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Message:: [QUOTE="Al Kowsky, post: 7699194, member: 97383"]I'm always on the lookout for rare & unusual portrait coins of the 1st Tetrarchy, with a special interest in the coinage of Constantius I Chlorus. After recently browsing through Peter Burbules' impressive website Akropolis Ancient Coins, I stumbled on a follis I couldn't live without. The acquisition of this follis inspired this thread. Pictured below are some different folles of Constantius I from my collection. Constantius I was one of four members of the 1st Tetrarchy formed by Diocletian in AD 293. He was born March 31, circa AD 250, in Dacia-Repensis, & died in Eboracum (York), Britain on July 25, 306. He had a distinguished military career & quickly rose through the ranks, becoming Emperor Maximian's Praetorian Prefect. He was later selected as a junior member of the Tetrarchy in AD 293. To consolidate his relationship with Maximian, he divorced his wife (concubine <img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie85" alt=":smuggrin:" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" />) Helena, & married Maximian's daughter Theodora. To maintain control of Constantius, Emperor Diocletian confined his son Constantine to his base camp in Nicomedia with limited freedom. Diocletian's currency reform of AD 295 consisted of a gold aureus struck at the standard of 60 to the pound, a silver argenteus equal in weight & fineness to the Neronian denarius, & a new token billon coin called a nummus (collectors refer to this coin as a follis) weighing about 10 grams, give or take a gram. Diocletian's aim was to end all the provincial coinage used throughout the empire & create a uniform currency that would be accepted anywhere in the empire. Realistic portraiture was replaced by a stylized portraiture of strength & similarity. Despite the overall similarity of of the new coinage different mints had their own stylistic idiosyncrasies, & it's possible to form an interesting portrait gallery from the different mints. [ATTACH=full]1321370[/ATTACH] Constantius as Caesar, AD 293-305 (struck c. 295-296), Cyzicus Mint, 2nd Officina. Billon Nummus: 28 mm, 8.29 gm, 6 h. RIC VI 11a. A rare & unusual feature of this coin is the beautifully engraved beard fit for a Greek god. Photo courtesy of Peter Burbles, Akropolis Ancient Coins. [ATTACH=full]1321378[/ATTACH] Constantius I as Caesar, AD 293-305 (struck AD 296-297) Rome Mint, 3rd Officina. Billon Nummus: 27 mm, 10.57 gm, 6 h. RIC VI Rome 66a. An unusual feature with this coin is the Greek letter gamma being used to designate the workshop instead of a Latin letter <img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie12" alt="o_O" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" />. You would expect to see Greek letters from the Eastern mints & not the Rome Mint. Photo courtesy of Tom Callaway, AMCC 2. [ATTACH=full]1321385[/ATTACH] Constantius I as Caesar, AD 293-305 (struck circa AD 301-303) Lugdunum Mint (Lyon, France), 2nd Officina. Billon Nummus: 28 mm, 9.61 gm, 6 h. RIC 170a. Rare. Ex Freeman & Sear, June 21, 2007. Constantius is depicted in a heroic portrait with a scepter  over his left shoulder & a shield over the other. [ATTACH=full]1321388[/ATTACH] Constantius I as Caesar, AD 293-305 (struck AD 296-298), Heraclea Mint, 3rd Officina. Billon Nummus: 27 mm, 8.18 gm, 12 h. RIC VI 18a. This is a rather brutish looking portrait with an interesting beard. [ATTACH=full]1321389[/ATTACH] Constantius I as Caesar, AD 293-305 (struck AD 295-299), Ticinum Mint, 1st Officina. Billon Nummus: 28 mm, 12.11 gm, 12 h. RIC VI 30a. This is an unusually heavy nummus. [ATTACH=full]1321414[/ATTACH] Constantius I as Caesar, AD 293-305 (circa AD 300), Londinium Mint (London, England). Billon Nummus: 27 mm, 8,99 gm, 7 h. RIC 22. Ex Freeman & Sear, June 21, 2007. [ATTACH=full]1321423[/ATTACH] Constantius as Augustus, AD 305-306, Ticinum Mint (Pavia, Italy) 3rd Officina. Billon Nummus: 27 mm, 10.67 gm, 6 h. Reverse FIDES MILITNM. RIC VI 55a. Scarce. [ATTACH=full]1321427[/ATTACH] Constantius as Augustus, AD 305-306, Lugdunum Mint. Billon Nummus: 28 mm, 10.61 gm, 12 h. Notice how the engraver has simplified the nose to two incisions & a dot. RIC 187a. Ex Freeman & Sear, June 21, 2007. References:Coinage & History of the Roman Empire, Volume I, David L. Vagi. 1999Roman Coins & Their Values, Volume IV, David R. Sear. 2014Freeman & Sear Catalog, Mail Bid Sale, June 21, 2007 CT members are welcome to post folles of Constantius I, on this thread <img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie50" alt=":happy:" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" />.   [/QUOTE]

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