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Picked up a Constantine not seen very often.
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<p>[QUOTE="Valentinian, post: 4515023, member: 44316"]I recently got this Constantine minted under Licinius:</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]1118721[/ATTACH] </p><p><br /></p><p>21-18 mm. 3.84 grams.</p><p>RIC VII Cyzicus 14 "321-324."</p><p>In this late time period the radiate crown in unusual and the reverse, with "12 1/2" on it in Roman numerals is somewhat enigmatic. This is the group in RIC we have discussed in the context of Martinian. In 324 when Licinius was losing the second Civil War with Constantine, shortly after July 3 he appointed Martinian as co-Augustus to help. The final battle of that war was September 18, 324, so Martinian didn't last long. The only mint for his coins was Cyzicus. His coins are so very rare very few collectors will ever have one, so some are happy to find a coin from the same mint and group in RIC. Presumably, this coin was issued earlier in that group while Constantine was still at peace with Licinius. </p><p><br /></p><p>Earlier in Roman coinage the radiate crown is usually interpreted as denoting a double denomination. For example, the antoninianus is a double denarius. But, what might this be double of? That field mark X over IIΓ (that is not really a gamma, rather a symbol for 1/2) seems to say "12 1/2". That is one quarter of 50 and one eighth of 100, fractions that are possible, if we knew that in 321 there was a coin worth 100, or 50. Was the regular non-radiate piece half of that radiate? </p><p><br /></p><p>I have been reading about the nominal values of coins in and after the tetrarchies. There are lots of scholarly opinions, but no consensus. That's part of the fun of ancient numismatics. There is lots to think about and sometimes the answers to obvious questions are not (yet) known.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>
[QUOTE="Valentinian, post: 4515023, member: 44316"]I recently got this Constantine minted under Licinius: [ATTACH=full]1118721[/ATTACH] 21-18 mm. 3.84 grams. RIC VII Cyzicus 14 "321-324." In this late time period the radiate crown in unusual and the reverse, with "12 1/2" on it in Roman numerals is somewhat enigmatic. This is the group in RIC we have discussed in the context of Martinian. In 324 when Licinius was losing the second Civil War with Constantine, shortly after July 3 he appointed Martinian as co-Augustus to help. The final battle of that war was September 18, 324, so Martinian didn't last long. The only mint for his coins was Cyzicus. His coins are so very rare very few collectors will ever have one, so some are happy to find a coin from the same mint and group in RIC. Presumably, this coin was issued earlier in that group while Constantine was still at peace with Licinius. Earlier in Roman coinage the radiate crown is usually interpreted as denoting a double denomination. For example, the antoninianus is a double denarius. But, what might this be double of? That field mark X over IIΓ (that is not really a gamma, rather a symbol for 1/2) seems to say "12 1/2". That is one quarter of 50 and one eighth of 100, fractions that are possible, if we knew that in 321 there was a coin worth 100, or 50. Was the regular non-radiate piece half of that radiate? I have been reading about the nominal values of coins in and after the tetrarchies. There are lots of scholarly opinions, but no consensus. That's part of the fun of ancient numismatics. There is lots to think about and sometimes the answers to obvious questions are not (yet) known.[/QUOTE]
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Picked up a Constantine not seen very often.
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