I was going through the treasure box and found a wee LRB that needed some attention. I forgot how high grade this guy is. It is one of my best LRBs, and by far the best AE4 I have. If you got high grade AE4s please do share. Roman Empire Croatia, Siscia Arcadius (r. AD 383-408) AE4 13.5 mm x 1.22 grams (s. AD 384-387) Obv. Diademed, draped and cuirassed bust of Arcadius right. Latin script- DN ARCADIVS PF AVG Rev. Victory advancing left holding wreath and palm. Latin Script- VICTORIA AVGGG - BSIS in ex. Ref: RIC IX 39d
My best Æ4 Zeno (476 - 491 A.D.) Æ4 O: Pearl-diademed, draped bust right. R: Monogram Constantinople mint 14mm .89g Cf. RIC X 958
My best AE4 All of my ancient coins have been purchased as found from dug lots. I then clean and ID them. Constantius II AE4. Obv: CONSTANTI-VS PF AVG, rosette-diademed, draped, cuirassed bust right Rev: VICTORIAE DD AVGGQ NN, two Victories facing each other, each holding wreath and palm branch. Between them: a palm branch upright. Mintmark: Epsilon SIS. RIC VIII Siscia 194, rated c2
Here is another AE4 I came across in my cleaned coins: Constans, AE4, Thessalonica. AD 336-337. CONSTANS-PF AVG, laurel and rosette-diademed, draped, cuirassed bust right / VICTORIAE DD AVGGQ NN, two Victories standing facing each other, each holding wreath and palm branch. Mintmark SMTSA. RIC VIII Thessalonica 100. The two are not the same size because I was hurrying.
Great little Arcadius with beautiful green patina! I absolutely adore late Roman AE4s and passionately believe they get FAR too little love. I squirrel away as many as I can get my hands on... (But I love all tiny ancients -- whether AE, AR, or AV/EL, and from all cultures, Archaic Greek to Byzantine.) I collect "barbarians, captives, and enemies" on Roman coins, so I can never get enough of the common Victories-dragging-captives: That captive (Theo-Cyzicus) is kneeling w/ two bindings extending from a neck collar down to a waist harness in front. Interestingly, some mints showed the captive crouching/standing while being dragged instead, as on the Arcadius-Thessalonica specimen below: Incidentally, here's one of the same type & mint as the OP coin, but Theodosius instead of Arcadius (and my reverse isn't as good): This little Constantinian imitation from Britain must be some kind of record for the tiniest brockage at 10mm & only 0.43g! Ex Martin Wettmark error collection: In addition to all tiny ones being rare, brockages are especially scarce for the very late Roman empire (below, Theodosius). Also ex-Wettmark: Once you get to the "Byzantine" period (i.e., Anastasius forward) people usually stop calling them AE4s and instead stick to "minima" and "Nummi." But they're clearly in the same in the same tradition, even borrowing the same designs, such as Justinian's tiny VOT-in-wreath types from Carthage: (Both about 10-11mm, 1g -- the one below is just a small image.) Note that they seem to have misunderstood the concept, using the legend to date the coins to Regnal Years 13 (above) & 14 (below) -- rather than making "vows" for future years of rule! (The [half?] Siliquae, "VOT MVLT HTI," are even further divorced from the original concept -- but has anyone ever explained what the HTI means?) These coins are part of my "Justinian Plague" subcollection (my 2021 blog post), which hit North Africa in RY 14 (prob. including Carthage), and in RY 15 hit the capital and the important "mainland" Byzantine-Eurasian cities, devastating the Empire, reshaping Western history, and scarring Justinian for life. I could keep going indefinitely, so hopefully people post some more and I'll share one or two or a few more....
My newest coin is also, I think, my smallest Zeno (what would you do without the monograms?) 9mm 0.83g from aulusplautius on eBay.
