German collectors call coins of the type below affectionately "Trierer Pelzchen", which means something like "little fur from Trier". The name refers to an iconographic specialty of Constantinian folles from Trier (Germany), which was the only mint that depicted the emperor in a fur or pelt-brimmed cloak. Below are two particularly nice examples from my collection. Common as they are, these are real pieces of art.
While the two coins above are common, the example below shows a rarer bust type, with Constantine II's hand raised for the swear the Vota oath. The coin is also from my collection.
Wow! That one certainly is rare and in great condition. That's a highly desirable piece. The first three above are of Constantine II. Here is one of Constantius II. Constantius II as Caesar. Struck 327-8 according to RIC. 18 mm. 3.60 grams. RIC VIII Trier 506 Schulten 31st emission, plate 8.11.
Especially your third coin is simply magnificent, @Tejas . Wow! Here is a much more pedestrian Constantine II example featuring the Trier fur coat: Constantine II, Roman Empire, AE3, 326AD, Trier. Obv: CONSTANTINVS IVN NOB C, bust of Constantine II, laureate, draped, cuirassed, l. Rev: PROVIDENTIAE CAESS, globe on altar inscribed VOT/IS/XX; camp gate with two turrets, star above; in exergue, STR crescent. 19mm, 3.01g. Ref: RIC VII Treveri 479.
I've got a fancy lad Constantius II! Constantius II As Caesar, AD 324-337. Æ Follis, Treveri (Trier) mint. Struck AD 326. Laureate, draped, and cuirassed bust left / Camp-gate with two turrets and no door; star above; PTR(pellet-within-crescent). RIC VII 480; LRBC 29. Ex Severus Alexander
Were any “Trierer Pelzchen” struck for Constantine the Great, or were they only for the sons of Constantine?
Not Trier, but mine is Siscia... RI Constantine I CE 306-337 Æ Follis 19mm 3.2g Siscia CE 326-7 AVG Laureate R - PROVIDENTIAE AVGG Camp gate 2 turrets no door star RIC 200
Not sure he's wearing furs, but here's another interesting obverse from Trier: Constantine I Treveri (Trier) mint, A.D. 322-323 RIC 369 Obv: CONSTAN-TINVS AVG Rev: BEATA TRAN-QVILLITAS - Globe on altar inscribed VO/TIS/XX; 3 stars above [dot]PTR[dot] in exergue 20 mm, 4.2 g.
I don't think that the fur-brimmed cloak appears on coins for Constantine I. On this pseudo-Argenteus, however, Constantine I may be wearing a lion's skin with one paw hanging down his shoulder. The mint is Trier again, so that would fit.
Yes, possibly he is just raising his hand in greeting. I thought since he seems to raise only two fingers and since it is a Vota-piece, the gesture may indicate the swearing of the oath, but again, I may be wrong.
Really interesting details, @Tejas. I love the coins of Trier too. My favorite recent coin is this BEATA issue. The oversized head and the tiny T-Rex hand make the portrait look like a modern carnival caricature. The first photo is the seller's; the second is my own. I like the seller's better, but I like all my coins to have a uniform blue background. This chocolate patina is hard to photograph.
Great to see all these nice coins of the Trier mint. It looks like a particularly accomplished celator was working in Trier at the time. Note the decorations on the helmet, cuirass and the shield on this coin. He managed to squeeze a whole battle scene on the tiny shield.
That shield battle scene seems the forerunner of those "fallen warrior" helmet plates from Valsgarde and Sutton Hoo.
Trier does have a nice style, which other mints might have saved for precious metal minting. Constantine I billon "argenteus" (Marc Walter, Vcoins): Constantine II AE follis with an interesting half-length bust holding spear and globe (Victor Clark, Vcoins): Constantine II AE follis with orbiculus on trabea, victory on globe and scepter (UK find, 2014):
Nice to see so many LRBs from Trier! What I like about the mint is that the high quality of portraiture seems astonishingly consistent. Even the most unspectacular and crappiest types often show a comparably high level of artistic skill: Constans, Roman Empire, AE3, 347–348 AD, Trier mint. Obv: CONSTANS P F AVG; bust of Constans, rosette-diademed, draped, cuirassed, r. Rev: VICTORIAE DD AVGGQ NN; two Victories, winged, draped, standing front, facing each other, each holding wreath in r. hand and palm in l. hand; between them, star; in exergue, TRS. 15.5mm, 1.38g. Ref: RIC VIII Treveri 188. Ex Warren Esty. Compare that to, for example, Siscia. The difference is immediately visible: Constans, Roman Empire, AE3/4, 347–348 AD, Siscia mint. Obv: CONSTANS P F AVG; bust of Constans, rosette-diademed, draped, cuirassed, r. Rev: VICTORIAE DD AVGGQ NN; two Victories, winged, draped, standing front, facing each other, each holding wreath in r. hand and palm in l. hand; in exergue, •ΓSIS•. 17mm, 1.35g. Ref: RIC VIII Siscia 185.