In the previous days, I acquired these two folles of Constantine I. I did not find many examples of this first follis on acsearch. The head of Genius on reverse has a small dent. Constantine I. A.D. 307/10-337. Æ Follis (24 mm, 4.8 g). Siscia mint, Ob. IMP CONSTANTINVS PF AVF, laureate head right. Rev. GENIO AVGVSTI, Genius standing left, holding patera and cornucopia; SIS in exergue. RIC 209. Constantine I Æ Follis. Alexandria, AD 317-320. Ob. IMP CONSTANTINVS AVG, laureate and draped bust left with globe, sceptre and mappa. Rev. IOVI CONSERVATORI AVGG, Jupiter standing left, chlamys across left shoulder, leaning on sceptre, globe in right hand, crescent in left field, B in right field, SMAL in exergue. RIC 22. It can be cleaned up a little more. Post anything you consider relevant. Thanks.
Yesterday was arrived in the mail-box my new Constantine I follis, the most beautiful in my collection so far. Beautiful brown patina with some visible silvering remaining on the obverse and the reverse, a hoard coin. Constantine I. A.D. 307/10-337. Æ follis (21 mm, 5.9 g). Nicomedia, A.D. 312. Ob. IMP C FL VAL CONSTANTINVS P F AVG, laureate head of Constantine I right, Rev. GENIO A-VGVSTI, Genius standing facing, head left, pouring libation from patera over small, lighted altar and holding cornucopiae; A//SMN. RIC 71. Post your favorite Constantine I follis.
Nice @gogili1977 ! (I like your name - Year I graduated from HS! Then I found out how stooopid I was...) I have a VOTIVE with Captives to toss in: RI Constantine I AVG Follis Votive XX seated captives 2.69g 18mm RIC VII 191 London
Nice coins! For my own benefit, could someone compare and contrast a Follis vs Antoninianus? Was it just the next evolution of that denomination? Like Denarius -> Antoninianus?
I found on the Internet this explanation: In the year 294 A.D., the four Tetrarchs initiated a monetary reform, replaced the 80 years old Antoninianus with new denominations, the most important of which were the solid silver argenteus and the large billon follis. I must tell you that these were, and are, pretty impressive coins; large, 28mm diameter weighting app. 10 grams, and with a beautiful shiny silver wash finish. They still had elements from the past: the good manufacturing technique, derived from the Aurelian's reform and the same metal as the Antoninianus, a mix of mostly copper, tin, and 3 to 5% silver. They were minted in huge quantities in no less than sixteen Imperial Mints. An interesting note is that even if one of the main purposes of these coins was to pay the large troops needed to defend the Empire, their portraiture rarely depicts the Emperors in a militaristic way. Most of the coins show a laureate bare head.
