Ancient Rome: Constantine I AE Follis, London Mint

I really dislike this Emperor, almost irrationally. But I found a coin of this effeminate bloodthirsty opportunist I could get behind.

London Mint, check the style. So cool! He almost looks like a bloke down at the pub you could have a pint of beer with...almost... except for all that hair jewelry.



Post your Constantine I coins or any London Mint coins you like.

 

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Cool addition!


Constantine I AE Follis. Struck circa 309-310 AD. Lugdunum mint. IMP CONSTANTINVS P F AVG, laureate, draped and cuirassed bust right, seen from the back / SOLI INVIC-TO COMITI, Sol standing facing, head left, chlamys hanging behind from left shoulder, holding globe and raising right hand. F-T across fields, mintmark PLG.
Lyons
RIC VI 310

 

Sweet, we are coin bros.

 

That's a very attractive bronze @Sallent and @randygeki .... so stylistically distinctive for the London mint.


Here's two of my favorites of Constantine....Trier and Constantinople:

 

Wow, I'm impressed. Two real winners. Very nice @Mikey Zee

PS: My coin was purchased in London, which is a nice twist. From London, purchased in London, and now in America.

 

Here's a Constantius I follis from London that I cleaned a bunch of green off of:

 

I might as well add my London example too....

Hmmm, He must have managed to get into a fight while hanging out in a pub??? Well, someone broke his nose LOL

 

Strange that you are so anti-Constantine. My coin collection actually spurred me to study him a bit more and wrote a couple research papers about him.

Here are a couple coins from my collection. I want to try a new thing, and put a few words about why I wanted the coin.

I wanted one of the Constantine's coins with this very reverse from Rome because it is frequently used when discussing his conversion to Christianity and when it actually occurred. Personally, I think the coins have little to do with how he actually felt about the divine. The fact that Sol's facial features and abdominals are clear is a bonus.

Constantine I, AD 306-337
Æ follis, 22mm, 2.9g, 12h; Rome mint, AD 314-315.
Obv.: IMP CONSTANTINVS P F AVG, laureate, draped and cuirassed bust right.
Rev.: SOLI INV-I-CTO COMITI, Sol standing half left, radiate, nude but for chlamys over shoulders and left arm, raising right hand commanding the sun to rise, globe in left hand, R over X on left, F on right
In Ex.: RS

Sadly, my coins from London are only two in number however they're both relevant here:


Crispus Caesar, AD 317-326
Ӕ Follis, 18m, 3.1g, 6h; London mint, AD 318
Obv.: FL IVL CRISPVS NOB CAES, Laureate draped cuirassed bust right
Rev.: PRINCIPIA I-VVENTVTIS; Crispus standing right in military dress, holding spear and shield, crescent in left field
In Ex.: PLN

The coin above was the most recent in my collection of the type. I thought the style was very nice and it fits well with my military theme collection. It was also bought as a companion to the coin below:


Constantine II
AE Reduced follis, 18mm, 3.1g; 6h; London, 318 AD
Obv.: FL CL CONSTANTINVS IVN NC; Bust laureate, draped cuirassed, seen from back
Rev.: PRINCIPIA I-VVENTVTIS; Prince in military dress, standing right, cloak spread, leaning on reversed vertical spear, hand resting on shield; crescent right
In Ex.: PLN

I liked the green, orange, and rust colors to the patina but didn't buy it because of color but because of the reverse and the seller's description:

"Reverse extremely rare for Constantine II, common for Crispus. This is exactly the same way Mars is portrayed with the MARTI CONS legends, so it's obvious that the emperor is being portrayed in the guise of Mars. "RIC rates this as an R4 coin, and in this case it may be accurate. I've never seen another example, in real life, or anywhere on the internet ( @John Anthony )."

 

Great job!

 

Thanks! Ah, what expired Verdi-Care can do lol

 

I have a few

But this has to be my favorite of the bunch

Not my fave emporor either Sallent, but I don't dislike the guy.

 

Haha! Good to know. Have to put some on one of my challenge coins I fished out of a former staff car in Guam.

 

@Sallent Looks like we persuaded you to join the darker (bronze) side. Here are a couple of Constantine coins.

 

It expires? Crap I have 2 bottles, lol.

 

A year from manufacture I believe. I didn't use my bottle again for two years until I used it for the follis and another bronze.

 

"I really dislike this Emperor, almost irrationally. But I found a coin of this effeminate bloodthirsty opportunist I could get behind."

Most figures from ancient history to not prompt strong, emotional feelings, but Constantine I is certainly the exception to that rule. It seems that most people either love him or hate him. I guess I am in the rare group that see him in balance, he did some important things that changed history as few people have, like Augustus or Marcus Aurelius before him. However, like them he also committed many excesses that cannot be overlooked.

 

Two Constantine I from London


CONSTANTINE I
AE2
OBVERSE: IMP CONSTANTINVS PF AVG- Laureate, draped and cuirassed bust right
REVERSE: SOLI INVIC-TO COMITI T-F across fileds, PLN in ex.- Sol standing left, raising hand and holding globe
Struck at London 310 AD
4.0g, 24mm
RIC VI Londinium 121a/122

CONSTANTINE I
AE2 Follis
OBVERSE: Constantine I AE3. 315-316 AD. IMP CONSTANTINVS AVG, laureate, cuirassed bust right
REVERSE: SOLI INVICTO COMITI, Sol, radiate, standing left, chlamys across left shoulder, holding globe, right hand raised, S-F across fields, MLN in ex.
Struck at London 315-16 AD
3.1g, 20mm
RIC VII 43
And a Constantine II from London
CONSTANTINE II
AE Follis
OBVERSE: CONSTANTI-NVS IVN NC, laureate, draped and cuirassed bust left
REVERSE: BEATA TRAN-QVILLITAS, globe on altar inscribed VOT / IS / XX, three stars above, PLON in ex.
Struck at London 323-324 AD
2.5g, 19mm
RIC VII 284

 

Very interesting OP coin portrait. He already looks world-weary. Since Constantine was "Britain's Emperor," I wonder if the London die engravers had any special insight into what he "really" looked like. I need to pick up more London mint Constantines.

Below is a scarcer reverse type of his--the "Farnese Hercules." I hate the rock-tumbler "cleaning" the coin got from the seller, but these don't pop up every day, so I grabbed it.

 

That's a mighty distinctive portrait, alright.

Young Constantine was the house-pest of Emperor Galerius for a time. He managed to make it back to his father's side prior to Constantius leaving for Britain in 305 to campaign against the Picts.

A Galerius from the London mint.

GALERIUS
AE Follis. 9.6g, 28mm. Londinium (London) mint, AD 303-305. RIC VI 33. O: MAXIMIANVS NOBIL C, large-sized bust, laureate and cuirassed, right. R: GENIO POPV-LI ROMANI, Genius standing left, holding patera and cornucopiae.

 

@ValientKnight, you did a great job cleaning that coin. It looked terrible before and looks good now.