As many of you know I quite like the minutiae when it comes to ancients. The folowing coin epitomises this. This is not a significant find and I am not claiming that this is a new type or anything like that but the following coin just has sufficient difference to the normal depiction of Sol to capture my attention. Follis Obv:– IMP CONSTANTINVS P F AVG, Laureate, draped and cuirassed bust right Rev:– SOLI INVICTO COMITI, Sol standing left holding globe in left and raising right Minted in London (T | F / PLN) A.D. Autumn A.D. 310 Reference(s) – RIC VI London 122 var. LMCC 6.02.011 var Brushing from cleaning (not me) has exposed the bronze through the patina on the hogh points as often happens. Small, hard, green encrustations remain visible on both sides. 4.47g. 23.55 mm. 180 degrees Sol is usually depicted as holding the globe sitting in a flat palm and in this pose the chlamys draped to the left of the globe, Here the globe is bein held with the palm wrapped around the outside of the globe with the globve towards the body. The chlamys in this case drapes to the right. The RIC plate coin (Plate 1) of this type can be seen to be the normal depiction. I am not claiming this ti be a different type but an variation applied by the engraver but it certainly stands out as being different alongside it's peers. Here is the RIC plate for RIC 122. And the following is RIC VI London 121a, which is the same type but cuirassed instead of cuirassed and draped.
Nice catch - a rare variant. This is the 5th I've seen from this issue with the globe held inwards, and notably 4/5 are this scarce RIC 122 with the draped bust. Two of these are in the BM on their website, and one ex. Vogelaar sold in CNG 204.264. The non-draped one (RIC 121a) is in the ANS collection. The draped busts seem to occur early in this issue, being a carry-over from the earliest London draped busts for Constantine. This globe held inwards reverse therefore seems to be an early variant.
@Heliodromus I had considered the possibility that it was an early type in much the same way as they seemed to experiment with different variations at Lugdunum before settling on the standard type... Sol walking Sol walking with whip
Interesting pick up, good eye! The figure looks almost experimental, trying to see what does and doesn't work.
