THE COINAGE ISSUED BY CONSTANTIUS 294-306

Edit: I changed the title for this thread as I unintentionally used an incorrect one -- I apologize for that mistake.

Composition -- Only Aes (bronze with a silver wash) folles were produced by the London mint during this period (same composition for folles produced at Lugdunum).

Weight range -- Typically 11.0 to 8.5 gm.

Mints -- RIC Volume VI: A quantity of Constantius "Invasion coinage" (folles) was produced at a temporary Continental Mint (exact location unknown, although some French researchers and collectors list it as Boulogne), manned by Lugdunese workers. All other issues were produced at the London mint formerly operated by the usurper Emperors Carausius/Allectus now re-opened (most likely consisting of just one officina) by Constantius.

Weight range -- Typically 11.0 to 8.5 gm.

Obverse depiction -- Almost always cuirassed (sometimes draped) right facing busts (but occasionally bare neck truncated) with a laureate head.


Top: Cuirassed bust with laureate head

Bottom: Bare neck truncated bust with laureate head

Obverse inscription (legend) -- Around periphery -- names and titulature reading clockwise

Following is a key for name and titulature abbreviations:

• IMP - Imperator, the Augustus as supreme Commander.
• C - Caius as a praenomen.
• P - Pius, dutiful.
• PF - Pius Felix, dutiful and blessed.
• AVG, AV - Augustus, unique title of a ruling Emperor.
• FL - Flavius as a praenomen.
• VAL - Valerius, familial name.
• NOB, NOBIL - Noble, associated with Caesar.
• CAES, C - Caesar, heir to, and protege of, an Augustus.

Reverse depiction -- Almost always a representation of the Genius of the Roman People standing, facing left, head surmounted by a modius, naked except for a chlamys over the left shoulder, holding a patera in the right hand and cradling a cornucopia in the left arm.


Depiction of Genius of the Roman people

Reverse inscription (legend) -- around periphery, reading clockwise GENIO POPVLI ROMANI without a mint mark (often referred to as unmarked) except for the very early Group I coins (RIC numbers 1a through 5) that have LON in the exergue.

Reverse axis -- 6 or 12 o'clock

My primary reference: Roman Imperial Coinage (RIC), Spink & Son Ltd., London, Volume VI

The end of Constantius Coinage

On 1 May 305 Constantius succeeded Maximian Herculius as Augustus of the West and Galerius Maximian succeeded Diocletian as Augustus of the East, as planned. Flavius Valerius Severus (Severus) was appointed Caesar of the West and Galerius Valerius Maximinus Daia (Maximinus) was appointed Caesar of the East.

Constantius died at Eboracum (York) in Britain during a campaign against the warlike tribes of the North on 25 July 306. Just before he died, Constantius conferred Imperium on his son, Flavius Valerius Constantinus (later Constantine the Great). Although his army wanted to proclaim Constantine Augustus, Galerius Maximian, the now de-facto senior Augustus, proclaimed him Caesar of the West and elevated Severus to Augustus of the West in accordance with the rules for succession.

The London Mint continued to operate until AD 325, mostly under the auspicies of Constantine.

 

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if you haven't got it yet, I recommend The London Mint of Constantius and Constantine by Hugh Cloke and Lee Toone.

 

Thread title changed via Edit -- the original was a mistake -- I apologize for that.

 

Informative write up and very nice coins.

 

Thank you for those kind words.

 

Here's another reverse type of Constantius I:

Bronze Nummus
Siscia mint, A.D. 300-301
Obv: CONSTANTIUS NOB CAES
Rev: SACRA MONETA AVGG ET CAESS NOSTR - Moneta, standing left, holding scales and cornucopiae
SIS in exergue; [star] in left field, B in right
RIC 135a
28mm, 9.5g.

 

The only Constantius I that I have:


RI Constantius I Chlorus 293-306 CE DIVO AE Quinarius Thesalonika 317-318 Seated RIC VII 25 R5 RARE

 

I came at the "Invasion coinage" from the other direction i.e. Lugdunum.

The early Lugdunum coinage is quite close in style to it.

 

When Constantius died, his memory was honored with this issue.

 

Wonderful post @jamesicus . I only have one:


Constantius I as Caesar, AD 293-305
Æ Follis, 29mm, 9.6g, 12h; Trier mint, AD 303
Obv.: CONSTANTIVS NOBIL C, laureate and cuirassed bust right /
Rev.: GENIO POPV-LI ROMANI, Genius standing left, wearing modius on head, holding patera and cornucopiae; S-F
In Ex.: ITR

 

Nice of you to say that - I appreciate your comment - and a very nice coin you posted.

 

Very nice coin Carausius.

 

Yes, that is why Sutherland transferred the series (class i) from Londinium to Lugdunum in RIC Volume VI (IAW Bastien).

 

My only Constantius I follis:

 

Constantius I (Caesar)
Coin: Bronze Follis
CONSTANTIVS NOB CAES - Laureate head left
GENIO POPVLI ROMANI - Genius standing left, modius on head, naked except for chlamys over left shoulder, holding patera & cornucopiae, B to left, Γ to right
Exergue:
Mint: Trier ( 296-297 AD)
Wt./Size/Axis: 10.66g / 25mm / -
References:

• RIC VI Trier 220a
• 
• 
  Constantius I (Caesar)
  Coin: Bronze Follis
  CONSTANTIVS NOB CAES - laureate bust right
  GENIO POPV-LI ROMANI - Genius standing left, modius on head, naked except for chlamys over left shoulder, holding patera and cornucopiae. Left field: A; right field: Gamma
  Exergue:
  Mint: Trier (292-305 AD)
  Wt./Size/Axis: 9.63g / 26mm / -
  References:
  • RIC VI Trier 213a

 

Constantius I (Caesar)
Coin: Bronze Follis
CONSTANTIVS NOB CAES - Laureate head right
FELIX ADVENT AVGG NN - Africa standing to left in elephant headdress, holding standard and tusk, lion with captured bull at feet.
Exergue:
Mint: Carthage (297 AD)
Wt./Size/Axis: 9.76g / 27mm / -
References:

• RIC VI Carthage 22a

My favourite


Constantius I (Caesar)
Coin: Bronze Follis
FL VAL CONSTANTIVS NOB C - Laureate and cuirassed bust right
GENIO POPV-LI ROMANI - Genius standing left, holding patera and cornucopiae
Mint: London (300-305 AD)
Wt./Size/Axis: 9.72g / 27mm / -
Rarity: Rare
References:

• RIC VI 14a

 

Very nice coins indeed Pishpash -- just the way I like them!

 

No invasion coinage here, but I do have an early follis from Cyzicus with a reverse legend not seen here yet:

GENIO AVGG ET–CAESARVM NN, RIC VI 9a p. 580. RIC distinguishes between emission (ii) in 295-6 and (iii) 297-9 on the basis of the portrait. The former is smaller and higher relief. (I think I've got that one; if I'm wrong, this is 11a.) (Apologies for the bad photo, it's on the list for a re-shoot.)

 

Very nice Severus Alexander.

 

Constantius was made Caesar shortly before the coinage reform so there are antoniniani in his name. Below is one from Lugdunum with thunderbolt in exergue and Antioch with XXI.