Sol standing left, raising hand and holding globe; T|F//PTR 1st officina PTR Patina, strike and unique marks, what's not to like: Constantine I 307–337 A.D. follis RIC 164 Arles laureate, draped and cuirassed bust of Constantine I right IMP CONSTANTINVS P F AVG SOLI INVICTO COMITI Sol standing left, chlamys across shoulders, raising right hand and holding globe; P star over crescent A in exergue. My interest started with this issue from Lugdunum claimed to have been found with the Bourton-on-Woods hoard: Let's see some Constantine, Sol or both!
I have a few unusual Constantine Sol reverses to share. The first is the obligatory bust of Sol reverse: Treveri (Trier) mint, A.D. 310-313 RIC 890 Obv: IMP CONSTANTINVS P F AVG Rev: SOLI INVICTO COMITI - Radiate bust of Sol, right (No mint mark) 23 mm, 4.4 g. The next two are from Ticinum, which tends to have some out-of-the-ordinary Sols. First, Sol with facing head: Ticinum mint, A.D. 312-313 RIC 133 Obv: CONSTANTINVS P F AVG Rev: SOLI INVI-C-TO COMITI - Sol, head facing forward, holding globe in left hand, raising right ST in exergue 20 mm, 3.8 g. and Sol holding a whip: Ticinum mint, A.D. 312-313 RIC 135a Obv: CONSTANTINVS P F AVG Rev: SOLI INVI-C-TO COMITI - Sol standing right, looking left, holding globe close to body and whip ST in exergue 24 x 21 mm, 4.4 g. Sol with captive: Rome mint, A.D. 316-317 RIC 52 Obv: IMP CONSTANTINVS P F AVG Rev: SOLI INV-I-CTO COMITI - Sol, radiate, raising right hand and holding globe in left; captive at feet RS in exergue 17 mm, 3.1 g. Sol advancing left: Rome mint, A.D. 317 RIC 80 Obv: IMP CONSTANTINVS P F AVG Rev: CLARITAS RE-PVBLICAE - Sol, advancing left, raising right hand and holding whip in left RQ in exergue; A in left field 21 x 18 mm, 2.7 g. and finally, from the East, Sol holding the head of Serapis: Cyzicus mint, A.D. 311-312 RIC 92, var. (not listed for Constantine) Obv: IMP C FL VAL CONSTANTINVS P F AVG Rev: SOLE IN-VICTO - Sol, radiate, wearing long robe and holding head of Serapis MKV in exergue; Γ in left field 22 mm, 5.4 g.
Nice coins everyone! .....I didn't know this so thanks....Nice looking coins... Here's my very FIRST ancient coin I purchased many years ago and will always be in my collection....I was completely green but just loved the reverse! Licinius I AE Follis 20mm/3.43gr (Emperors name Misspelled) Obverse-IMP LICINVS PF AVG- laureate, cuirassed bust right Reverse-REV SOLI INVICTO COMITI- Sol standing right, looking left, chlamys across chest and over his left arm, holding globe and raising right hand. C-S across fields Exergue-PARL- minted 313-318AD Arles
Here are some more of the Food for the Sol collection. I do like the Ticinum style. RIC 131a RIC VII 42 RIC 122 RIC VII 10 RIC VII 10 RIC VII Lyons 15 In 274 AD, on December 25, Aurelian instituted an official state cult to Sol Invictus (or Helios Megistos, "Great Helios"). This new cult drew together imagery not only associated with Helios and Sol, but also a number of elements from other deities formerly recognized as distinct. The gens Aurelia had long been associated with Sol but this does appear to be the first religious power play that we see Constantine later undertake, in a different form, with a much more lasting impact. Aurelian 270–275 A.D. antoninianus RIC 151 274 Ticinum Radiate and Cuirassed bust right IMP C AVRELIANVS AVG ORIENS AVG Sol advancing left, raising right hand, globe in left, flanked by two captives at feet // TXXT From the Sallent Collection Oriens AVG is the Latin abbreviation for Oriens Augusti which means the rising Sun of the Emperor. I know it's too early to start thinking about Saturnalia...But this is a great read linking Sol to Christmas and of course Saturnalia and Dies Natalis Solis Invicti. Sol Invictus and Christmas (uchicago.edu) Dies Natalis Solis Invicti | Hellenic Faith I have a Caracalla coin with sol, curious if anyone has any Republican coins with this deity?
Nice group, and interesting style on RIC 52 almost appearing to take on the look like the standard emperor portraits of the later Constantine and Theodosian dynasty.
Aurelian re-opened the Lugdunum mint in A.D. 274 and Sol was one of the types in these early issues Obv:– IMP C AVRELIANVS AVG, Radiated cuirassed bust right Rev:– PACATOR ORBIS, Sol walking left, right hand raised, left hand holding whip Minted in Lugdunum, (//.A.L.). Emission 3, Officina 1. mid A.D. 275 Reference:– Bastien 7 (17 examples cited). RIC 6 Bust Type F The same type was re-used by Florian Probus adapted the type by adding captives. Here with an ORIES error in place of ORIENS and introduced a different type Sol standing right, holding branch and bow, and treading down captive Galerius had a standing left ORIENS When Constantine the Great started using the type at Lugdunum in A.D. 309 there was a bit of experimentation with the type Obv:– IMP CONSTANTINVS P F AVG, Laureate, draped and cuirassed bust right, seen from rear Rev:– SOLI INVIC-TO COMITI, Sol walking left holding globe in left and raising right. Minted in Lugdunum. F in left field, T in right field, PLC in exe. A.D. 309 - 310 Reference:– RIC VI Lugdunum - (Unlisted reverse type variation). Bastien 529 (4 examples cited) Sol advancing left, raising right hand, holding whip in left hand Before standardising on Sol standing left holding globe in left and raising right
Also worthy of note to those looking for minutiae there are a whole host of chlamys over left arm. chlamys over both shoulders..... which have Sol leaning on a different leg (look at the straight vs bent leg......) where I think it is generally draped over his back and can occasionally be seen between the legs....
A small selection of other mints.... By the way I don't actively collect these types.... London COMITI AVGN NN Rome Ticinum Arles
Quite a nice selection particularly for it not being a focus. Aside from issues of Antioch that appear to be credited to another prior to unification, there aren’t a lot of later representations of Sol in the East. This paper analyzes the transition from Sol to Christ as Constantine appears to do the same, at least outwardly. https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/216465364.pdf Here is a 3rd century fresco. One can see the transition between “paganism” into monotheism and ultimately from Sol to Christ. The child in me sees the beginnings of the Santa Claus deity:
Probus liked Sol in various guises..... as above (which is Rome, globe and whip) but in the clouds (from Siscia, globe) Sold facing sideways instead of head on (Serdica) Cyzicus Rome with whip Siscia with globe Ticinum Sol with Providentia - Serdica
Licinius 308–324 A.D. follis RIC 22 P Roma circa 314 A.D. Laureate, draped and cuirassed bust right IMP LICINIVS PF AVG SOLI INV-I-CTO COMITI Sol standing left, raising hand and holding globe: in field, R – F. In exergue, R*P also see C. 161 19.8mm 2.89g The reverse is rough, but I only two coins minted in Licinius' name, this one likely by Constantine just after the two authored the Edict of Milan. Times are good, what could go wrong? And when I bring up Licinius, I also have to show: Maximinus II Daia 310–313 A.D. follis RIC 73b 309-313 Nicomedia laureate head of Maximinus II Daza [with a nose job] right IMP C GAL VAL MAXIMINVS P F AVG SOLI INVICTO SOLI INVICTO Sol standing left, wearing long robe, right hand raised, left hand holding head of Serapis B in left field, SMN in exergue. This thread certainly has a lot of coins per post, a new CT record!
It's quite presentable, but you did say Lugdunum! I think RIC has the order of a couple of these Rome issues reversed. It seems it should be R*P, R*P R-F, RP R-F. i.e. this R*P R-F mark immediately follows the R*P one that includes the Edict of Milan "Liberator Orbis" type. Yeah ... at least Licinius had a couple of good years there!
Here's a coin that combines OP's Sol theme with both Licinius and Maximinus II ... This is RIC VI Heraclea 78, issued by Maximinus II in 313 AD while Licinius was in Milan, with Maximinus having taken advantage by crossing the Bosphorus into Thrace and briefly taking control of Heraclea. This Heraclea 313 "invasion coinage" - comprising a full set of Daia's reverse types issued from Licinius's Heraclea mint - is surprisingly plentiful given the very brief time (~ 2 weeks) for which Daia controlled the mint. Apparently issuing coins was a top priority!