Someone had a nice find. I wonder if they know what they bought.

I was perusing the previous sales of a new dealer that I haven't dealt with before. I spotted the following coin that was sold at a bargain basement price (<$20).

Can anyone spot why it is interesting? Was it one of you?

 

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It's a Soli Invicto from Ticinum with Sol facing forward rather than left. $20 is indeed a great price. I paid around $100 for mine about 8 years ago, and this one is in better shape than mine:

Ticinum mint, A.D. 312-313
RIC 133
Obv: CONSTANTINVS P F AVG
Rev: SOLI INVI-C-TO COMITI - Sol, head facing forward, holding globe in left hand, raising right
ST in exergue
20 mm, 3.8 g.

 

I wish it was me.

 

Dang, wish I saw that for $20.

 

I thought it was because if you look closely you can see that Sol still has curlers in his hair. Must be before sunrise, that or it was a very cloudy day.

 

It's a really different depiction to most you see. I wish I had seen it a few days ago.

 

Very cool 'Sol standing'! For a type that is otherwise very common, it's the sort of difference that makes a coin like that really stand out.

Not a direct parallel, but when I saw this 'Jupiter standing' in the name of Licinius, I sat up and rubbed my eyes before looking at it again. I didn't pay $20, but I was surprised that I didn't get a little more competition for it.

 

i have this coin too, not as in good as shape as yours, but when getting these coins some 12 years ago i was just getting the coins of the players and didn't care or know anything about the coins other that of who they were made in the name of. really i've been quite fortunate in that respect on most of my coins. kinda like a fool going out to buy a painting and realizing later he's bought a Van Gogh

 

When this happens to me I like to fantasise about the coin coming up again for sale soon after. It has never happened. lol

 

Fantastic coin. I've never seen a facing Sol before. Great pick up for $20. Now, who is that dealer?

 

Cool, I'd love to see it if you happen to have a pic. I've not made a very thorough search yet, but I haven't been able to find another example online so far.

 

Wish I saw that one too! Wow. There was also one, along with a Mars facing one, being sold somewhere else. It sold within 5 minutes of it being posted. Unfortunately, I didn't have the pockets for that one.

 

well...it's not exactly like yours now that i look @ it, but... he's aholdin' the little fella tho

 

Yup, not exactly . I've always associated 'Sol standing' with Constantine and 'Jupiter standing' with Licinius as they struck so many of these bronzes on steadily declining weight standard. I think I'm seeing that yours is from Heraclea. When I saw the one I showed, I was struck by how different it looked from the majority of the later coins, especially with Jupiter's elegantly-cut chlamys. It's from an earlier series struck at Nicomedia, and a hefty 7.41g.

 

I had this Trier mint example a number of years ago from the same seller for much the same price, it sold for considerably more.