My Top 10 LRB's for 2021

It's hard to pick only 10, but here they are arranged chronologically.


1. A Maximianus not in RIC for the left facing bust, also unusual how the reverse legend is broken by the workshop letter.

Maximianus
A.D. 289- 290
Ӕ Antoninianus 23mm 4.1g
IMP C M A VAL MAXIMIANVS P F AVG; radiate and cuirassed bust left.
CONSERVATOR AV-GG; Maximianus holding sceptre, and Hercules, leaning on club; standing face to face, sacrificing at altar; A in right field.
In ex. • XXI•HP•
RIC Vii Siscia 580 var.



part of the coded series from Siscia

http://www.constantinethegreatcoins.com/CONSERVATOR/


2. This reverse is only listed in RIC for Galerius. I also had to clean it a bit.





Maximinus II
A.D. 310
Ӕ follis 26x27mm 5.9g
MAXIMINVS NOB CAES; bust l., helmeted [with eagle crest] and cuirassed with gorgon on breast, spear over r. shoulder, shield decorated with two horsemen with draco standards and four prisoners on l. arm.
SOLI INVICTAE; Sol, rad. and in long robe, stg. facing, head l., r. raised, l. holding up globe, in facing quadriga; two horses turn l., and two right; in middle A.
In ex. ANT
cf. RIC VI Antioch 144


3. This coin is not listed in RIC with the field marks for Constantine



Constantine I
A.D. 307
27x28mm 7.8g
FL VAL CONSTANTINVS NOB CAES; laureate head right.
CONSERVATOR AFRICAE SVAE; Africa standing facing, head left, in long drapery with elephant- skin head-dress, right holding standard, left tusk, at feet to left lion with captured bull, in right field I.; S in left field, F in right.
In ex. Δ
RIC VI Carthage --; Drost 24


4. Constantine holding a victory on globe and shield with wolf and twins




Constantine I
A.D. 315
18x19mm 3.1g
IMP CONSTANTINVS AVG; laureate helmet and cuirassed bust left, shield with wolf and twins on left, Victory on globe in right.
SOLI INVIC-TO COMITI; Sol stdg. left, raising r. hand, globe in l.; chlamys across l. shoulder; across fields T/F.
in ex. PLG
RIC VII Lyons 22; Bastien 553



5. another Sol issue from Constantine...this one from Arles and not in RIC



Constantine I
A.D. 317- 318
20x21mm 3.9g
IMP CONSTANTINVS P F AVG; laureate and trabeated bust left, holding eagle tipped sceptre in right hand.
SOLI INVICTO COMITI, Sol rad., raising r. hand, globe in l.; stg. l., chlamys across l. shoulder; in left field C, in right S.
In ex. SARL
RIC VII Arles –


6. Constantine from London...Not in RIC and reportedly ex Bourton-on-the-Water Hoard.





Constantine I
A.D. 317- 318
18mm 3.4g
IMP CONSTANTINVS AVG; laureate and cuirassed bust right.
PRINCIPIA I-VVENTTVTIS; Constantine in military dress standing right, head right, cloak spread, reversed spear in right and left resting on shield; crescent in left field.
In ex. PLN
RIC VII London --; LMCC 8.11.013


7. This coin is an upgrade. Initially listed in RIC VII as Heraclea 50 by Bruun, because he thought the mintmark read SMHTA instead of SMATA. This error was addressed by Pierre Bastien in his article “Coins with a Double Effigy Issued by Licinius at Nicomedia, Cyzicus, and Antioch.” NC 13 (1973) : 87.



Licinius I & Licinius II
A.D. 318
21mm 4.2g
D D N N IOVII LICINII INVICT AVG ET CAES; laureate and draped confronted busts, together holding trophy of arms.
I O M ET VIRTVTI DD NN AVG ET CAES; Jupiter stg. Left, chlamys across l. shoulder, leaning on scepter, in front of trophy, at foot of which two captives are seated on either side.
In ex. SMATB
RIC VII Antioch –-


8. a nice campgate from Rome





Constantine I
A.D. 318- 319
19mm 3.1g
CON-STANTI-NVS AVG; cuirassed and helmeted bust left, spear pointing forward and shield on left arm.
VIRTVS AVGG; camp gate with closed doors and three turrets, across fields P-R
In ex. RP
RIC VII Rome 178


9. a rare type for Constantine





Constantine I
A.D. 327
Ӕ nummus 19mm 2.6g
CONSTANTINVS MAX AVG; laureate head right
SPES PVBLIC; chi-rho atop standard of 3 medallions impaling snake, in left field A.
in ex. CONS
RIC VII Constantinople 19


10. This coin is an unrecorded combination of dies, commonly referred to as a mule. Obverse is likely Trier 540 and the reverse is a Constantinopolis Trier 543. It is likely that this coin, though in very good style, is unofficial.




Constantius II
Circa A.D. 332- 333
19mm 2.0g
FL IVL CONSTANTIVS NOB C; laureate and cuirassed bust right.
REV: Victory stg. on prow, holding long scepter in r. hand, and resting l. hand on shield.
in ex. TR•P

 

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# 7 is such a fantastic coin!

 

I voted for 1, 2 & 7. I've never seen the likes of the obverse of #7 before!

ATB,
Aidan.

 

The confronted Licinii come in several flavors, I also have this one--



Licinius I & Licinius II
A.D. 320
21x22mm 4.2g
D D N N IOVII LICINII INVICT AVG ET CAES; laureate and draped confronted busts, together holding Fortuna.
I O M ET FORT CONSER D D N N AVG ET CAES; Jupiter standing left, chlamys across left shoulder, holding Victory on globe in right hand, leaning on sceptre; Fortuna standing right crowned with modius, holding cornucopiae and rudder set on globe.
In ex. SMNΔ
RIC VII Nicomedia 38

 

4, 7, and 8 for me. 7 is truly amazing.

 

My favorites are 9, 7 & 8. Is there a story behind the impaled snake?

 

There has been a lot written about that coin over the years. Here is some from my page

So the SPES PVBLIC reverse "is the first coin type where the design explicitly proclaims Constantine's new faith." Some people may wonder why Constantine took so long before using Christian symbolism in an overt fashion on his coins. Constantine had to exercise some caution and not upset too many people, especially the army. "He was careful, and that was why his Christianization of the empire was only gradual...reflected in the slow and for a long time minimal infiltration of the coinage by Christianity."

Constantine, and Eusebius, compared serpents/dragons to evil on many occasions. In one instance, when he referred to Arius, Constantine talked about the serpent and the Devil as if they were one.

"Take heed, everyone take heed, how sad he sounds, when pierced by the serpent's sting [that is the Devil's]."


Constantine also used the dragon/serpent symbolism to specifically describe Licinius.

"Like some wild beast, or a twisting snake coiling up on itself."

"But now, with liberty restored and that dragon driven out of the public administration through the providence of the supreme God and by our service."


"The references to "liberty...restored" and the perishing dragon-serpents in the palace sermon and the episcopal letter must be the literary twins of the LIBERTAS PVBLICA and the pierced dragon coins issued about the same time."



Eusebius also described a painting that Constantine placed above the door to his palace.


This he displayed on a very high panel set before the entrance to the palace for the eyes of all to see, showing in the picture the Saviour's sign placed above his own head, and the hostile and inimical beast, which had laid siege to the Church of God through the tyranny of the godless, he made in the form of a dragon borne down to the deep. For the oracles proclaimed him a 'dragon' and a 'crooked serpent' in the books of the prophets of God (Isaiah 27:1); therefore the emperor also showed to all, through the medium of the encaustic painting, the dragon under his own feet and those of his sons, pierced through the body with a javelin, and thrust down into the depths of the sea.

The coin shows three medallions on the standard. The medallions were portraits of Constantine I and two of his sons. The sons were probably Constantine II and Constantius II, as Eusebius said that Constantine personally showed him the standard. Eusebius did not meet Constantine until 325, and Crispus was dead by 326, so the other two sons are the most likely candidates to have been represented on the standard.


The symbol of the Saviour's name, two letters indicating the name of Christ by means of its initial characters, the letter P being intersected by X in its centre: and these letters the emperor was in the habit of wearing on his helmet at a later period. From the cross-bar of the spear was suspended a cloth, a royal piece, covered with a profuse embroidery of most brilliant precious stones; and which, being also richly interlaced with gold, presented an indescribable degree of beauty to the beholder. This banner was of a square form, and the upright staff, whose lower section was of great length, bore a golden half-length portrait of the pious emperor and his children on its upper part, beneath the trophy of the cross, and immediately above the embroidered banner.


http://www.constantinethegreatcoins.com/symbols/

 

Great year, @Victor_Clark! Nice coins, all, and some rarities to boot! But my favorite is the confronted busts of the Licinii.

 

The Licinius is the frontrunner. My favorite is the Constantine from Lyons with wolf and twins on shield. It's tough to find Constantine with wolf and twins and the coin was one that was offered privately to me and I passed because I was told it would eventually come to auction, so I spent a few anxious months until I won it at auction.

 

Great coins Victor, my fav is your camp gate looks like the Celator tried to put a bit of extra work into the door, which I love, congrats on a great year.

 

I love 6/8 and 10
But they are all beautifull!

Thanks for sharing

 

There is also a neat touch on the turrets, a circular design, perhaps windows.

 

Great list of very interesting coins! My favorite is the Constantine camp gate. Such a beautiful detailed coin.

 

Great coins. My favorite are #2, #7 and #8.

 

Great list but my favorites are definetly the Maximinus coin and the Constantine from Lyons. I always love detailed shields and armors on coinage and those two are just gorgeous.

 

2, 7 and 10! great coins!

 

#7. I am not a specialist and know little about this type but I need convincing beyond what was given. A and H are somewhat fluid in this period possibly because the Greek speaking East thought of H as a vowel 'eta' and 'Eraklea' was often, and uniquely, followed by the T for the region Thracea. What about this coin requires us to read it as an error for SMA(N)TB rather than the Bruun reading SMHTB. Either answer requires acceptance of an error but the frequent confusion of A and H in the region seems easier to overlook than the additional T or omitted N (on various coins Antioch used both A and ANT but not AT). To accept the coin as Antioch we at the very least need to address whether the style of the coin tends toward one mint or the other. That was not mentioned in the post. Should it be? Do you have an Antioch mint coin of the series that is inscribed with one of the standard Antioch mint signatures? Is this reassignment from the Bruun by Bastien fully explained in his work? I have not seen it and would not understand it for lack of background in the series or the language.

 

The portrait and the awesome cleaning job on #2, dual busts and trophy on #7, and the very good style and preservation for a most likely imitation on #10 !

Great selection overall

Q

 

Between 2, 7, 9 and 10 I eventually went with 7.

 

Oh my. What a breathtaking assortment of LRBs! Outstanding curation, Victor! Wow, what a group. It's hard to pick just three favorites but these really grabbed me (and everyone else, according to the poll ):

#7, Licinius I & II confronted. Just wow.
#9, Constantine I impaled snake. Who doesn't want one of these?
#8 Constantine I campgate. Incredibly detailed and preserved portrait; interesting reverse

It was hard not to include #10 in this top 3.