Late Roman bronzes don't get much better than this

Hi All,

My Alexandrian RIC VII, 58, officina A.



- Broucheion

 

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The portrait does not look much like Constantine I and could be Constantine II who, after Constantine's death, used the same obverse legend Constantine had used: CONSTANTINVS MAX AVG. Looking in RIC VIII (which begins with the death of Constantine) it could be RIC VIII Alexandria 13, page 539, "before April 340" (i.e. before the death of Constantine II). That has mintmark SMALA as does the above coin and its low weight (given as 1.68 grams) matches the RIC cited average of "1.67 grams." (RIC VII does not give weights the way RIC VIII does.)

The above coin has rosette diadem as the Constantine I citation, and the number cited in RIC VIII does not (It is laureate). Nevertheless, I think it is really Constantine II and that minor variant is omitted. Many varieties are not in RIC.


Here is a Constantine II with that obverse legend from Siscia. How do we know it is not Constantine I? Well, the similar types for Constantius II and Constans from that issue are not as Caesars, rather as Augusti, so it must be after Constantine died.
RIC VIII Siscia 85. 17 mm. 1.85 grams.

 

My favorite LRB that I own, a follis of Emperor Jovian from Heraclea Perinthus:


Jovian, 363 - 364 AD
AE Follis, Heraclea Mint, 19mm, 2.66 grams
Obverse: D N IOVIANVS P F AVG, Diademed, draped and cuirassed bust of Jovian left.
Reverse: VOT V within laurel wreath, HERACB in exergue.
RIC 108

 

Hi @Valentinian,

I appreciate the correction! My forte is in Ptolemaics but I collect everything else from Alexandria. I’m sure mistakes abound in my documentation. Thanks again.

- Broucheion

 

Seth - Re the first post in this thread: your Gratian is not RIC 45a but RIC 46a. All varieties of RIC 45 (a,b,c etc) have Roma's foot on a prow and her left leg bare. Your coin has a) no prow and b) her right leg is bare. So it is 46a

 

A very interesting thread that I have just become aware of. LRB coinage is not my collecting focus, but I have accumulated a few, here is an example

 

Nice example of the "Emperor dragging captive type." That's one of the ones I collect for my "barbarians, captives, and enemies" collection.

I have some others, but here's a representative mix of rulers and mints (I think I may still need to add an Arcadius...):

Valentinian, from Siscia:


From Rome, with the Officina no. spelled out (SECVNDA):


Theodosius from Aquileia -


Gratian Siscia (I think this was one of the first coins I cleaned myself, over 20 years ago)


Valens - Siscia (another one I (mostly!) cleaned)


Valens - Barbarous Imitation (?). Possibly my favorite. (I particularly like barbarous imitations of "barbarian" coins.) This is supposedly a real type in RIC, based on one specimen, but never photographed. I wonder if that one could be a "barb" too?