IOVIAN AE1 Double Maiorinae

'Q' An AWESOME group of AE-1's !!! The details are just fantastic---even on poor Valens

I'll offer my 'skinny bull' version of Julian:

 

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Thanks Q - what a great set!

 

Excellent Valens. I didn't see many around. As far as rarity goes the Julian II bull is the most readily available while the Valens is the rarest.
There are however 3 missing AE1s: Procopius REPARATIO FEL TEMP (similar to the usual AE3 but big and heavy, recorded in RIC IX Heraclea 6 and Cyzicus 4 of which I've never seen any) and these:



DECENTIUS AE1/2 25mm 5.87g Double-Maiorina (?) (F/aVF)

AV: DN DECENTI - VS CAESAR; bare headed, draped cuirassed bust r.

REV: SALVS DD NN AVG ET CAES; large Chi-Rho, A - W in fields, inside wreath.

EXE: [T]AR Arles mint.

REF: RIC VIII Arles 193, rated S, but a really rare type, 351-353AD.

A rare type, with the Chi-Rho monogram inside wreath, struck with a large AE1 die on a smaller 25mm flan.

And this:



POEMENIUS in the name of CONSTANTIUS II AE1/2 24/25x23mm 7.10g Double Maiorina (aVF, deposits, patina)

AV: DN CONSTANTIVS P F AVG; rosette diademed, draped and cuirassed bust right.

REV: SALVS AVG NOSTRI; Chi-Rho flanked by A and W

EXE: TRP* (* inside exergue, not on exergual line) Trier mint.

REF: RIC VIII Trier 336, rated R2, August 353AD.

Struck on a smaller 25mm flan with a AE1 die, which leaves part of the legend out. The wide variations in weight could suggest that the type (recorded in RIC at pg. 165 - RIC VII Trier 332-336) was minted in 2 different denominations - the Maiorina (20-22mm around 3.50-4.50g) and the Double Maiorina 25mm+ w/ a weight of 6g and above as this example.

 

Decentius is on my list. Shouldn't be a big issue to find a decent one. As for Procopius.....

Q

 

The normal Chi-Rho for Decentius shouldn't be too hard to locate. But the Chi-Rho inside wreath is another thing altogether. I've only seen one other being sold in the last 3 years and another by Magnentius.

 

I don't believe I've ever run across an auction offering of Procopius as an AE-1...

 

I think none of us ever has. RIC also records Nicomedia 8 and Cyzicus 6 as AE2, also very rare.

 

Hmmmm ... well, I saw at least one Julian-II bull ...

=> so, I figured that it was time to man-up and represent!!?

 

This is my favorite bull

 

Remember the lines between AE1 and AE2 (and all the others) are very artificial and easily crossed with a slightly heavier strike. I'd stop short of calling a wide coin the higher denomination unless the weight (as here) is also high. My two ordinary Decentius are 7.6 and 5.0g but I considered them examples of a reducing standard rather than two denominations. However the S in the field of the smaller (AE2) one could suggest semis or half.



However my 25m 5.85g Trier Gallus is just big for its AE2 peer group and is too early for the AE1 crowd.

 

On these confusing Chi-Rhos I judge the denominations by die size rather than flan size. Both Decentius and Poemenius I posted were evidently struck with AE1 large denomination dies as legends are off-flan on a 24/25mm flan.
On the other hand, you have a 21mm flan with full legends and a weight of 3.86g on this smaller denomination: