The inglorious end of the Tetrarchy

I am very sorry to hear about your wife's heart issues but I'm glad she will be coming home soon. My thoughts and prayers are with her for a speedy recovery.

 

Log in or Sign up to hide this ad.

Prayers for you and your wife, James! Take care of yourself too. The Ancients Forum is a great place to get away for a few minutes from the reality of life and you’re among friends here.

 

Great coin @chrsmat71 - thanks for posting that pic. There were no Maxentius coins issued by the London Mint -- reflection of the animosity between Constantine and Maxentius. Of course that was reciprocated by Maxentius at his Ostia Mint ("boys will be boys") -- quite a bit of churlish behavior in those days! In due course Constantine "had the last word" at Milvian bridge!

 

@jamesicus the last thing you have to worry about is us. I wish there was something we can do to make situations like that easier on you.

Good luck with everything.

 

Very nice post-Tetrarchic reduced follis -- thanks for posting the pic.

 

Hopefully she will make a speedy recovery.

 

It sounds as though your wife has reached the stage where medication is her only option. May she remain in control of her health for a long time to come.

On the matter of the double "G" on FIL AVGG: the use of that convention seems to have varied by mint. Doug showed us Max at Thessalonika and Constantine at Heraclea. Here are examples for both Maximinus and Constantine at Thessalonika:



In this case, both use the AVGG convention.

We also see it for Constantine at Siscia:



However, as at Heraclea, so also Nicomedia made use of the single "G:"



I will keep looking for more examples for Maximinus, since so far I only show him for Thessalonika.

 

And, Maxentius did not issue any coins in the name of his father, Maximian Herculius, at his Ostia Mint which underscores the bitterness of their "parting of the ways" due to Herculius' desertion of him and subsequent alignment with Constantine (which didn't last either). It does not appear that Maxentius and Maximian Herculius ever did reconcile.

 

Thank you for that contribution @lrbguy -- please do investigate this further.

 

Oh my gosh, James, I hope all is getting much better. I will be thinking/praying for you and your wife. Please take care with YOUR walking and health!

I more than understand you and your Wife's plight. My wife had a series of 3 heart attacks over the month of May this year. She is only 53. We were in the Hospital Cardiology Unit 3 different times for a total of 21 Days... stents, angioplasty, etc. Prior to getting her into the Hospital, the Emergency Room REJECTED her 2 times, claiming she had a healthy heart. The THIRD time, she had a heart attack IN the Emergency Room, so they finally admitted the fact! and admitted her! She was within minutes of passing, as her main descending artery was only letting a thread of blood through. He stated had that thread closed, he would not been able to save her. It has been an extremely rough year for us with deaths (Son-in-Law), her health, and many other unusual issues, etc.
Kindest Regards,
Brian

RR Rubrius AR Quin Donnsenus 87 BC Neptune Victory alter snake Aesculapius S261 Cr 348-4

 

Thank you for your concern and comforting words, Brian. I am on my way to get her right now. Please take care of your wife -- life is so very fragile -- and oh so short!

 

I'm so sorry to hear about your wife's health issues. But, I'm glad she's coming home!

I will definitely keep you and your wife in my thoughts and prayers, James!

You are such an asset to this forum!

But, make sure you take care of yourself and your wife first.

All the best, James!

Erin

 

All of you will always be in my thoughts and prayers. The time we have to share with our loved ones is never long enough---enjoy every moment you can.

I'll add one of Constantine, struck in London, with the Concordia reverse that managed to stay in my photo album....apparently struck about 310-312 AD. It's so 'plug ugly' that it appealed to me---hung over celators?

 

LOL!!! Yup!

 

I have always enjoyed this Constantine from Rome RIC 196 page 376 which comes with a question that bothers me. RIC lists this coin as from early autumn 307 and common for Constantine but scarce for Maxentius and Maximianus. Following, dated to winter, RIC 202-203 are rated common for Maxentius (as seems appropriate) and rare for Constantine and Maximianus. I am troubled with how Constantine is more common than Maxentius at a mint Maxentius controlled. What happened in autumn 307?

 

I'm not the prayers type myself, but offer both @jamesicus and @Alegandron heartfelt wishes for a much better last few months of 2017!

This is a hilarious portrait of Constantine! "Whaddya mean, 'filius augustorum'? what kinda crap is that?!?"

I have quite a few from this period, but only one from London, an RIC VI 209c of Licinius (and a present from my lovely wife):

 

Oops, make that 2... also this Divo Constantio that came in big a group lot:

 

how awful! best wishes to all!!

 

You also asked for examples from other mints. Here are a few of my more interesting ones.

Constantine I as Augustus, Mars reverse, Trier RIC 772a, struck 307-8:


Then Maximianus Lugdunum RIC 288, attributed to between autumn 308 and spring 309 at Lugdunum. That's an odd range... strange that the same type would be struck both before his 2nd retirement in 308 and after his re-emergence but before his death in 309. Any clarification is appreciated!

(that is one humongous ear, eh?)

Also Constantine w/ Sol, Trier RIC 890, dated to 310-313:


And finally this remarkable follis struck at Antioch for Maximinus II as Caesar in 309(? - some sources say 310, but that doesn't make sense):
MAXIMINVS NOB CAES, Helmeted and cuirassed bust left, holding spear over right shoulder, shield on left arm decorated with two horsemen riding left, Nike standing before placing wreath on the head of the first horse, four enemies below / SOLI IN-VICTO, Sol standing facing, head turned left, raising right hand and holding globe in left, within facing quadriga.

Too bad it's in such rough shape.

All of these except the Sol came in the group lot I mentioned before. Not bad for $16 per coin! Partly because of your posts, @jamesicus, I'll be keeping rather more of the lot than I originally expected to.

 

Thoughts and best wishes to you and your family @jamesicus ! My heart goes out to you and your wife.