A Gift and a Task

A couple of weeks ago one of our generous posters, @jamesicus, decided to send me a gift of a coin. With the gift, he gave me a mission of researching this coin. It was very magnanimous of him to do so, and because he thought enough to freely gift this coin, I believe it was my responsibility to uphold my part and do some research on it.

The coin was struck under Constantius I "Chlorus" whose original name was Flavius Valerius Constantius. Born 250 AD at Dacia Ripensis, and died July 25, 306, at Eboracum, Britain (present day York, North Yorkshire, England). As a member the tetrarchy created by Diocletian, Constantius was first caesar from 293 to 305 and caesar augustus in 305–306.

Constantius had a distinguished military career and served as governor of Dalmatia. In 289 he left his concubine, Helena, mother of Constantine, and married Theodora, the stepdaughter of the emperor Maximian; with Theodora he had three children, Dalmatius, Constantius, and Constantia.

Constantius was assigned to rule Gaul and ordered to subdue Marcus Aurelius Carausius, a usurper in Britain. In 293 he captured Carausius’s mainland base, Gesoriacum (Boulogne, France). Allectus, Carausius’s finance minister, murdered him and was granted three years of peaceful rule. In 296 Constantius and his praetorian prefect, Asclepiodotius, launched a two-pronged attack on Britain. Asclepiodotius defeated and slew Allectus in Hampshire, while Constantius sailed up the Thames to London and destroyed what was left of Allectus’s army. In 298 he triumphed over the Alemanni in Gaul. When Diocletian and Maximian abdicated on May 1, 305, Constantius became the senior emperor in the West. He died the following year in a victory over the Picts, and his troops proclaimed Constantine emperor.

BTW, Constantius’s nickname Chlorus, means “The Pale” and is first found in Byzantine sources.

Now the coin:

CONSTANTIUS I
AE Follis or Nummus
OBVERSE: IMP C CONSTANTIVS P F AVG, laureate head right
REVERSE: FIDES MI-LITVM ("The loyalty of the military"), Fides enthroned holding a scepter in right hand and a military Ensign of the left hand; pellet right in field; TT in ex.
Struck at Ticinum 305-306 AD
9.15g, 28mm
RIC VI 55a; Sear 14170

Also, from my research I believe this to be a rare reverse for this ruler

Thank you @jamesicus. I'm sorry it took me so long to get this on the forum, but life has a way of taking over.

 

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Oh cool, nice gift! Constantius I is still on my list!

 

Nice writeup, an interesting coin, and a great gift.

 

Whoa cool coon and post!

 

Cool coin and great write up Bing!

 

Nice writeup and coin. And yours is a better reverse type.

Mine just fills a hole.


Constantius I (305 - 306 A.D.)
Ӕ Post Reform Radiate
O: FL VAL CONSTANTIVS NOB CAES: Radiate and cuirassed bust right.
R: CONCORDIA MILI-TVM: Constantius standing facing right receiving Victory on globe from Jupiter standing opposite and holding sceptre, HA in lower centre.
Heraclea Mint, 295 - 296 A.D.
22mm
3.3g
RIC VI Heraclea 15

 

Excellent!


My Constantius I

and my @jamesicus coin

 

Beautiful coin! Great gesture! You guys inspire me! @jamesicus

 

Congrats Bing with your gift from James, these grand follis coins are impressive.
Nice description too, I think this coin needs some Verdicare treatment ?

Here's mine:

 

Bing that is so cool. I would stick it in the soup.



Constantius I (Caesar)
Coin: Bronze Follis
CONSTANTIVS NOB CAES - Laureate head right
FELIX ADVENT AVGG NN - Africa standing to left in elephant headdress, holding standard and tusk, lion with captured bull at feet.
Exergue:
Mint: Carthage (297 AD)
Wt./Size/Axis: 9.76g / 27mm / -
References:

• RIC VI Carthage 22a

 

What a terrific write-up @Bing! Thank you for doing that -- your account of Constantius' restoration of Secessesionist Britain to the Roman Empire is far superior to my own. Your research and report is precisely what I envisioned when I made my request. As for the suggestion made by @Andres2 to "clean up" the coin: please feel free to do whatever you wish in that regard -- I am a staunch believer in the premise that a gift is made with no strings attached. Again, Bing, thank you for that most excellent report.

 

It's not BD, but what would you suggest I use to clean this coin?

 

Green bronze is beautiful!

 

For my Constantius I (coincidentally also a gift from Jamesicus), I used Verdicare, more specifically expired Verdicare (had some I didn't use for two years - think I read on the bottle its recommended to use for a year). Not sure it being expired helped, but I can't really argue with the results:

 

I suppose I need to get some Verticare then

 

In my opinion it looks great @ValiantKnight !

 

Magic soup, do you want the recipe?

 

Sure. As I've said many times, I don't clean coins, but it looks like this one could stand a little care. I'd appreciate it @Pishpash

 

I have a couple of bottles, 1 is atleast a year and a half maybe 2 years old. I don't see an expiration date on either.

Uh, yes I would
I've seen some of your results. Awsome work and I have a couple of coins that need something I just don't know what.

Nice write up @Bing and a nice gift to boot.

 

Nice coin and great 'write-up', Bing.

CONSTANTIUS I Chlorus RIC VI Cyzicus 9a