Just when I thought my collection was heading towards Roman Republican and Greek, it took a sudden detour this past month to the 4th century. I guess that's a perk (?) of not having much of a collecting focus . I'll be posting four of them over the course of the next week in the order that they were bought. This one's a fairly common Crispus Beata Traquillitas with some striking grassy-green highlights. It's my first Crispus, and while that's another ruler box checked, I've also always wanted a coin of his because of the mystery surrounding his execution by his father. Was it treason, incest, rape, or was he set up by his jealous stepmother Fausta? The damnatio memoriae Constantine issued against him ensures that the question will never be satisfactorily answered. CRISPUS, SON OF CONSTANTINE I AE3. 3.4g, 18.5mm Lyons mint, 322 - 323 AD RIC VII 166 O: CRISPVS-NOB CAES, laureate head right. R: BEATA TRAN-QVILLITAS, globe on altar inscribed VO-TIS-XX, three stars above. C - R across fields. Mintmark PLG.
Here is one of my nicer Crispus coins: CRISPUS AE3 OBVERSE: D N FL IVL CRISPVS NOB CAES Laureate, draped and cuirassed bust right REVERSE: PROVIDEN TIAECAESS Jupiter stg. l., chlamys across l. shoulder, leaning on scepter, holding Victory on globe. In field to l., palm branch; in field to r., dot A; in exergue, SMN Struck at Nicomedia 317 - 320 A.D 2.92g, 18mm RIC VII 32 And another with the same reverse type as your new coin, but not in near as nice condition: CRISPUS AE3 OBVERSE: IVL CRIS-PVS NOB C, helmeted, cuirassed bust right REVERSE: BEATA TRAN-QVILLITAS, large globe on an altar inscribed VO / TIS / XX in three lines, three stars above, dot PTR crescent in ex. Struck at Trier 323 AD 1.8g, 16mm RIC 401
that's a nice coin z. this is my only beatas...this is a bad pic, nicer in hand. i can't stay focused on any one coin type, they're all much to interesting.
Lovely coin. My guess is Crispus and Fausta had an affair. When Constantine got wind of it, Fausta accused Crispus of rape. Crispus gets the ax. When Fausta is discovered in a lie, she gets boiled. Constantine must have considered them both at fault, otherwise why wouldn't he have restored Crispus' good name?
It's interesting that you can find so many of these Crispus Vota/Wreath types from Siscia in very high grades with great silvering, and for not too much scratch. There must have been a fairly large hoard find. Somebody at the mint got them right off the presses, stashed them away, and 1700 years later: voila!
It's funny, I only have one from Siscia in fairly poor condition and I've visited the site of the Siscia mint in Croatia. My nicest Crispus coins are from other mints such as Nicomedia, London and Arles.
Well, maybe they've all been collected by now. About a year ago it seemed like you couldn't throw a rock without hitting a silvered, crisp Crispus of this type.
This is the theory I like best too. On the other hand it is also plausible that Constantine would never have admitted to making a mistake in having Crispus wrongly executed. This page is the best I've seen on the topic: http://www.forumancientcoins.com/Articles/Crispus/Crispus.htm
Fantastic looking green coin, Z-bro (amazing eye-popping appeal) Ummm, I have a Crispus to toss into the mix ... it's the same as randygeki's
Crispus offers so much variety from so many mints over not all that many years. Here are young, middle and older examples from Cyzicus, Rome and Nicomedia with consular, military and plainer busts left.
