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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;thejewk, post: 4956880, member: 100136&quot;]Between 311-312 AD, the London mint of Constantine produced a series of coins with the -/*/PLN mintmark, with a rather staggering 10 different reverse types and many bust type varieties.&nbsp; A handful of designs were for Maximinus and Licinius, but the vast majority were for Constantine himself.&nbsp; There are a handful of common types, and then many many coins known from between 1 and 8 or so examples, commonly not represented at all in the major hoards considered in LMCC.</p><p><br /></p><p>Either late in 311 or early in 312 Constantine visited Britannia to recruit soldiers for his upcoming battle at the Milvian Bridge against Maxentius, a battle that would bring the entire &#039;Western&#039; Empire under his control.</p><p><br /></p><p>For the event, London struck coin on a long familiar theme to celebrate, the reverse showing Constantine on horseback, holding a spear and raising a hand in salute, while the horse paws at a captive sitting in front.&nbsp; These coins have six varieties of obverse legend, and four varieties of reverse legend, and (if I counted correctly) seven bust varieties.&nbsp; I have been after one all year, and narrowly missed out on a rougher coin with a SPES REIPVBL legend in a group lot when the bidding rocketed in the last minute.&nbsp; In general, when they appear, the prices of these coins are very prohibitive, and one is currently acting as a shop window piece on ebay UK for £330.</p><p><br /></p><p>Last week I spotted this coin on ebay with an unfortunate bit of corrosion over Constantine&#039;s face, and no helpful note in the description regarding what the type was.&nbsp; Thankfully I looked.</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]1191545[/ATTACH]LMCC 7.01.021, RIC London 143</p><p>CONSTANTINVS P AVG - Laureate and cuirassed bust right</p><p>ADVENTVS AVG N - Emperor riding left, right hand raised, left holding up spear, on horse pawing seated captive to left</p><p>-/*/PLN - London</p><p>311-312 AD</p><p>3.6g, 21.5mm</p><p><br /></p><p>While not the perfect example due to the corrosion to poor Constantine&#039;s face, my feeling is that I already have plenty of Constantine coins from London without problems, and if I wish to gaze upon his face, I can easily do so with them.&nbsp; The reverse is, in my opinion, superb, and one of the better I&#039;ve seen for the type.&nbsp; Also I&#039;d like to point out the interesting design of the triangular shaped band on Constantine&#039;s right shoulder, showing a wavy line interspersed with studs.&nbsp; This sort of design appears from time to time on London dies, but is far from consistent.</p><p><br /></p><p>I think that had the ebay advertisement been better designed, I would have been outbid quickly, but fortune was on my side and I ended up spending half my possible budget, so a good ending.</p><p><br /></p><p>Please feel free to share anything you like, maybe adventus types, coins you purchased for the reverse, or anything you feel is appropriate.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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