Third and youngest son of Constantine. Pretty decent price I got it for $12.00. he had 20. He told me he'd take12.00 for it. I didn't think that was bad.
The VOT XX MULT XXX will let you place the date. But I do not understand the politics. He ruled 337-350. So, I don't know how he won 20 annual re-elections. Someone else can explain that. (Nice story in Wikipedia.)
Vota numbers have nothing to do with offices and the emperors who used them played fast and loose with the math. In general, VOTA V means, "I have taken vows to be a good ruler for a period of five years." VOTA XX MVLTI XXX means, "After having honored my promises for the first twenty years, I now extend those promises for another ten." The first vows would count from the time of becoming Caesar so Constans could count from 333 but it was not unusual to take on the new vows a few years early and Constans did not live 20 years after 333. I suspect he counted vows from his birth since he was born to the reigning emperor and was always a member of the Imperial family and had to maintain a public presence. Anyone who claims to understand politics, ancient or modern, probably does not have a firm grasp on the word.
If you want to know more about VOTA coins, see my page http://augustuscoins.com/ed/VOTA/ On a linked page covering VOTA coins of the mid-fourth century http://augustuscoins.com/ed/VOTA/VOTX.html there is an example of the OP type for Constantius II: Constantius II 14 mm. 1.89 grams. VOT/XX/MVLT/XXX RIC VIII Antioch 113 struck "347-348". Very common. From 15 officina! Constantius II had a long reign. Made Caesar in 324, he became Augustus upon Constantine's death in 337 and ruled with brothers and cousins until 361. This type has vows for 20 years multiplied to 30 years. John Kent (author of RIC VIII) argues that copper production shut down almost completely in 340 and was not resumed until 347 with a few types issued only shortly before the coin reform of 348 that introduced the very common FEL TEMP REPARATIO types. How can we understand the type if that date is right? I don't know.
Do you enjoy it? Did you learn a bunch of cool new things because of it? I’d say $12 bucks is a good deal if you answer yes.
I think you did! It has a nearly complete obverse legend, a nice portrait, and the reverse is centered enough to see the mintmark completely. It's a nice example of the type.
Thats a typical coin you will find in a lot of 10 or 20 Constantine I and sons , they go for $25 (10) and $45 (20) Here's mine from a lot of 10 I'll guess $12 for a single coin is OK, considering the handling costs for the seller.
Not a bad coin Shrews and you should be happy you got it for $12. The second coin I ever bought was a Constantius II GLORIA EXERCITVS type for $12 and that was in 1980!!!
Constans RI Constans 337-350 Æ Follis 22mm 3.9g Heraclea CE 348-351 holding globe - FEL TEMP REPARATIO soldier spear leads figure from hut RI Constans 337-350 AE3 19mm Thesalonika mint Reparatio stdg CHI RHO banner
