Constans GLORIA EXERCITVS, a complete Roman mint set.

On December 25, 333, Constantine elevated his 10-year-old son Flavius Julius Constans to the rank of Caesar, and the first coinage bearing his name and effigy began to be struck. These GLORIA EXERCITVS (Glory of the Army) types, with two soldiers and two standards, were already being issued for Constantine and Constantine Jr. All 13 imperial mints in operation at the time started issuing Constans' coins. (Londinium and Ticinium had closed up shop before the run of this series.)

Collecting a mint set of these coins was something that @dougsmit suggested to me a couple of years ago. Most of the types are scarce to rare, owing to the fact that they were minted for Constans only a short time before the series was discontinued in favor of the smaller one-standard types. It's been quite a challenge to find some of these coins at any price, but I have now completed the task in the sense that all of the mints are accounted for. (Some of the coins could use upgrades.)

Here is a map of Roman mints from Victor's excellent website...



A few notes about the collection without getting too verbose: there are 9 right-facing busts, 4 left; 3 of the coins come from other forum members: Lugdunum from @YOC , Nicomedia from @Victor_Clark , and Alexandria from @HoldingHistory ; the Antioch coin comes from the Ihnasyah hoard via the Royal Ontario Museum (more on that later); there a couple of bust variants - see the attributions below.

The Aquileia coin is in desperate need of an upgrade, but I have only seen one other example in my years of hunting, and the seller would not come down from $185. My example was an eBay cherry-pick at $20. (One of my criteria for this set was that the average price of the coins should be around $50 apiece.) Despite the decrepit condition of the Aquileia example, AQP can just be made out in exergue, and even if the mint mark were obliterated, the attribution could be corroborated by the control mark F between the standards, used only at Aquileia.

Two of the coins have unusual legends wherein the prince's name is given in the genitive case CONSTANTIS. CONSTANTIS BEA C from Siscia, and CONSTANTIS NOB C from Nicomedia. Why? And why only those two mints? The legends might be read literally as "Constans of Beauty (or Loveliness?)" and "Constans of Nobility." Was the use of the genitive in these examples something endearing? Like "cute kid?" I suspect the ancient singsong of the idiom is lost to us today - perhaps one of you Latin scholars can shed some light on the matter.

Assembling this collection has given me a great deal of pleasure, so without further ado here it is. I just need Dansco to issue a nice album for these. Are you working on a Roman mint set?



1. Constans as Caesar, AD 333-337
Æ Follis, 2.9g, 19mm, 12h; Lugdunum mint, 333-4.
Obv.: FL IVL CONSTANS NOB C; Laureate, draped, cuirassed bust right.
Rev.: GLORI-A EXER-CITVS; Two soldiers standing, facing one another, holding reversed spear and resting hand on shield; between them two standards; in exergue ✷PLG
Reference: RIC VII Lyons 265, r4, p. 139, bust variant. Ex-YOC.
Note: RIC lists this variety with laureate, draped, cuirassed busts seen from the back. This bust is definitely seen from the front, and may not be cuirassed – the strike is a bit too weak to say for certain.

2. Constans as Caesar, AD 333-337
Æ Follis, 2.0g, 18mm, 12h; Trier mint, 333-4.
Obv.: FL IVL CONSTANS NOB CAES; Laureate, draped, cuirassed bust right.
Rev.: GLOR-IA EXERC-ITVS; Two soldiers standing, facing one another, holding reversed spear and resting hand on shield; between them two standards; between standards, wreath; in exergue TR? (P or S)
Reference: RIC VII Trier 552, r3(P) or r4(S), p. 218, bust variant.
Note: Another bust variant. RIC lists only a bust seen from the front. This one is from the back.

3. Constans as Caesar, AD 333-337
Æ Follis, 2.0g, 19mm, 6h; Arles mint, 333-4.
Obv.: FL IVL CONSTANS NOB C; Laureate, draped, cuirassed bust right.
Rev.: GLOR-IA EXERC-ITVS; Two soldiers standing, facing one another, holding reversed spear and resting hand on shield; between them two standards; between standards, wreath; in exergue SCONST
Reference: RIC VII Arles 378, r4, p. 274, bust variant.
Note: Again RIC lists only a bust seen from the back. This one is clearly from the front. Also note the prominent centering dimple on the reverse.

4. Constans as Caesar, AD 333-337
Æ Follis, 1.9g, 19mm, 6h; Rome mint, 335-6.
Obv.: FL CONSTANS NOB CAES; Laureate, draped, cuirassed bust right.
Rev.: GLOR-IA EXERC-ITVS; Two soldiers standing, facing one another, holding reversed spear and resting hand on shield; between them two standards; in exergue R✷P
Reference: RIC VII Rome 367, r2, p. 341.

5. Constans as Caesar, AD 333-337
Æ Follis, 2.0g, 18mm, 6h; Aquileia mint, September 335-336.
Obv.: FL IVL CONSTANS NOB C; Laureate, draped, cuirassed bust left.
Rev.: GLOR-IA EXERC-ITVS; Two soldiers standing, facing one another, holding reversed spear and resting hand on shield; between them two standards; between standards, F; in exergue AQP
Reference: RIC VII Aquileia 134, r4, p. 409.

6. Constans as Caesar, AD 333-337
Æ Follis, 2.6g, 19mm, 6h; Siscia mint, 334-5.
Obv.: FL CONSTANTIS BEA C; Laureate, draped, cuirassed bust right.
Rev.: GLOR-IA EXERC-ITVS; Two soldiers standing, facing one another, holding reversed spear and resting hand on shield; between them two standards; in exergue •ΔSIS•
Reference: RIC VII Siscia 238, r1, p. 456.

7. Constans as Caesar, AD 333-337
Æ Follis, 1.9g, 19mm, 6h; Thessalonica mint, 335-6.
Obv.: CONSTANS NOB C; Laureate, draped, cuirassed bust right.
Rev.: GLOR-IA EXERC-ITVS; Two soldiers standing, facing one another, holding reversed spear and resting hand on shield; between them two standards; in exergue SMTSΔ
Reference: RIC VII Thessalonica 201, r1, p. 526.

8. Constans as Caesar, AD 333-337
Æ Follis, 2.7g, 17mm, 6h; Heraclea mint, 333-6.
Obv.: FL I CONSTANS NOB CAES; Laureate, draped, cuirassed bust left.
Rev.: GLOR-IA EXERC-ITVS; Two soldiers standing, facing one another, holding reversed spear and resting hand on shield; between them two standards; in exergue SMHЄ✷
Reference: RIC VII Heraclea 141, r4, p. 560.

9. Constans as Caesar, AD 333-337
Æ Follis, 2.8g, 19mm, 12h; Constantinople mint, 333-5.
Obv.: FL CONSTANS NOB CAES; Laureate, draped, cuirassed bust left.
Rev.: GLOR-IA EXERC-ITVS; Two soldiers standing, facing one another, holding reversed spear and resting hand on shield; between them two standards; in exergue •CONSIA•
Reference: RIC VII Constantinople 83, r1, p. 582.

10.Constans as Caesar, AD 333-337
Æ Follis, 2.6g, 17mm; Nicomedia mint, 333-5.
Obv.: FL ILV CONSTANTIS NOB C; Laureate, draped, cuirassed bust left.
Rev.: GLOR-IA EXERC-ITVS; Two soldiers standing, facing one another, holding reversed spear and resting hand on shield; between them two standards; in exergue SMNA
Reference: RIC VII Nicomedia 192, r5, p. 634. Ex-Victor Clark.

11. Constans as Caesar, AD 333-337
Æ Follis, 2.2g, 19mm, 12h; Cyzicus mint, 333, 335.
Obv.: FL IVL CONSTANS NOB C; Laureate, draped, cuirassed bust right.
Rev.: GLOR-IA EXERC-ITVS; Two soldiers standing, facing one another, holding reversed spear and resting hand on shield; between them two standards; in exergue •SMKS
Reference: RIC VII Cyzicus 102, r5, p. 657.

12.Constans as Caesar, AD 333-337
Æ Follis, 2.0g, 17mm, 12h; Antioch mint, 335-7.
Obv.: FL IVL CONSTANS NOB C; Laureate, cuirassed bust right.
Rev.: GLOR-IA EXERC-ITVS; Two soldiers standing, facing one another, holding reversed spear and resting hand on shield; between them two standards; in exergue SMANH
Reference: RIC VII Antioch 111, c1, p. 697. From the Ihnasyah Hoard.

13. Constans as Caesar, AD 333-337
Æ Follis, 3.1g, 19mm, 12h; Alexandria mint, 333-5.
Obv.: FL IVL CONSTANS NOB C; Laureate, cuirassed bust right.
Rev.: GLOR-IA EXERC-ITVS; Two soldiers standing, facing one another, holding reversed spear and resting hand on shield; between them two standards; in exergue SMALA
Reference: RIC VII Alexandria 61, r1, p.711. Ex-Holding History.

 

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Great show @John Anthony !

 

Kudos for the patience!

 

My only comment is that beatissimus has nothing to do with beauty but would be better translated as most fortunate. I suppose BEA could be the simple beatus or just fortunate but I'd say the kid was doing well for his age and deserves the superlative.

Of the 13, I have two. I would like to get the Nicomedia but will not be going for the set.

 

That is a great collection @John Anthony congratulations on completing it.

 

Very cool John!

 

That’s what CoinTalk gives you: a serious look at coins that I always thought were too insignificant to give attention to. What an interesting set!
Never saw that genitive Constantis before. I suppose it means: “(Coin) of the blessed caesar Constans” like there was a genitive on many of the Greek provincial coins.

 

@John Anthony, I'm impressed !
Congrats on completing this difficult set

Q

 

This actually made me wince.

 

This is a very cool set! Congrats @John Anthony! It's posts like these, John, that make me feel like finding a set like this to work towards, rather than buying anything with SOLI INVICTO on it.

 

Holy WOW! Congrats on this fantastic collecting adventure! Best to you @John Anthony

 

I second @Pellinore's comment. How can an LRB collector really get that jazzed about the GLORIA EXERCITUS coins? By taking up a challenge like this and marking the variations. Good work.

 

Oops. I see my "barbarian and hut" display features some duplicates. I do have a Constans mint set; I need to rephotograph them and rearrange.

That prompts me to comment that the display and labeling of JA's set are both clear and attractive. While we can't all be @Deacon Ray, that's a nice display.

 

Outstanding collection and great display @John Anthony.

 

Fantastic, that's some genuine collecting right there! Which was the last coin you acquired to complete the set?

 

Great to see you posting, John! Excellent collection!

 

Thank you, sir! Yours too is a superb collection and presentation.

 

Congrats on completing your set! I've considered trying to put together a mint set for Constantine. You know I'm a big fan of that reverse type.

 

I am not a 'set' type of collector. I don't buy randomly but have a reason for most purchases other than the fact that I don't have one. The problem is it is hard to know exactly what draws you toward some coins and it is much easier to move forward with a list in hand like "I NEED two more 12 Caesars" or "Please, just one more mint city of Constans". One type of 'set' I could get into is to build a collection of xyz coins that had as little as possible overlap between them. That means as few as possible of a denomination, of a ruler, of a type. It would require a coin of each metal, thick, thin, patinated.....whatever! This way you have a set which has as its defining characteristic new members NOT being part of the set yet.
"If you choose not to decide, you still have made a choice." Neil Peart

 

Neat set! I remember seeing a set of Byzantine coins by mint on a map display from DOC in Washington DC years ago.