As many of you know I don't really focus on LRB but I do dabble. I need some help with identifying this recent purchase. This is what i think is the description. Obv:- CONSTAN-TINVS AVG, Diademed bust right? Rev:- PROVIDENTIAE AVGG Campgate with eight rows, two turrets, no doors, star above, Dot in archway Minted in Antioch. SMANTA in exe. A.D. 327-328 Partially silvered 2.40g. 20mm. The Bust types listed in RIC as I see them are :- Laureate head right (RIC 71) which I have ruled out Plain diademed head right (RIC 79 (no dot)) Rosette diademed head right (RIC 78 (no dot) and 81(dot)) HELP!!!! Martin
I concur. #81. Martin, Antioch has two laureate bust types (one of which is for Constantine, the other for the sons) and three diademed bust types for the old man. There are also some variants on certain of these not yet listed. Your coin has what Bruun calls the E2 bust, with what he calls a "rosette diadem, head only." The squares in the diadem, between pairs of leaves, correspond to the "rosettes" (go figure). The "head" designation is without draping or armor, just a bare neck. The only use of the "plain" diadem (E1) is for a no-dot field, only attested in RIC for officina delta-epsilon by a single example, corresponding to series 4.
The square variations would've thrown me. Victor has a good page breaking down the bust types, but I don't think he lists every variant. http://www.constantinethegreatcoins.com/busts/
Many thanks. I have now done some more looking round based on your conclusions and agree with bust E2. I was thrown here by "Rosette diademed" as I cannot see any rosettes on these particular coins from Antioch. I have now looked at similar busts from other mints too and can see that this bust type seems to be a diadem in the form of a ladder with alternating laurel leaves and a square on which there is a rosette. Now if the diadem had looked like this then I could see the rosettes.... I will have more bust description questions coming soon.
