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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;John Anthony, post: 2161024, member: 42773&quot;]If I may, a few comments about your coins with suggestions for further research. No. 1 is known as the &quot;Two Victories&quot; type - don&#039;t be surprised at how small it is. These were minted in AD 347-348, at the height of an inflationary cycle during which the bronze coins had continually shrunk. The Two Victories types were the last and smallest of this period before the coinage was reformed and enlarged (it then started shrinking yet again).</p><p><br /></p><p>Your coin is very desirable because it has excellent reverse detail. On Roman coins, the obverse was typically the stationary, or anvil die, to ensure that the portrait of the emperor was fully struck-up. The reverse design was typically on the moveable die, and the reverse designs were engraved less deeply, again to ensure that the metal flowed fully into the portrait. Consequently, finding good detail on the reverses of many Roman coins is a challenge. Here are two of mine, from the Siscia mint...</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]416158[/ATTACH]</p><p><br /></p><p>Speaking of mints, do you know which mint your coin comes from? The mark is quite clear. For a list of Roman mints and mint marks click <a href="http://tjbuggey.ancients.info/mints.html" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://tjbuggey.ancients.info/mints.html" rel="nofollow">here</a>. Most Roman mint marks also include a symbol signifying the officina, or workshop they were produced in. Sometimes, as on my coins, they are given in Greek letters. Sometimes they are abbreviated P, S, T etc., (prima, secunda, tertia).</p><p><br /></p><p>Also, it&#039;s worth reading the wikipedia articles on Constans and his brothers, to give you some historical context. After Constantine the Great died, the three of them engaged in a massive struggle of sibling rivalry which left only one standing. Constans was a bit of black sheep, as you&#039;ll find out.</p><p><br /></p><p>Finally, the inscription on the reverse of these coins occurs only on this type: VICTORIAE DD AVGG Q NN. What does it mean? (Roman legends include copious abbreviations.)[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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