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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;gsimonel, post: 2562076, member: 82549&quot;]I have some questions about two coins of Constantine I (&quot;the Great&quot;):</p><p><br /></p><p><img src="http://feltemp.com/Images/40.jpg" class="bbCodeImage wysiwygImage" alt="" unselectable="on" /></p><p>Rome mint, A.D. 312-313</p><p>RIC 360</p><p>Obv: FL VAL CONSTANTINVS AVG</p><p>Rev: VIRT EXE-RCIT GALL - Virtus, standing, looking right, holding parazonium and leaning on reversed spear</p><p>RT in exergue; X in left field, VI in right</p><p>20 x 18 mm, 2.6 g.</p><p><br /></p><p><img src="http://feltemp.com/Images/39.jpg" class="bbCodeImage wysiwygImage" alt="" unselectable="on" /></p><p>Rome mint, A.D. 312-313</p><p>RIC 356</p><p>Obv: FL VAL CONSTANTINVS AVG</p><p>Rev: PACI P-ERPET - Pax, standing facing, head left, holding branch and standard</p><p>RQ in exergue; XII in left field</p><p>19 x 16 mm, 2.0 g.</p><p><br /></p><p>Both were minted only in Rome, shortly after Constantine defeated Maxentius and marched into the city. It seems they are intended to celebrate his Victory. Here are my questions:</p><p><br /></p><p>1) Why the radiate bust on the first coin? True, Constantine claimed Sol as his personal protector, but this, to my knowledge, is the only time he appears in a radiate bust until A.D. 320. Both coins are significantly smaller than the SOLI INVICTO bronzes of the time. If the radiate bust is meant to denote a half-nummus, why does the second coin have a laurate bust?</p><p><br /></p><p>2) Half nummi are pretty rare during this time. Were they even meant to circulate, or were they strictly donatives?</p><p><br /></p><p>3) What is the meaning of the X-VI and the XII on the reverses of the two coins?</p><p><br /></p><p>4) If they weren&#039;t intended for general circulation, is it possible that the top coin, which celebrates the manly virtue of the troops from Gaul, was intended to be given to the troops who supported Constantine during his conquest of Rome? Perhaps the lower coin, somewhat more common than the upper, was intended as a gift to the Roman people whose support Constantine was anxious to secure?</p><p><br /></p><p>I&#039;d be interested in hearing any ideas or theories people might have about these two interesting coins.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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