A nice sharp portrait of Constantine the Great

I bought this coin just because the portrait is as sharp as anyone could ask for in a silvered LRB. The reverse has someflatness on Jupiter's head but the coin is just about fully silvered, which is a nice change too.

It is worth enlarging the image to allow you to see every hair still in place.

Constantine the Great - Follis

Obv:– IMP CONSTANTINVS P F AVG, Laureate cuirassed bust right
Rev:- IOVI CONSERVATORI, Jupiter standing left, chlamys across left shoulder, holding Victory on globe and sceptre, eagle with wreath at foot left
Minted in Siscis (_ | D / dot SIS dot). A.D. 315-316
Reference(s) – RIC VII Siscia 15

 

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Constantine AE Follis. 313-315 AD. AE3

OBV: IMP CONSTANTINVS PF AVG, Laureate head right.

REV: IOVI CONS-ERVATORI, Jupiter standing left holding Victory on globe and leaning on sceptre, eagle at foot left with wreath in its beak, officina letter A, B, G, D or epsilon to right, mintmark SIS. note: RIC does not list this reverse break.

REF: RIC VII Siscia 5

This coin need to be reshot. I haven't gotten around to it yet.

Very nice OP coin for sure. Well scored.

 

You were right to get this for the portrait. Very nice.

 

Yes, a lovely, crisp portrait.

 

Martin, I love the 'type' and have a few silvered Follii (?) myself----I love the details on yours, the strands of hair and the near full silvering....

My Constantine does not have any evidence of surviving silvering but several others of mine of the era do....which begs the question--Were they all once silvered follis' or were any purposely struck without any at all??? Excluding the subsequent 'reduced follis' that immediately followed.??

 

that's a great portrait indeed martin. i like the "art deco" style busts. this is my favorite coin of constantine.

 

Nice reverse Chris.

 

A nice portrait. It reminded me of this bust of Constantine.

 

Eyes are a bit too creepy for me, not bad overall though.

 

It's interesting to note that the eyes on that statue are stylized the same way as they are on certain coins. Not all of the mints went the over-stylized route, though. It seems to me the Western mints were a bit more realistic, for example, this coin of Trier (which I've over-posted but it seems to fit here) - my sharpest bust of Constantine I...

 

Constantine I
Coin: Bronze Follis
IMP CONSTANTINVS PF AVG - Laureate and cuirassed bust right
SOLI INVI CTO COMITI - Sol standing left, chlamys handing behind from left shoulder, holding globe and raising right hand. F-T across field
Exergue:
Mint: Lyons, Lugdunum (309-310 AD)
Wt./Size/Axis: 4.46g / 24mm / -
Rarity: R1
References:

• RIC VI Lyons 308