Roman Vota types

Wow, Q => you've sure got a few winners in that last bunch, eh? (gorgeous)

 

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Thx Steve

Q

 

Doug, I recently bought one of these VRBS ROMA/VOT mules, and the pretty coin won out over the weak mint mark. I can't quite make it out: Heraclea? Nicomedia? I can't post any close-ups as I don't have it in hand yet.

I'm sure you must know that these odd little mutants are quite scarce and typically ugly. I watched this piece for a week and hunted down pics of every example of the type I could find, and eventually the pretty coin outweighed the weak mint mark, just because most of its kin was so decrepit. In fact, this coin is one of the best examples of its type, from what I've seen, but I do get your point: a bold mint mark would have made it exceptional.

 

Constantine the Great
Obv:– CONSTAN-TINVS AVG, Laureate bust right
Rev:–. VIRTVS EXERCIT, Two captives seated either side of banner inscribed VOT XX
Minted in Lugdunum (C | R /PLG). A.D. 321
Reference:– Bastien XI 65. RIC VII Lugdunum 113 (R1)
Appears to have been resilvered in modern times. Bought from what was supposedly a 19th Century French collection.

This is one of my mistakes. I bought this when I started out and believed it to be decent silvering. I was wrong.

 

Crispus
Obv:–DN CRISPO NOB CAES, Helmeted, cuirassed bust right
Rev:– VIRTVS EXERCIT, Captives bound either side of banner with VOT XX
Minted in Lugdunum (A | S / PLC).
Reference:– RIC VII Lugdunum 109 (R2). Bastien XIII 51 (15 examples cited)

 

Crispus
Obv:– CRISPVS NOB CAES, Laureate, cuirassed bust right
Rev:– BEATA TRANQVILLITAS, Altar inscribed VOT/IS/XX, surmounted by globe with plain vertical lines and diagonals between horizontal lines, three stars above
Minted in Lugdunum C | R / PLC). A.D. 321
Reference:– RIC VII Lugdunum 133. Bastien XIII 102

 

Constantine II
Obv:– CONSTANTINVS IVN N C, Laureate, cuirassed bust, left holding Victory on globe in right hand
Rev:– BEATA TRANQVILLITAS, Altar inscribed VO/TIS/XX, surmounted by globe with plain vertical lines and diagonals between horizontal lines, three stars above
Minted in Lugdunum (C | R / PLC).
Reference:– RIC -

Rare Bust Type.

 

Constantine the Great
Obv:– CONSTANTINVS AVG, Laureate head right
Rev:– DN CONSTANTINI MAX AVG, VOT XX in a wreath, crescent with dot above
Minted in Ticinum. PT in exe. A.D. 322-325
Reference:– RIC VII Ticinum 167

 

Constantine II
Obv:– CONSTANTINVS IVN N C, Laureate, cuirassed bust left wearing trabea, holding Victoriola in right hand
Rev:– BEATA TRANQLITAS, Altar inscribed VOT/IS/XX, surmounted by globe with plain vertical lines and diagonals between horizontal lines, three stars above
Minted in London (//PLON).
Reference:– RIC VII London - (Not listed with this bust type from London).

 

I've been slogging my way through the historical analysis at the beginning of RIC VI and I came across this interesting footnote, apropos to this thread...

 

Even when clear the N and H separating the two mints can be confusing to me and I do not have enough material to separate them by style. I could say something like 'Nicomedia with a 51% chance of being right' but that would not be any help at all.

 

There were a few 'VOT in wreath' types in the TIF's Folly lot. I haven't attempted to attribute those LRBs yet but here's one I pulled out. I tried to attribute it but am not familiar with how ERIC works in terms of mint marks. This one's mint mark is delta (or A?) SIS wreath and I'm not seeing the exact mark in ERIC or wildwinds. Nor do I understand if the letter/symbol preceding the mint mark dictates a separate RIC entry.

FWIW, here's the coin.



Crispus, 317-326 AD
AE18, Siscia
Obv: ILV CRISPVS NOB C; laureate head right
Rev: CAESARVM NOSTRORVM; VOT X in wreath; delta (A?) SIS wreath in exergue

 

While I was at it I took a picture of another from that lot. Hope the attribution is correct.

I actually like the portrait, wasn't expecting to-- these Constantine-era portraits usually bug me with their generic and often cartoonish quality. This guy looks like he's a normal Joe, smiling and everything, with a head of believable proportions and features.



Constans, 337-350 AD
AE16, Alexandria
Obv: DN CONSTANS PF AVG; pearl diademed head right; dotted border
Rev: no legend; VOT XX MVLT XXX within wreath; SMAL(L?) in exergue; dotted border
Ref: RIC VIII 34, Alexandria

 

This is how RIC organizes the material, from Volume VII...



The mint mark for this series is in exergue, hence under the line. At the top of the mint mark column, the A is a stand-in for any one of the officina designations. Yours does indeed look like delta. Usually the quasi-omega at the end has rays, and looks like a little sunrise or sunset maybe. Yours is missing the rays and appears to be more of a circle. I've seen a few of these, but not many, and I don't know if the no-rays version constitutes a separate variety in other catalogs or not. We'll wait for the experts ... ahem ... Doug?

 

I thought it was a wreath, not an omega or sun with rays. Seems like I saw it described as such somewhere in wildwinds.

So the first letter is the officina (in the case of my Crispus, a delta), then the abbreviation for Siscia (SIS) and then the extra mark? Is there a general name for those extra marks, after the mint abbreviation?

 

Yes, they're call mint marks. Yours is closer to the sun mark than the wreath. The wreaths have stems that cross at the bottom, and they do not connect at the top. Minor variations abound - in fact, RIC VII is littered with footnotes that document little varieties that are apparently not numerous enough to warrant their own classifications.

 

Incidentally, VOT X on the coins of Crispus is ironic since he only reigned for nine years, suffering execution at the hand of his own quick-tempered father. But it is known that Vota celebrations were anticipatory, that is, a number of festivals were held during the year preceding the actual date of the decennalia.

 

As long as we're on the subject of Crispus, the coin that Martin posted is a commemoration of Vota suscepta...

In this case, VOTIS is obviously the dative case since Crispus didn't rule longer than nine years. It basically means, "Going for Votum 20." It was not to be.

 

My inclination is to call it a wreath making the coin RIC 178 page 445. I see delta but A through E are listed choices.

I'll need to see a photo of a wreath coin from this series. RIC used a stock wreath for their listings. The sun ray has distinct spikes. This is a 184 page 446.

 

Well that would explain my confusion. Their stock wreath doesn't look anything like the real thing.