After the death of Constantine I, stability was hard to maintain in the Roman Empire. Old blood feuds, external threats and fighting amongst the heirs of Constantius I and Constantine I made for a very chaotic time in the Imperial house as well. After the death of Julian II in 363, Jovian, son of Varronianus, comes domesticorum (commander of the imperial bodyguards) for Constantius II was nominated by the army as a compromise candidate to wear the purple. Julian II had taken a massive army to fight the Persians in what he hoped would be a decisive battle to remove the Persian threat once and for all. His death during this campaign left Jovian with a massive army in the field, hard to maneuver and even harder to feed. Jovian sued for peace with the Persians, giving away much territory, much of it gained eighty or more years prior. Jovian also did away with the restoration of paganism begun by Julian II. While Christian, Jovian then tried to stay out of religious disputes unlike Constantius II or Constans. As a compromise emperor, after his death by suffocation by his brazier (heater) or by other means, the army would move to nominate or force the selection of emperors for each half of the empire in an imitation of the idea of the Tetrarchy of Diocletian. I was able to pick up this nice Jovian from @John Anthony recently. I am pretty light in the emperors post Constantine I department besides Constantius II and a few others. I thought this was a nice piece. Being moved to learn more about a period that is admittedly confusing is a good thing as well. Jovian, AE3, NO LEGEND; Wreath, VOT V/MVLT X, within. AE3 Jovian Augustus: 363 - 364AD Issued: 363 - 364AD 19.0mm 2.70gr 6h O: DN IOVIA-NVS PF AVG; Diademed (pearls), draped and cuirassed bust, right. R: NO LEGEND; Wreath, VOT V/MVLT X, within; dot within badge at top of wreath. Exergue: AQUILS Aquileia Mint RIC VIII Aquileia 247; Sear 19227. Aorta: 123: B2, O3, R16, T24, M3. JAZ Numismatics/John Zielinski Auction 112, Lot # 21. 11/16/17 11/23/17 Post anything you want, as usual, but coins from after the death of Constantine I through the Valentinian Dynasty are more welcome than others!
Yes, my other examples are kind of garbage-y. This is a nice upgrade. Give the others something to aspire to. http://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/thumbnails.php?album=6343
I sold my only Jovian this year. Yours is very nice. Constantius II 350 AD AE Centenionalis Mint: Siscia Obvs: DN CONSTANTIVS PF AVG. Diademed, draped, and cuirass bust right. * behind, H before Revs: HOC SIGNO VICTOR ERIS, H to left. Emperor standing left with labarum inscribed with Chi-Rho, being crowned by Victory. 20x21mm, 5.04g Constantius II Mint: Siscia 347 AD AE 4 Obvs: CONSTANTIVS PF AVG, rosette-diademed, draped and cuirassed bust right. Revs: VICTORIA AVGG, Victory with wreath in each hand. Chi-rho right, *ΔSIS* 15x17mm, 1.40g Valens Mint: Antioch 367 to 375 AD AR Siliqua Obvs: DN VALENS PER F AVG, Pearl-diademed, draped, and cuirassed right. Revs: VOT X MVLT XX, in laurel wreath. ANTH 17x19mm, 1.59g
David, thank you for the compliment. I would love to add a Siliqua to my collection but talk about wandering into the unknown: I am really clueless.
A nice Jovian for sure, good catch. Here's the same type, from the Sirmium mint Jovianus, AE3 Sirmium mint, 2nd officina D N IOVIANVS P F AVG, Diademed and draped bust of Jovianus right VOT V MULT X IN A LAUREL WREATH. BSIRM at exergue 3.32 gr Ref : Cohen #35, RC #4087, LRBC #1624 Q
No compromise on that OP coin, though. It's a pretty darn excellent example. Because it comes up so infrequently, I try to never miss an opportunity to show the board's worst Jovian .
I have a couple Jovians: RI Jovian AE3 Sirmium mint VOT V RI Jovian 363-364 AE 20mm Folles LEFT Sinister VOT V
How about Shapur II, the Sasanian Persian king who defeated and killed Julian and made a treaty with Jovian:
Here's an even worse Jovian from an uncleaned hoard. This one popped out in the midst of a gaggle of Constantius II FTR types. Can just make out the VOT V. In contrast, here's my best Julian - the APIS bull type is probably the last high quality heavy bronze coins struck in the roman empire. The transition between Julian and Jovian is very aptly described by Ammianus Marcellinus...here's a link to the full text. There also is a Penguin edition of Ammianus' work under the title of The Later Roman Empire, which is pretty good. http://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/e/roman/texts/ammian/home.html
My Jovian is not better than others but it is bigger. These AE1's followed the bulls of Julian and continued for a short while into the time of Valentinian. Jovian AE1 VICTORIA ROMANORVM / ANTB Antioch Valentinian I AE1 RESTITVTOR REIPVBLICAE SMHB Heraclea
I’d like to challenge zumbly and ACH for ugliest Jovian. The decent reverse and scarcer AE1 status might mean I lose. I think I got this ca. 2004 from an uncleaned lot from Noble Roman Coins (“mayadigger” / Kevin Sandes). That’s a fun coin to find in a cheap uncleaned lot, even in terrible shape.
Jovian had only four AE reverse types. Here is my page on them: http://augustuscoins.com/ed/Jovian/Jovian.html The rarest, by far, is this AE4: 14 mm. 1.70 grams. Mintmark, if any, not legible RIC Rome 335 "R4" -- only a few known In RIC Kent comments that the mint marks on the two examples he is aware of are uncertain, but one might be R ex. Gorny and Mosch auction 220, lot 1810. This type was minted only at Rome.