Inspired by this thread and the coin of @brittannia40, here's a pic of the follis I bought the other week. The angel (or Victory) appears to be rapidly shooting past on a sleigh due to the oval form of the shield and the parallel forms of her dress and spear. Constantiopolis cities series (330-354). AE reduced follis, Antioch. Obv. Laureate and helmeted bust of Constantinopolis l. Rev. Victory standing left on prow, holding spear and resting on shield. 17 mm, 2.96 gr.
Here's mine: Time of Constantine I, AD 306 - 337 EA, 1.7g, 19mm; 6h; Thessalonica, Greece Obv.: CONSTAN-TINOPOLIS; bust left, laur. helmet, wearing imperial cloak, reversed spear Rev.: Victory standing left on prow holding spear and shield In Ex.: SMTS⌂ Mine is not as nice.
I think there was some overlap in the victory to angel transition just as there was with the chthonic nymph to Nike transition. I was reading a work by Bruno Snell last night that discussed the emergence of proper nouns from earlier adjectival and verbal word forms in archaic Greek linguistics. Makes sense that the epithet of victory would eventually become a figure of its own. So perhaps a victorious Angel or angelic Victory?
I just wrote a bit about that in a recent post- https://www.cointalk.com/threads/5-new-romans.320381/#post-3141010
As it turned out, I also have a slightly different Victory on Prow, not surfing the waves but in the act of stepping up her board, from Siscia. Constantine I. AE follis Siscia, officina A 330-335. Obv. Helmeted bust to left, sceptre over shoulder. CONSTANTINOPOLIS. Victory standing left on prow, holding shield and lance. ASIS. 17.5 mm, 2.33 gr. RIC VII, 324. LRBC I, 746.
