Salve, my fellow forum members! I hope you all had a great week. Today I'd like to present one of my latest coins - a very rare half-follis of Constantine I, not listed in RIC: CONSTANTINE I, AD 306-337AE Half-Follis (16.72mm, 1.81g, 6h) Struck AD 312-313. Rome mint Obverse: FL VAL CONSTANTINVS AVG, laureate and draped bust of Constantine I left Reverse: PACI P-ERPET, Pax, draped, standing front, head left, holding branch in right hand and standard in left hand; XII in left field, RQ in exergue References: RIC VI 355 var. (bust left), RCV 16158 var. (same) A very rare and apparently unlisted variant with a left-facing bust. The reverse design, proclaiming "Eternal Peace" was struck to celebrate the cessation of hostilities after Constantine's victory over Maxentius, and the establishment of a new alliance with his imperial colleague Licinius. RIC records this type only with a right-facing bust (RIC VII 355.) The left-facing variety is, as far as I'm aware, unlisted in any standard reference work. In all of my extensive online researching I came across a grand total of just 6 other specimens, two of which are obverse die matches to mine. Aside from the rarity, I find the portrait style quite appealing, and the reverse type is interesting and somewhat unusual - as are those of all the other half-folles in this intriguing series. (Would make a great little sub-collection!) One particular point of interest on this coin are the Roman numerals XII in the reverse field. According to Sear, the significance of this has yet to be determined. I don't know if the RIC authors commented on this, but I believe @Victor_Clark has suggested that this is a mark of value, equivalent to 12 denarii. Thanks for looking, and please feel free to comment and/or post your own relevant coins!
This is another coin that is not as rare as being "Not in RIC" would indicate. Here is Lech's page with quite a few, including one that I sold in 2018. https://www.notinric.lechstepniewski.info/6rom-358.html as far as the value of 12dc, I have a page about this-- https://constantinethegreatcoins.com/fractions/ which is basically a summary of an excellent article by David Wigg-- David G. Wigg, "An Issue of Follis Fractions with Denominational Marks by Constantine I at Rome," Die Münze. Bild- Botschaft- Bedeutung. Festschrift für Maria R. Alfoldi. Frankfort, Germany: Peter Lang, 1991, pp. 405-423.
I just realized that this post needs the companion fractional. This one has XVI on the reverse, meaning it is 2/3 of a normal follis. this coin is also interesting because of the reverse legend praising the Gallic army of Constantine--VIRT EXERCIT GALL. Constantine I A.D. 312- 313 2/3 follis 19x20mm 3.3g FL VAL CONSTANTINVS AVG; radiate, draped and cuirassed bust right seen from the rear. VIRT EXERCIT GALL; Virtus standing left, looking right, right leaning on spear, left holding parazonium; In left field X, in right field VI. In exergue RT RIC VI Rome 360
