Tetrarchic unreduced folles additions & upgrades

The criteria I use for including coins in my collection are:
1. Historical significance/association
2. Clarity and completeness of inscriptions/legends
3. Clarity of obverse and reverse depictions (particularly obverse portraits)
I do not put much emphasis on overall condition: I am not much bothered by some surface roughness or minor blemishes, incidental dings and scratches, etc. I do favor coins that are well centered and pleasing to my eye.

I recently upgraded three of the most difficult to find (for me) London Mint unreduced Tetrarchic folles which I have depicted below. I photographed them using my iPad camera which I am using until I get a new digital camera. I have now added them to my Britannic coinage of the Tetrarchy Photo Gallery (Annotated). Please post pics of these three coin issues from the London Mint, or any other Mint, that you have for style comparison.

RIC VI, Londinium, No. 42, Galerius Maximian, Augustus of the East:


IMP C MAXIMIANVS P F AVG ............................... GENIO POPV -- LI ROMANI

Laureate, cuirassed, bust.
Identical obverse inscription (2C) to the primary one of Maximian Herculius.
9.7 gm.

RIC VI, Londinium, No. 46 (variant), Severus, Augustus of the West:


IMP SEVERVS PIVS FEL AVG ................................. GENIO POPVLI ROMANI

Draped laureate bust.
Obverse legend variation: PIVS FEL instead of PIVS FELIX.
9.4 gm.

RIC VI, Londinium, No. 47, Constantius, Augustus of the West:


IMP CONSTANTIVS PIVS FEL AVG .......................... GENIO POPVLI ROMANI

Laureate, cuirassed, bust.
8.9 gm.

 

Log in or Sign up to hide this ad.

Nice additions James!

 

I like the portrait on the Constantius, but it will be hard to beat that Gallerius. Outstanding coins all.

 

Another new upgrade (again, photo via my iPad camera):

RIC VI, Londinium, No. 33, Galerius Maximian, Caesar of the East:


MAXIMIANVS NOBIL C ............................................ GENIO POPV -- LI ROMANI

Laureate, cuirassed, bust.
11.2 gm.
............................................

Coin it replaced (same issue, RIC VI, Londinium, No. 33 - photo taken with old digital camera):


MAXIMIANVS NOBIL C ........................................ GENIO POPV -- LI ROMANI

10.2 gm.

 

Thank you @Ajax and @Bing

 

James, you're a boss!

I hope your wife is doing well!

Keep up the great work!

Erin

 

Very nice upgrades. I don't think I have anything to share...I'll have to check...

 

Of course, we all know who the real Boss is - “She who must be obeyed” - AKA Beverly! (at least to our family members)

But of course, she is really my sweet soulmate of many years and, despite having a somewhat difficult time adjusting to her new medicine regimen, she is doing well. Thank you for inquiring, Erin.

We are now living a more relaxed, peaceful lifestyle, but of course I will still pursue my love of Ancient coins with undiminished vigor!

 

I have paired up the two original western Tetrarchs - two coins in starkly different condition - I like them both.


RIC Volume VI, Lugdunum, No. 14b, Maximian Herculius, Augustus of the West:


IMP C MAXIMIANVS PF AVG ................................. GENIO POP -- VLI ROMANI

Constantius British Invasion coinage.
8.9 gm.

RIC Volume VI, Lugdunum, No. 17a, Constantius, Caesar of the West:


FL VAL CONSTANTIVS NOB C .............................. GENIO POPV -- LI ROMANI

Constantius British Invasion coinage
Fully silvered.
10.1 gm.

 

I especially LOVE these two up-grades.....the style, condition and centering are just wonderful!!!

 

Another upgrade:

VI, Londinium, No. 28a, Diocletian, Augustus of the East:


IMP DIOCLETIANVS AVG ................................. GENIO POPV -- LI ROMANI

Laureate, cuirassed, bust.
11.5 gm.
.........................................

And this is the coin it replaced:

RIC VI, Londinium, No. 28a, Diocletian, Augustus of the East:


IMP DIOCLETIANVS AVG ................................. GENIO POPV -- LI ROMANI

Laureate, cuirassed, bust.
10.2 gm.

 

Fantastic upgrades Jamesicus! Congrats!

 

Thank you @Mikey Zee.

 

Sometimes my upgrades are very subtle.

Reiteration of the criteria I use for including coins in my collection:
1. Historical significance/association
2. Clarity and completeness of inscriptions/legends
3. Clarity of obverse and reverse depictions (particularly obverse portraits)
I do not put much emphasis on overall condition: I am not much bothered by some surface roughness or minor blemishes, incidental dings and scratches, etc. I do favor coins that are well centered and pleasing to my eye.

Here is a subtle upgrade:

RIC VI, Londinium, No.6b, Maximian Herculius, Augustus of the West:


IMP C MAXIMIANVS PF AVG .............................. GENIO POPV -- LI ROMANI

Laureate, cuirassed, bust.
10.1 gm.
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
And the coin it replaced:

RIC VI, Londinium, No.6b, Maximian Herculius, Augustus of the West:


IMP C MAXIMIANVS PF AVG .............................. GENIO POPV -- LI ROMANI

Laureate, cuirassed, bust.
9.9 gm.

 

This one has turned naturally green. It was struck in Antioch and weighs 9.83 g.

 

Thank you for posting that @7Calbrey. It is a very handsome coin with nice patination.

 

Sometimes upgrading has unexpected results. I am keeping the first coin shown below as the best representation of RIC VI, Londinium, No. 15. The second coin doesn’t quite fit due to the portrait style and the long laurel ribbon tie laying on the neck - it is actually a Bastien Intermediate Londinium coin. I determined to treat the third coin depicted below as a duplicate No. 15 and therefor surplus to my needs. I am no longer able to travel to coin shows in order to make trades, so I gifted that coin to a member of this Forum who has exhibited interest in Tetrarchic coinage through participation in my threads. I intend to continue this practice, on occasion, for I want to encourage such collectors to develop an interest in these coins.

RIC VI, Londinium, No.15, Galerius Maximian, Caesar of the East:


MAXIMIANVS NOB CAES ................................. GENIO POPV -- LI ROMANI

Laureate, cuirassed, bust.
10.6 gm

Acquired as:
RIC VI, Londinium, No.15, Galerius Maximian, Caesar of the East:
Most probably is:
Intermediate series coin (Bastien), not in RIC, Galerius, Caesar of the East:


MAXIMIANVS NOB CAES ................................. GENIO POPV -- LI ROMANI

Laureate, cuirassed, bust.
10.0 gm

RIC VI, Londinium, No.15, Galerius Maximian, Caesar of the East:


MAXIMIANVS NOB CAES ....................................... GENIO POPV — LI ROMANI

 

I believe we each must determine which factors are most important to us. While I prefer full legend coins, I can tolerate loss of legends that can be guessed with certainty far more than those that are needed to date or identify a coin. Worn coins do not bother me nearly as much as rough surfaces do. Many Genius coins lose points with me from weak strikes on the head or torso of the reverse figure. 'Pleasing to the (that means my) eye' is the big thing so style can outrank grade when separating winners and losers destined for my collection.

 

Nice upgrades!

 

This is my favorite follis]