Roma with Constantinopolis reverse

Here's an unofficial issue that pairs an VRBS ROMA with a Constantinopolis reverse. The ROMA obverse should be paired with a wolf and twins reverse and the Victory on prow reverse should have a CONSTANTINOPOLIS obverse. The style is otherwise pretty good. I guess somebody didn't get the memo about pairing dies correctly...or nobody cared; as these unofficial hybrids turn up fairly often.




VRBS ROMA/ Constantinopolis
Circa A.D. 330-331
16mm 1.9g
Obv. VRBIS ROMA; helmeted bust left of Roma, wearing imperial cloak.
Rev. Victory stg. on prow, holding long scepter in r. hand, and resting l. hand on shield, seen from side.
In ex. PLG
Cf. RIC VII Lyon 241, 242

Ex 1989 Nether Compton (Dorset) Hoard


post your unofficial hybrids

 

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I just realized I should have posted examples of the coins that were copied. I don't currently have any, but have some I sold.


different mintmark, but same shield


A.D. 330-331
16x17mm 1.9g
Obv. CONSTAN-TINOPOLIS laureate, helmeted, wearing imperial mantle, holding scepter.
Rev. Victory stg. on prow, holding long scepter in r. hand, and resting l. hand on shield, seen from side.
In ex.•PLG
RIC VII Lyons 246


here's an VRBS I sold also from Nether Compton




A.D. 330-1
16mm 1.9gm
Obv. VRBS-ROMA [City of Rome] Roma, helmeted, wearing imperial cloak.
Rev. She-wolf left suckling twins (Romulus and Remus); above, two stars.
dot SLG RIC VII Lugdunum (Lyons) 247 r3

from the Nether Compton hoard


so, I guess post any VRBS or Constantinopolis from Lyons, but especiallly unoffcial hybrids or just plain unofficial issues

 

to kick it off...an unofficial hybrid





Constantine I
Circa A.D. 324- 325
18mm 2.1gm
CONSTAN- TINVS AVG; laureate head right.
ALMANNI-A DEVICT; Victory standing right, on bound captive with head turned to the left, holding laurel branch and trophy.
In ex. SIRM

the ALAMANNIA DEVICTA type was never officially issued for Constantine I

 

Very interesting @Victor_Clark - I have never seen that. Someone clearly was asleep at the switch at the mint. I wonder how many were struck before the mistake was discovered?

 

Great coins Victor! Here's an obverse of Constantine I, reverse of Constantine II/Crispus. At least the reverse die used for this coin was unofficial. Notice the botched legend CAENSARVM NOSTRVM, which should be CAESARVM NOSTRORVM, not to mention the fact that Ticinium didn't even issue coins with this legend. It's a great counterfeit because it looks so much like an official issue in hand, that the average buyer and seller wouldn't have looked twice at it.

 

That's a neat coin John. The obverse legend is also botched.

 

I would love to have one, especially from Lyon, since I live nearby

Here's my Urbs Roma from the Lyon mint with a die clash, thus featuring an AMOR reverse legend (sort of)





Q

 

In his seminal 1985 article on 4th century imitations, Bastien suggests that the numbers of unofficial coins in published hoards may have been undercounted for this reason.

 

that's awesome... now I want an VRBS ROMA brockage with a nice clear legend.

until then, I made one

 

This one is not a hybrid but Constantinopolis is facing right; which means it just ain't right! It's too bad, because they got the spelling right.



Constantinopolis
Circa A.D. 330
15mm 0.9g
CONSTAN-TINOPOLIS; laureate, helmeted bust right wearing imperial mantle, holding scepter.
Rev. Victory stg. on prow, holding long scepter in r. hand, and resting l. hand on shield.
In ex. TRS
Cf. RIC VII Trier 523