A very common type can be pleasing

No ancient coins are more common than those of Constantine, and this is a very common type of his.


18-17 mm. 3.20 grams.
CONSTANTINVS MAX AVG
rosette diademed bust right, draped and cuirassed
GLORIA EXERCITVS
two soldier and two standards
SMANB
Antioch mint, struck 335. RIC VII Antioch 86.

Even a coin of a very common type can be extremely pleasing. In this case the condition is high and the surfaces still have a coppery color. Most of all, I like the portrait with the sculpted face and detailed hair and diadem.

Show us a very common coin that is pleasing.

 

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Very nice Constantine! It seems that Tetrarchy folles are very common as well. Here's a very pleasing one of Maximian from Antioch. I just love the portrait and the fine line details in his hair.


304 - 305 A.D., Antioch Mint, 6th Officina
9.20g, 28.0mm, 12H
Obverse: IMP C M A MAXIMIANVS P F AVG,
Head of Maximian, laureate, right

Reverse: GENIO POPV-LI ROMANI,
Genius, wearing modius, nude, chlamys draped over left shoulder, standing left, pouring liquid from patera in right hand and holding cornucopiae in left hand

Exergue: -/ς//ANT•

Reference: RIC VI Antioch 58b

 

I agree with everything you typed @Valentinian . And I'm a fan of those coins, even though they are common.


Time of Constantine, 330-333 AD
AE, follis, 17mm, 2.2g; 6h; Trier, AD 333-334
Obv.: VRBS ROMA; helmeted bust of Roma wearing imperial mantle left
Rev.: She-wolf standing left, with Romulus and Remus suckling beneath, two stars above, wreath between
In Ex.: TRS

 

I have a couple very nice examples of the GLORIA EXERCITVS type:


Constantine I, AD 306-337
Æ Follis, 18mm, 2.3g, 6h; ; Trier mint, AD 332-333.
Obv.: CONSTANTINVS MAX AVG; rosette-diademed, draped, cuirassed bust right.
Rev.: GLOR-IA EXERC-ITVS; two soldiers holding spears and shields with two standards between them with thin pointed banners
In Ex.: TR•S

Not Constantine:

Constantius II
AE, 2.76g, 17mm; 6h; Alexandria
Obv.: FL IVL CONSTANTIVS NOB C; laureate cuirassed bust right
Rev.: GLOR-IAEXERC-ITVS; two soldiers standing between two banners with dots, holding shield and spear
In Ex.: SMALB


Constantine II, AD 317-340
AE, follis, 15.5mm, 2.65g; 6h; Lugdunum
Obv.: CONSTANTINVS I[V]N NOB C; laureate, cuirassed bust right
Rev.: GLOR-AI EXERC-ITVS; two soldiers hoding spears and shields with two standards between them; standards with Os on banner
In Ex.: SLC

 

This is one of my more pleasing campgates. I think you might be familiar with it.

 

My best example might be this Julian AE1. A common coin, but also one of my favourites from my collection.

 

I'm bored tonight and I have many common coins, and some I think are very nice. Moving away from LRBs, I believe the below coin is both common and nice.


MYSIA, Pergamon. c. 166-67 BC.
AR Tetradrachm, 29mm 12.5, 12h; Cistophoric standard. Struck c. 104-98 BC.
Obv.: Cista mystica with serpent; all within ivy wreath.
Rev.: Bow case with serpents; above, KP above prytaneis monogram, civic monogram to left, serpent-entwined staff to right.
This tetradrachm is well struck, sadly the obverse isn't exactly centered, but at least no design elements are off flan.

 

Not bad except for the green snot
Valens
Mint: Siscia
367 to 375 AD
AE 3
Obvs: DN VALENS PF AVG
Revs: SECVRITAS REIPVBLICAE, Victory walking. k P ASISCR Q
18mm, 2.8g
Ref: RIC IX.147.15b

Not super common, but there are many around
Constantine I
Rome mint
312 to 313 AD
AE Follis
Obvs: IMP CONSTANTINVS PF AVG, right laureate and draped seen from rear.
Revs: SPQR OPTIMO PRINCIPI, Legionary eagle facing left between two vexilla. RS
22mm, 4.48g
RIC VI 348a

 

CRISPUS
AE3
OBVERSE: D N FL IVL CRISPVS NOB CAES Laureate, draped and cuirassed bust right
REVERSE: PROVIDEN TIAECAESS Jupiter stg. l., chlamys across l. shoulder, leaning on scepter, holding Victory on globe. In field to l., palm branch; in field to r., dot A; in exergue, SMN
Struck at Nicomedia 317 - 320 A.D
2.92g, 18mm
RIC VII 32

 

Coins of Gallienus are as common as meatloaf in a middle-school cafeteria. But I like this one from the zoo series. Sure, the flan made it past Kevin in quality control, but the obverse and reverse legends are uncharacteristically complete, the obverse portrait of the emperor is exceptionally well-struck and in fine style for the issue, and the stag on the reverse is Bambi-cute:


Gallienus, AD 253-268.
Roman billon Antoninianus, 3.53 g, 20.1 mm, 1 h.
Rome, AD 267-268.
Obv: GALLIENVS AVG, radiate head, right.
Rev: DIANAE CONS AVG, stag walking right; X I in exergue.
Refs: RIC 179K; Göbl 745b; Cohen 157; RCV 10201.

 

Great idea for a thread and great coins all!

Here is a common coin, but still historically important. This coin was minted just decades before the battle of Hastings and the Norman invasion of England.

Cnut was "ealles Engla landes cyning" King of all England.


t

ENGLAND. CANTERBURY, Royal mint, Cnut (1016-35), Silver Penny, 0.91g, 17.52 mm, Short Cross type moneyer Wulfwig.
Obv: Diademed bust left with lis sceptre, +CNVT - RECX:
Rev: Short voided cross, central annulet enclosing pellet, +PVLFPIGONCANT
Good Very Fine, slightly creased and pecked
North 790
London Coin Galleries, Auction 4 - Part 2 Lot 1402 June 1, 2017

 

Nice coins guys. Here's a nice large common coin from Diocletian.


Diocletian
IMP DIOCLETIANVS AVG
Laureate head right

GENIO POPVLI ROMANI
Genius standing left holding patera and Cornucopiae SF in fields PTR in ex.

Trier 294 AD

9.74g

29 mm

RIC 582
EF

 

In praise of the common coin? That is a topic I can get behind!

Here is a very common Domitian denarius from 88, from perhaps his most plentiful issue.

Domitian
AR Denarius, 3.50g
Rome mint, 88 AD
RIC 584 (C3). BMC 122. RSC 233.
Obv: IMP CAES DOMIT AVG GERM P M TR P VII; Head of Domitian, laureate, bearded, r.
Rev: IMP XIIII COS XIIII CENS P P P; Minerva stg. l., with spear (M4)
Acquired from Apollo Numismatics, November 2013.

 

It seems Roman coins suit this thread more than Greek coins, but there are some very common Greek coins. This is perhaps the most common type of "Greek fraction."



Mysia. Cyzicus. 5th century BC. (Note it is old)
Silver obol. 12 mm. 0.78 grams.
Forepart of boar running left, retrograde "E" on shoulder, tunny upward to right
Forepart of lion roaring left (of remarkable style) in incuse square

Sear Greek 3848 minor variety
von Aulock I Mysia 1214 (possibly the same dies).

 

My London Constantine campgate is common and pleasing to the eye.

 

Not quite so common with as nice of eye appeal as yours. I know, I've been looking.

I second this. My below needs new photos though.


I also agree with those posting tetrarchy folles.


Love this thread topic @Valentinian

 

We had an Urbs Roma in this thread. How about an Eastern counterpart?

 

Lovely !

 

Wow, I love this thread. Really brought out the regulars too... good to have y'all together!

Here are a few more. Warren's Greek example:


Hellenistic (drachm under Philip III Arrhidaios), I really need to take my own photo of this:


Rhodian didrachm:


Finding attractive common Byzantine is hard!


Moving further afield, Kushan:


Islamic (dirham under al-Walid I, AH 96):


And finally, Chinese (10 cash of Hui Zong, Northern Song dynasty):

 

L.SAVF denarii are relatively easy to find. I bought one soon after deciding to concentrate on RR coins. It is a nice coin with good toning, centered, reasonably well struck and fit in a time window where I did not have a coin.


I do not normally upgrade, but when I saw this one, I had to have it.