What a difference a dot makes (on a siliqua)

The most common reverse design on a the siliqua denomination is
VOTIS
XXX
MVLTIS
XXXX
within a wreath, for Constantius II (Caesar 324-337, Augustus 337-361).



21.5 mm. 2.90 grams. Mintmark • SIRM
for Sirmium (now in Serbia)
RIC VIII Sirmium 17 "Common, Sept. 351 - 6 Nov. 355"
RSC V 342-3f
DO Papers (1964) "Late Roman Gold and Silver Coins at Dumbarton Oaks: Diocletian to Eugenius." 97-99. Interesting about this last reference work are #100-103, four very similar coins with the same design but 2 mm smaller in diameter and averaging about 2.1 grams instead of the 3-gram average of the type above. The design difference is minimal--they have mintmark "SIRM" (without the dot).

If you want a siliqua you may find this design the most affordable. Be aware it comes in two distinctly different sizes and weights.

Show us a siliqua! If you can, report its diameter and weight.

 

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Since you are Valentinian I (1st post...)

VALENTINIAN II (2nd post...).


RI Valentinian II
AD 375-392
AR Siliqua 18mm 1.8g
Trier
Victory wreath palm
RIC IX 43

 

CONSTANTIUS II, Siliqua
SIRM Sirmium, 355-361
2.00 g - 19 mm
S 3997 - C 343 - RIC VIII, 68
DN CONSTANTIVS PF AVG, Diademed bust right
VOTIS XXX MVLTIS XXXX in a wreath

 

@Alwin , thank you very much for showing us the reduced siliqua from Sirmium. It is interesting how much like the OP coin it is, especially in a photograph where size is not evident. In hand, I'm sure the smaller diameter and lighter weight is easily noticed.

 

Like @Alwin, I have the reduced siliqua at 2.07g:

It would be nice to pair it with a heavy one like yours!

 

Constantius II, Roman Empire
AR siliqua
Obv: D N CONSTAN-TIVS P F AVG, pearl-diademed, draped, and cuirassed bust right
Rev: VOTIS XXX / MVLTIS XXXX, all within wreath
Mint: Sirmium
Mintmark: • SIRM •
Date: 357-361 AD
Ref: RIC VIII 66
Size: 3.31 gr, 22 mm wide

 

Reduced issue? Slightly filed/clipped? Either way, this Valens has a 'dot', is 18 x 16.2 mm., and weighs 2.066 gr.

Roman Empire, Valens (364-378)
AR Siliqua, Lugdunum mint, 364-367
Obv.: Diademed head of Valens, right; DN VALEN-S PF AVG
Rev.: Valens standing, facing, head right, holding Chi-rho labarum in r. hand,
Victory on a globe in l. hand; RESTITV-TOR REIP; exergue: PLVG•
Diam.: 18 x 16.2 mm. Weight: 2.065 gr. Axis: 12h
Attrib.: RIC IX 6f.3

 

Mine is both reduced and somewhat clipped, thus the light weight of 1.71g. Fortunately, the main design is not affected by clipping:


Valens, Roman Empire, AR siliqua, 367–378 AD, Trier mint. Obv: DN VALENS PF AVG; bust of Valens, draped, cuirassed, and pearl-diademed, r. Rev: VRBS ROMA; Roma seated l. on throne, holding Victory on globe and sceptre; in exergue TRPS•. 17mm, 1.71g. Ref: RIC IX Treveri 27E/45B.

 

Lovely Siliqua, @Valentinian.
Constantius II minted a lot of siliquae and really started churning them out after his reform of 355. Here are some pre and post-reform siliqua of Constantius II that I own.

 

That's a lovely example along with many others on this thread . I've only got one siliqua, but it came from the East Harptree Hoard of 1887. It's the oldest reliable provenance of any coin in my collection & it cost me only $55.00 at auction .

 

Here's a VERY lightweight siliqua from Constantinople - @Magnus Maximus shows a couple of others with different officinae
Constantius II (AD 337-361), AR (reduced) siliqua, Constantinople mint AD 351 - 355
Size: 18.50mm, 1.57g
Obv: D N CONSTANTIVS P F AVG, Bust of Constantius II, pearl-diademed, draped, cuirassed, right
Rev: VOTIS/XXX/MVLTIS/XXXX within a wreath, C.Δ in exergue (mint and officina)
Ref: RIC (Constantius II) 102

and this 1.91g lightweight from Lugdunum

Constantius II, AD 337-361, AR Siliqua (15.5-18.5mm, 1.91 g, 6h), Lugdunum (Lyon) mint, struck AD 360-361.
Obv: IMP CONSTANTIVS PF AVG, Pearl-diademed, draped, and cuirassed bust right
Rev: VOTIS/ XXX/ MVLTIS/ XXXX in four lines within wreath; LVG
Ref: RIC VIII 216; Lyon 260; RSC 342-3a

 

Constantius II Ar Siliqua Sirmium Mint 350-355 AD Obv Bust right draped and cuirassed wearing pearl diadem. Rv Legend within wreath RIC 66 2.83 grms 20 mm Photo by W. Hansen In the case of my coin the mintmark has two dots thus .SIRM. The coin does appear to be one of the heavy siliqua, however it does have a rather ragged flan. Maybe the coin was struck just before quitting time.

 

The perfect strike & mint state of this coin over-shadow the striking cracks !

 

Constantius II
AR Pre reform Siliqua
Circ 351-355 CE
3.11 Grams
Constantinople mint.
I had to dig deep in my archives to find this one. Probably one of the nicest-looking coins in my collection.

 

All of my siliquae [is that the correct plural?] must be "reduced" siliquae, because none of them weighs more than 2.2 grams. (I do realize that sometimes a low weight results from clipping, but I doubt that's the primary reason for any of mine, even though some do show signs of clipping.)

Julian II (nephew of Constantine I), AR Siliqua. 360-361 A.D, Arles [Constantina/Arelatum] Mint, 1st Officina. Obv. Pearl-diademed, draped, and cuirassed bust right, DN IVLIAN-VS P F AVG / Rev. VOTIS/V/MVLTIS/X in four lines within wreath. In exergue: PCON [PRIMA CONSTANTINA = First officina in Arles]. RIC VIII Arles 295, RSC V 16, Sear RCV V 19132. 17 mm., 2.2 g.



Valens, AR Siliqua, 364-367 AD, Rome Mint. Obv. DN VALEN-S PF AVG, pearl-diademed, draped, cuirassed bust right / Rev. VOT- V- MV•LT - X in four lines within wreath. In exergue: Mintmark RB. RIC IX Rome 10c (p. 118), RSC V 91(h) (ill.), Sear RCV V 19687. 17 mm., 2.00 g. From 1887 East Harptree hoard (one of 19 coins of this type in hoard; see https://archive.org/details/thirdnumismatic08royauoft/page/46/mode/1up). Ex Spink Auction 16006, 26-27 Sep 2016, Part of Lot 3028. (See https://www.numisbids.com/n.php?p=lot&sid=1689&lot=3028.) [Footnote omitted.]



Gratian, AR Siliqua, 368-375 AD, Trier Mint. Obv. Pearl-diademed, draped, and cuirassed bust right, D N GRATIA-NVS P F AVG / Rev. Helmeted Roma seated left on throne, holding Victory on globe in right hand, and scepter in left hand, VRBS ROMA; in exergue, TRPS• (Trier Mint; PS = pvsvlatvm, struck from refined silver). RIC IX 27f(1) at p. 19, RSC V 86a, Sear RCV V 19964. 17 mm., 2.0 g.



Valentinian II, AR Siliqua, AD 375-392, Siscia Mint. Obv. Pearl-diademed, draped, and cuirassed bust left, DN VALENTINANVS PF AVG / Rev. VOT XV MVLT XX in wreath with star at top; in exergue, SISCPS. RIC 19c(1), RSC V 74Ab, Sear RCV V 20252. 18 mm., 2.00 g. Purchased on Jan. 14, 2022 from Keith Candiotti (Miami, FL) at NYINC 2022.

 

I am not that much interested in coinage of the late Roman Empire, but the siliquae of that period are pretty attractive coins and some of the earlier ones were of the weight and fineness of First Century AD denarii. Handsome coins, these siliquae. I have a few of these below. I don't know if there is anything unusual about them. I never paid any attention to the "dots" mentioned above. If anyone more familiar with these coins notices anything notable about any of them please tell me. Thanks

From top left, a "heavy" siliqua of Constantius II, weighing 3.39 g. No dots but there seems to be a tiny C.B. at the bottom, whatever that might mean or stand for. Sear 3936. Next is siliqua of Julian II, weighing 2.6 g. Sear 4071. Third up is one of Valentinian at 1.8 g, Sear 4097. Bottom left, a coin of Valens, Sear 4112 at 2.1 g F Fifth up is a later siliqua of Honorius and by that time the siliqua was close to 1 gram in weight. This one is 1.2 g and is CRS 826. Lastly is a very well clipped one of Honorius , actually a pretty good image but weighing only .8 grams and is Sear 4150. I think his silver is found more clipped than not. Again, as I don't pay as much attention to later Roman Imperial coinage as other areas. If I have an error or interesting fact I missed please feel free to mention it.

 

Looks like the same one I sold off like a year or so ago. Edge chips and everything.

Gratian, Western Roman Empire
AR siliqua
Obv: D N GRATIA-NVS P F AVG, pearl-diademed, draped, and cuirassed bust right
Rev: VRBS ROMA, Roma seated left on cuirass, holding Victory on globe and inverted spear
Mint: Trier
Mintmark: TRPS·
Date: 367-383 AD
Ref: RIC IX 46b

 

I think you're right! Small world. I bought the coin from Steve McBride of Incitatus Coins in December 2020. Is he the person who bought the coin from you?

 

I put it up for auction on eBay, so either Steve won it or someone else who then sold it to him.

I know @Alegandron has a few of my old coins as well. And I’ve sold some coins through @John Anthony in the past.

 

Did anyone try bidding in today's auction by Noonan [formerly and until this month, Dix, Noonan & Webb] of "The Vale of Pewsey Hoard of Late Roman Silver Coins"? Here's the description of the hoard from the introduction to the print catalogue:

"Presented here for sale is a hoard of fourth and early fifth century Roman silver coins, recovered in September 2020 from farmland in the Vale of Pewsey, Wiltshire, by a team of three avid metal detectorists. Over the course of two days Rob Abbott, Dave Allen and Mick Rae discovered a total of 160 silver coins and coin fragments, which were subsequently submitted to the relevant authorities for processing according to the Treasure Act 1997
(PAS BM–7D34D9, BM 2020 T702).

No container has been recovered from the site and the coins’ dispersal over an area of around 30 metres across the field suggests that the original parcel was disrupted in recent times by agricultural activity. A few of the recovered coins were badly chipped, broken or fragmentary. Most of these breaks look fresh and it would seem that this unfortunate damage has resulted from regular ploughing of the field for agricultural purposes.

We should be enormously grateful, therefore, that the hoard was recovered when it was before more coins succumbed to a similar fate. Numismatists and historians alike should appreciate the diligent efforts of these three finders in rescuing the Vale of Pewsey Hoard and ensuring that this important group was properly recorded for future study.

Following assessment and appraisal the British Museum decided to acquire two Miliarensia from the group for the Nation’s collection. The remaining coins were disclaimed and returned to the original finders, who have now chosen to sell the hoard so that private scholars and numismatists may have the opportunity to acquire examples for their own collections. Only those pieces in fragmentary state have been retained by the finders, and all 142 complete, or near complete, coins are listed in this catalogue; eighteen Miliarensia and 124 Siliquae.

Amongst them are numerous rare and beautifully preserved specimens which will appeal to specialist Roman collectors and general numismatists alike."

Here's the breakdown of the 142 lots:

CONSTANS (337–350) 1
CONSTANTIUS II (337–361) 2–7
JULIAN II (360–363) 8–11
VALENTINIAN I (364–375) 12–14
VALENS (364–378) 15–33
GRATIAN (367–383) 34–49
VALENTINIAN II (375–392) 50–59
THEODOSIUS I (379–395) 60–74
MAGNUS MAXIMUS (383–388) 75–92
FLAVIUS VICTOR (387–388) 93–95
ARCADIUS (383–408) 96–118
EUGENIUS (392–394) 119–133
HONORIUS (393–423) 134–142

You can see the online version of the catalogue, with prices realized, at https://www.noonans.co.uk/auctions/archive/past-catalogues/643/catalogue/.

I bid on three lots -- I was tempted to bid on many more! -- and won two, one from Julian II and one from Magnus Maximus. I will wait to post them until they arrive.