Ancient pickup: Constantius II, AE3, Siscia. 337-341 AD

I think the above is the correct general attribution. I've been doing some searching (online...I haven't yet decided which books I need to own-this is only my second Roman coin) and I've found some similar coins, but not yet anything exactly the same. It is a small bronze a little smaller than a dime. Here it is:



I found a listing for a quite similar coin (identical reverse and similar obverse):

Constantius II, AE3, Siscia. 337-341 AD

CONSTANTI-VS PF AVG, rosette-diademed, draped, cuirassed bust right.
GLOR-IA EXERC-ITVS, two soldiers holding spears and shields with one standard between them, chi-rho on banner.
Mintmark: BSIS dot in crescent
RIC VIII Siscia 97, rates Scarce.

This coin, though, says only CONSTAN and I can't really tell what it is supposed to say in front of the face--S****C.

Any help completing/correcting the attribution are welcome! Thanks.

Rob

 

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This is a coin of Constantius's younger brother, Constans (hence the obverse legend bearing his name).

I'm pretty sure you'll find the attribution using Helvetica's useful lists here:
http://www.catbikes.ch/coinstuff/coins-ric.htm

Your coin will be in the Soldiers and standards file. You should have no problem at all as your coin has nice clear devices and legends.

 

Z is correct. You should be able to easily attribute this coin using the Helvetica spreadsheets. Dane has put a lot of work into her lists. Also into her work at wildwinds.com which you should bookmark both.
just a hint: your coin was strck at SISCIA.

 

Thanks, gentlemen. See, I didn't even realize that Constans was a separate ruler! I thought it was just an abbreviated legend. Wildwinds was where I was looking and didn't see this.

Looking at the Helvetica list and think I see a couple of likely options. I did know that the <something>SIS was a Siscia mint mark. Not sure what that something is, though. Looks kind of like a B, but also a bit like a Sigma. Since I don't see "Sigma SIS" listed, I guess I'll go with "B" and a trailing "dot in crescent" for the mint mark.

Like this:
Constans Siscia 346-348 AD
Obv: CONSTAN-S PF AVG rosette-diadem, draped, cuirassed
Rev: GLOR-IA EXERC-ITVS chi-rho on banner
Mintmark: BSIS dot in crescent
RIC VIII Siscia 99 c2

or the same but with "LROSDC" for the bust type

LROSDC laurel and rosette diademed, draped and cuirassed. The laurel leaves are denoted as longish () shapes.

ROSDC rosette-diadem, draped, cuirassed. Note that the rosettes are often simple squares with a dot in the centre, note also that some of the RIC co-authors described the LROS... type diademed (see above) simply as a ROS...

Rob

 

You find quite a few variations in the diadems and banners, sometimes depending on the mint, sometimes on the individual engravers. I have quite a few of these coins. Here's a set of Constans two-standard versions from six mints no less. I just need a few more to have a complete mint set...



Notice that my coin from Siscia utilizes the unusual legend FL CONSTANTIS BEA C.

 

Here are two from Lugdunum, Constantine II. Brothers from different officinae: PLG (prima) and SLG (secunda).

 

The OP coin is a lovely little piece......