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<p>[QUOTE="DonnaML, post: 4530457, member: 110350"]I recently posted my coins of Constantine I in the "Death of Constantine the Great" thread. So I thought I'd start a new thread to post my one coin of each of his four sons -- the oldest by Minervina, and the other three by Fausta.</p><p><br /></p><p>1. Crispus Caesar (son of Constantine I), Billon reduced Centenionalis, Arelate [Arles] Mint (3rd Officina) 321 AD. Obv. Laureate bust right, CRISPUS NOB CAES / Rev. VOT • V in three lines within laurel wreath, CAESARVM NOSTRORVM. In exergue: T [Crescent] A. RIC VII ARLES 235 (p. 260), Sear RCV IV 16747, Cohen 30. 20 mm., 2.73 g.</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]1122120[/ATTACH]</p><p>Ever since I first read about the fates of Crispus and then Fausta, I've found it extremely odd that those events so closely parallel the myth of Hippolytus and Phaedra, which I vividly recall from reading Mary Renault's <i>The Bull from the Sea. </i>Which makes me wonder if some elements of the Crispus-Fausta story as it has come down to us were invented after the fact to fit the myth.</p><p><br /></p><p>2. Constantine II Caesar (son of Constantine I), Æ reduced Follis, small bust type, Heraclea Mint (5th Officina), 317 AD. Obv. Small laureate half-bust of young Constantine II left, wearing imperial mantle, holding mappa in right hand and globe and scepter in left hand, D N FL CL CONSTANTINVS NOB C / Rev. Camp gate with three turrets and no door, PROVIDEN-TIAE CAESS; in exergue, mintmark MHTЄ [Epsilon = 5th Officina]. RIC VII 20 (p. 545), Sear RCV V 17140, Cohen 107. 18 mm., 3.31 g. (<i>Purchased from Kirk Davis.)</i></p><p><i><br /></i></p><p><i>[ATTACH=full]1122121[/ATTACH] </i></p><p><i><br /></i></p><p>I picked this coin of Constantine II to buy specifically because of the small bust, which seemed so unusual to me for an ancient Roman coin. (The proportion of bust to coin reminds me a little of the George III copper halfpennies of 1806 and 1807.) Are there other Roman coins with similarly small busts?</p><p><br /></p><p>3. Constantius II Caesar (son of Constantine I), silvered billon centenionalis, Trier Mint (2nd Officina) 326 AD. Obv. laureate, draped and cuirassed bust left, FL IVL CONSTANTIVS NOB C / Rev. Camp-gate with no door and two turrets, star above; PROVIDEN-TIAE CAESS. In exergue: STR followed by pellet in crescent. RIC VII Trier 480S (p. 209), Sear RCV V 17618. 19 mm., 3.09 g.</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]1122122[/ATTACH]</p><p><br /></p><p>4. Constans (son of Constantine I), AE Centenionalis, Alexandria Mint (1st Officina) 348-350 AD. Obv. Draped and cuirassed bust left, wearing pearl diadem and holding globe in right hand, D N CONSTA - NS P F AVG / Rev. Emperor in military dress, standing left and holding labarum in right hand and shield in left, placing right foot on leg of one of two captives before him with hands bound behind their backs, wearing Phrygian caps and kneeling facing with their heads turned towards one another, FEL TEMP REPARATIO. ALEA [Alexandria Mint, 1st Officina] in exergue. RIC VIII 56(A) (p. 542), Sear RCV V 18706. 20 mm., 3.45 g. (<i>Purchased from Harlan J. Berk.</i>)</p><p>[ATTACH=full]1122124[/ATTACH]The captives' caps don't look very "Phrygian" to me, but that's how I've seen them described.</p><p><br /></p><p>As yet, I have no coins to post for Constantine I's father Constantius I Chlorus, his mother Helena, or his wife Fausta. I don't know of any coins issued for his daughters, and don't have any for his son-in-law (and half-nephew) Constantius Gallus. And I've recently posted my three coins of Julian II -- his other simultaneous half-nephew and son-in-law -- so I won't repeat them here. Instead, I'll close with a coin of Constantine's brother-in-law, Licinius, who was married to Constantine's half-sister Flavia Julia Constantia:</p><p><br /></p><p>Licinius I, silvered AE Follis, Siscia Mint (4th Officina) 315-316 AD. Obv. Laureate head right, IMP LIC LICINIVS P F AVG / Rev. Naked Jupiter standing and facing left, chlamys across left shoulder, holding Victory on globe in right hand and leaning on scepter held in left hand; eagle with wreath in beak at his feet left, IOVI CON-SERVATORI. Δ [Delta] in right field, • SIS • in exergue. RIC VII SISCIA 17 (p. 424), Sear RCV IV 15212, Cohen 66. 21 mm., 3.36 g.</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]1122131[/ATTACH]</p><p><br /></p><p>If you'd like to post any coins you have of Constantine the Great's sons or any of the other members of his family whom I've mentioned here, I'd love to see them.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>
[QUOTE="DonnaML, post: 4530457, member: 110350"]I recently posted my coins of Constantine I in the "Death of Constantine the Great" thread. So I thought I'd start a new thread to post my one coin of each of his four sons -- the oldest by Minervina, and the other three by Fausta. 1. Crispus Caesar (son of Constantine I), Billon reduced Centenionalis, Arelate [Arles] Mint (3rd Officina) 321 AD. Obv. Laureate bust right, CRISPUS NOB CAES / Rev. VOT • V in three lines within laurel wreath, CAESARVM NOSTRORVM. In exergue: T [Crescent] A. RIC VII ARLES 235 (p. 260), Sear RCV IV 16747, Cohen 30. 20 mm., 2.73 g. [ATTACH=full]1122120[/ATTACH] Ever since I first read about the fates of Crispus and then Fausta, I've found it extremely odd that those events so closely parallel the myth of Hippolytus and Phaedra, which I vividly recall from reading Mary Renault's [I]The Bull from the Sea. [/I]Which makes me wonder if some elements of the Crispus-Fausta story as it has come down to us were invented after the fact to fit the myth. 2. Constantine II Caesar (son of Constantine I), Æ reduced Follis, small bust type, Heraclea Mint (5th Officina), 317 AD. Obv. Small laureate half-bust of young Constantine II left, wearing imperial mantle, holding mappa in right hand and globe and scepter in left hand, D N FL CL CONSTANTINVS NOB C / Rev. Camp gate with three turrets and no door, PROVIDEN-TIAE CAESS; in exergue, mintmark MHTЄ [Epsilon = 5th Officina]. RIC VII 20 (p. 545), Sear RCV V 17140, Cohen 107. 18 mm., 3.31 g. ([I]Purchased from Kirk Davis.) [ATTACH=full]1122121[/ATTACH] [/I] I picked this coin of Constantine II to buy specifically because of the small bust, which seemed so unusual to me for an ancient Roman coin. (The proportion of bust to coin reminds me a little of the George III copper halfpennies of 1806 and 1807.) Are there other Roman coins with similarly small busts? 3. Constantius II Caesar (son of Constantine I), silvered billon centenionalis, Trier Mint (2nd Officina) 326 AD. Obv. laureate, draped and cuirassed bust left, FL IVL CONSTANTIVS NOB C / Rev. Camp-gate with no door and two turrets, star above; PROVIDEN-TIAE CAESS. In exergue: STR followed by pellet in crescent. RIC VII Trier 480S (p. 209), Sear RCV V 17618. 19 mm., 3.09 g. [ATTACH=full]1122122[/ATTACH] 4. Constans (son of Constantine I), AE Centenionalis, Alexandria Mint (1st Officina) 348-350 AD. Obv. Draped and cuirassed bust left, wearing pearl diadem and holding globe in right hand, D N CONSTA - NS P F AVG / Rev. Emperor in military dress, standing left and holding labarum in right hand and shield in left, placing right foot on leg of one of two captives before him with hands bound behind their backs, wearing Phrygian caps and kneeling facing with their heads turned towards one another, FEL TEMP REPARATIO. ALEA [Alexandria Mint, 1st Officina] in exergue. RIC VIII 56(A) (p. 542), Sear RCV V 18706. 20 mm., 3.45 g. ([I]Purchased from Harlan J. Berk.[/I]) [ATTACH=full]1122124[/ATTACH]The captives' caps don't look very "Phrygian" to me, but that's how I've seen them described. As yet, I have no coins to post for Constantine I's father Constantius I Chlorus, his mother Helena, or his wife Fausta. I don't know of any coins issued for his daughters, and don't have any for his son-in-law (and half-nephew) Constantius Gallus. And I've recently posted my three coins of Julian II -- his other simultaneous half-nephew and son-in-law -- so I won't repeat them here. Instead, I'll close with a coin of Constantine's brother-in-law, Licinius, who was married to Constantine's half-sister Flavia Julia Constantia: Licinius I, silvered AE Follis, Siscia Mint (4th Officina) 315-316 AD. Obv. Laureate head right, IMP LIC LICINIVS P F AVG / Rev. Naked Jupiter standing and facing left, chlamys across left shoulder, holding Victory on globe in right hand and leaning on scepter held in left hand; eagle with wreath in beak at his feet left, IOVI CON-SERVATORI. Δ [Delta] in right field, • SIS • in exergue. RIC VII SISCIA 17 (p. 424), Sear RCV IV 15212, Cohen 66. 21 mm., 3.36 g. [ATTACH=full]1122131[/ATTACH] If you'd like to post any coins you have of Constantine the Great's sons or any of the other members of his family whom I've mentioned here, I'd love to see them.[/QUOTE]
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