I seem to be collecting some sort of mint set of these. In a thread Martin posted last week, Doug challenged us to come up with a mint set of two-soldiers/two-standards folles of Constans. I took that challenge personally, since I already own four from different mints, and added two more. Here’s one, and I’ll post the other later today as I have the time. I also picked up a scarcer Lugdunum mint coin of Constantine II which I’ll add to the thread. This isn’t a lovely coin, but RIC rates it R5, and that may hold true for the market at large. I haven’t seen another example from Nicomedia. There is another variety with the obverse legend FL IVL CONSTANTIS NOB C which I’m trying to hunt down. The left-facing busts are also far less utilized on the issues as a whole. We've been posting a lot of these lately, so there's no need to add yours, unless you have a burning desire! Constans, 337-350 AE3, 17mm, 2g; Nicomedia mint: 330-335 Obv.: FL CONSTANS NOB CAES; Laureate, draped, cuirassed bust left. Rev.: GLOR-IA EXERC-ITVS; Two soldiers, helmeted, standing looking at one another, reversed spear in outer hands, inner hands on shield resting on ground; between them, two standards // SMNS Reference: RIC VII Nicomedia 193 (p. 634) R5
I’m not even sure how many mints made the Constans 2and2‘s. I know of seven, there may be more. You've got your harem. It's a sideline Steve, nothing terribly serious, but thanks! Anyway, here's Thessalonica. Also not the prettiest coin in the world, but notice the different breaks in the legend GLORIA EXERCITVS. RIC only records a delta officina - perhaps it was the one workshop dedicated to these issues. Constans, 337-350 AE3, 17mm, 1,96g; Thessalonica mint: 335-336 Obv.: CONSTANS NOB CAES; Laureate, draped, cuirassed bust right. Rev.: GLORI-A EXER-CITVS; Two soldiers, helmeted, standing looking at one another, reversed spear in outer hands, inner hands on shield resting on ground; between them, two standards // SMTSΔ Reference: RIC VII Thessalonica 201 (p. 526) R2
I Have never seen a coin with this legend but the legend ending BEA C (blessed Caesar - unusual in the use to genitive case dedicating the coin to the young Caesar) is common. BEAC comes both in one and two standards versions. I have seen more than one in the last month on eBay but they are rarely IDed as special and often are assigned to Constantius II by those who fail to read all the letters. I always said that every Latin teacher needs to own this one since there are no other 4th declension genitives that I recall seeing except for the use on the reverses of gold coins which I (and most Latin teachers?) can't afford. I have to question if NOB C exists or if it was a misreading of low grade BEAC coins by people expecting to see that common title. Have you seen one? Notice that the left portrait seems to be more common in this period with the most junior member but the genitive legend was used with the right bust.
No, I haven't. But Bruun references a Vienna museum collection with examples from two officinae, alpha and epsilon, so I suppose that slightly reduces the chance of a misreading. Does CONSTANTIS NOB C make grammatical sense?
Today's order was a coin of Constantine II of Lugdunum. The SLG mintmark is scarce in my experience. I've seen plenty of others from this mint, but this is the only coin I've come across with SLG in exergue - I'm sure there are plenty more though. Still, this coin at least has some decent eye-appeal. Constantine II, 337-340 AE3; Lugdunum mint: 330-331 Obv.: CONSTANTINVS IVN NOB C; Laureate, cuirassed bust right. Rev: GLOR-IA EXERC-ITVS; Two soldiers, helmeted, standing looking at one another, reversed spear in outer hands, inner hands on shield resting on ground; between them, two standards // SLG Reference: RIC VII Lyon 238 (p. 138) R2
Yes, equally with BEA C. NOB and BEA both just abbreviate longer words so the only word with an ending is Constantis (genitive of Constans). It is 3rd declention. I erred above saying 4th. Shame on me but I last took Latin in 1968 and such things get gray after a while.
Regardless of the declension, since Constantis is genitive, how would that translate to English? Constans of Blessed Caesership? Constans' Blessed Caesarness? Constans' Blessedness as Caesar?
I'm adding two coins to this thread today, one old, one new. The first is a coin I posted before, that Doug took quite a shine to. I posted the dealer's pic earlier because I have a difficult time shooting these glossy, jet-black coins, but we had some sun today and this is what I managed. Not professional, but not bad. There's too much shadow but I'm too lazy to fiddle with photography for some reason today... Constans, 337-350 AE3, 17mm, 1,96g; Arles mint: 333-334 Obv.: FL IVL CONSTANS NOB C; Laureate, draped, cuirassed bust right. Rev.: GLORI-A EXERC-ITVS; Two soldiers, helmeted, standing looking at one another, reversed spear in outer hands, inner hands on shield resting on ground; between them, two standards, dot in wreath between // SCONST Reference: RIC VII Arles 378 (p. 274) R4 An interesting feature of this coin is the centering dot in the middle of the reverse, which was not filled in prior to striking. The second coin is a new acquisition and the brother to the one in Reply #8, with the mintmark PLG, a little more common than the coin from S officina... Constantine II, 337-340 AE3; Lugdunum mint: 330-331 Obv.: CONSTANTINVS IVN NOB C; Laureate, cuirassed bust right. Rev: GLOR-IA EXERC-ITVS; Two soldiers, helmeted, standing looking at one another, reversed spear in outer hands, inner hands on shield resting on ground; between them, two standards // PLG Reference: RIC VII Lyon 238 (p. 138) R1 I notice that many of the standards on coins of Lugdunum have a triangular banner. Whether this is a pattern for the mint bears some investigation.
Of my 20 or so Lugdunum almost all have these triangular tops to the standards. The following coin is the only excepeption:- Regards, Martin
