Constantine Sol from Rome--mintmark help, please.

So I finally won a cody111111 auction on eBay. He seems to be a good seller, but this fact is no secret, which means his auction results can sometimes approximate retail. Fortunately for me, this was not the case with this auction win. This coin appears to be a garden-variety Constantine / Sol, which is probably why it only sold for about $21. But note the addition of the victory crowning Sol on the reverse, which renders this a somewhat scarce variation. These were struck only at Rome in about 316 A.D. Victor Clark suggests that this exceptional reverse alludes to Constantine’s comparatively recent victory over Licinius in their first Civil War. The reverse legend also adds “DN”—presumably naming Sol not only comitus/companion but also dominus noster, “our lord,” a designation typically reserved for the emperor on the obverse.

But to cut to the chase, the flip that came with this coin states that the mintmark is RQ. But I’m seeing RP. I see a serif on the top left of the second letter, which makes it look more like a P to me. I’m thinking RIC VII 49, P

I’d appreciate a second set of eyes from folks with some experience looking at those LRB mintmarks from Rome. Thanks.

 

Log in or Sign up to hide this ad.

I see the serif too - I don't think I could have ever gotten to Q from seeing that group of letters. Nice score regardless. I've seen his auctions but never bid.

 

i've brought several coins from the good Dr...

 

I agree. I see RP too, which makes sense. Nice coin!

 

I think I have bid on several of his auctions, but I have't won anything. I also kind of gave up since most of the prices hit what you can find at vcoins or something anyway.

I would also guess P, not Q!

Here is my RT Rome mint, with funky die break.



Constantine I, 312-313 AD

O: IMP C CONSTANTINVS PF AVG, die break on nose, R: SOLI INV-I-CTO COMITI, RT in ex., Rome mint. RIC VI Rome 318. 20 mm, 3.7 g

 

Thanks everybody for the confirmations. I have probably looked at, oh, about 1000 of these coins. But I love the variety. Even the most recent one in this thread has an elegance in the posture of Sol. It may seem silly to talk about “fine style“ for a $20 coin. But some of the die engraving illustrates a real grace.

 

I just went through my catalog where I have 7 coins annotated from cody111111. I've never been disappointed. Here is just one example:

NEROAE
OBVERSE: NERWN KLAYDIOS KAISAR GER, draped bust right
REVERSE: QYAT-EIRH/NW-N, labrys (double axe)
Struck at Thyateira, Lydia, 55AD
2.97g, 17mm
RPC 2381; SNG von Aulock 3216; BMC 58; SNG Copenhagen 595;
SNG Munich 612; Weber 6931; Mionnet VII 596; Lindgren I 834

 

Not at all silly! Price has nothing to do with quality but only popularity versus supply. As long as the majority of the market prefers high priced coins, those willing to look for beauty in other places will find it for lower prices. The 'market value' of a coin makes absolutely no difference until you sell it. If you study and appreciate coins, you can get 'intellectual value' and still have the coin. That is about as close to having your cake and eating it, too, as we can get.

 

I have a few from Cody1...et al. I always had great transactions with him. Here is a fun one:

(Sorry, @Gavin Richardson , can't help with the Mint Mark... but I cannot see a 'Q'...)


Carthage Siculo 264-241 BCE AE 15 Palm Tree Pegasus 1st Punic War