My newest gift.

Nice...I recognize at least 2 of them. A little fact, on Roman coins that have no letters directly over the head of the main element signifies that that person was still in power when the coin was made. Theres many what we call commemorative s that will recognize past and/or dead Emperors where the writing goes over the head. Also learn what a backwards ? mark, sideways and inverted means in Greek. They use that alot.. . Happy travels

 

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Huh?

 

hey frogo which statement are you huh'ing?

 

The entire paragraph. Where did you read that? None of it is accurate.

 

What @TIF said. None of what you said makes any sense or is factually correct.

 

I use Bazaart on an iPad with great results:

 

Don't believe everything you read even here on CT. During the periods where the distinction was made, a space over the head indicated a more senior person than did a continuous arch. It had nothing to do with living or dead. There are many coins of current rulers with no break and dean rulers with a space. The main thing to learn here is rules were made to be broken especially when the rules were made by collectors millennia after the fact.

A few examples:
A coin of the young Valentinian II when he was a junior ruler:


A later coin of the same Valentinian II but after he had risen in power and got the space:


Divus Marcus Aurelius still has his gap after he died:

Septimius Severus usually got the space of honor but sometimes it was small and came at a natural word break.


Other times the space was larger and came mid-word. Here there is even a dot in the break.

The subject of breaks and the meanings they carried is not a small one.

 

Sorry I got it from a book researching a Nummus

 

My wording was a little different but was to mean the guy on the coin was a current Leader or as you said a person of distinction but not dead, yet. My research was up to 360AD only

 

Cool stuff

 

Whats your collectible of choice if I may ask

 

@dougsmit Thanks for clarifying the facts sir. I was just letting her in on a (paraphrased) thing I had learned. I thought for the longest that the top of my Constans was environmentally damaged until I read about it in RIC. You seem to be quite the collector/keeper of the Ancients and I appreciate anyone who delves into history with your passion.

 

I totally know what you mean about the generosity of our friends here on the forum, Shrew. I have been on the receiving end many times!

That’s a great group of coins you have there!

Erin

 

Constans as the youngest son of Constantine has the fewest coins as Caesar and they have continuous legends. As soon as Constantine died, all three of his sons took the title of Augustus and started using the high respect split legends. None of them would think of admitting a junior status to any of the others including using a continuous legend. I would be interested in seeing any coin of a son as Augustus with continuous legend if such exists.

Constans as Caesar under his father


Constans as Augustus. Of the few Constans coins in my collection, this one has the shortest legend with the largest break. I do not suspect that there was even greater respect claimed by the wider gap but his brothers could not compete since their names were longer.


None of the sons of Constantine were commemorated on coins issued after their death. This makes sense since all three died while at war with the next emperor. The commemorative coins of the late Constantine I issued by his three sons retained the split legend.

I believe those same coins had they been issued with continuous legends would have been perceived as an insult to their father and that was not advisable at that time. It is interesting enough that the Christian Constantine was honored as Divus (DV in the obverse legend). That term would be dropped along with the practice of deifying dead emperors as Christian concepts were realized to be inconsistent with the practice.

 

This turned into a fascinating discussion. I was not aware that a tendency to split the legend was significant for the sons of Constantine.

Constantine II as Caesar - Continuous legend.


Constantius II as Augustus - split


Constans as Augustus - split


I would also like to see the exception.

 

@dougsmit
Here's my Constans. About to freak 'cause my housekeeper can't stand but to re-organize my stuff and had a little trouble locating it! What I an still not sure of is the mint . Can you take a look? 2 Victors.....Thanx

 

Here's two from Constans

Thessalonica

 

to further confuse the info about broken versus unbroken, take a look at Crispus

London A.D. 317 unbroken



London A.D. 320 broken



London 320- 321 unbroken



London A.D. 322- 323 broken



Lyons A.D. 320 broken



Lyons A.D. 320 unbroken



Lyons A.D. 322 broken (note the odd break)



Lyons A.D. 324 unbroken



Trier A.D. 317- 318 unbroken



Trier A.D. 320 broken

 

Not sure where but I read it in the RICs around the 300-400AD sections