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Message:: [QUOTE="lrbguy, post: 2884086, member: 88829"]In response to a suggestion by Jamesicus, to flesh out the picture on the FIL AVG inscriptions, here is a quick followup on the FIL AVG(G) issues of 308-309 AD, and a correction of a misidentification above. The mints were far from uniform in their handing of the FIL AVG title.  2 mints (Siscia and Thessalonica) issued coins for both Maximinus II and Constantine using this title, and in both cases rendered it in the plural as FIL AVGG.  Siscia had two reverse types with these for both, GENIO AVGVSTI and GENIO CAESARIS.  The AVGVSTI type for Constantine was shown above. Thessalonica had two reverses for each,  GENIO CAESARIS and VIRTVTI EXERCITVS   The CAESARIS types were shown in my earlier post above.  Here is the VIRTVTI type for Max:  [ATTACH=full]691766[/ATTACH] 3 mints did not recognize FIL AVG at all. Serdica, Heraclea, and Cyzicus.  Of these, two (Heraclea and Cyzicus) issued only for Maximinus as Caesar. (For this reason, the coin Doug had attributed to Heraclea cannot have been from there.) 3 mints issued FIL AVG for Constantine only. For Maximinus the matching issue was as Caesar.Nicomedia used the same reverse for both, GENIO CAESARIS with CMH(ligatured).  That type was shown earlier for Constantine, and appears here for Maximinus:[ATTACH=full]691767[/ATTACH] (The ligatured initials on this reverse type provide the unambiguous basis for attributing Doug's "Heraclea" piece to Nicomedia.) Alexandria also issued a GENIO CAESARIS reverse for both, with different legends of office on the obverse.  Here is the type for Maximinus II:[ATTACH=full]691768[/ATTACH] Antioch is the most complex by far:  For Maximinus: 9 reverses with 2 obv legends (both CAES), 3 reverse types {GENIO CAESARIS (3), VIRTUS EXERCITVS (5), MAXIMINVS NOBILISSIMVS CAESAR (1)}, and field variants. For Constantine: 4 reverses with 2 obverse legends (1 for FIL AVG), 2 reverse types (GENIO CAESARIS and GENIO FIL AVG), and 2 sets of reverse field variants The only reverse common to the two was the GENIO CAESARIS, but on the obverses as NOB CAES for Maximinus, and FIL AVG for Constantine.  Despite the apparent intention to deny the FIL AVG title to Maximinus, the second reverse type for Constantine, GENIO FIL AVGG, slips it in via the plural.  Although used on two separate issues for Constantine, this legend does not appear on any of the coins for Maximinus. Here are two examples for Maximinus: Early in the series, the VIRTVS EXERCITVS reverse, with Virtus advancing right holding a spear (transversly), a shield, and shouldering a trophy, also displayed a crescent in the right field just above the officina mark.  In the exergue a dot either preceded or followed the mintmark.[ATTACH=full]691769[/ATTACH] Later, for the GENIO CAESARIS type, the Genius of the emperor stands scantly clad facing left, cradling a cornucopia with his left arm and pouring liquid from a patera with his right.  An altar now appears in the left field, and the officina mark in the right (here delta epsilon for officina 9).  The exergual dot has been replaced by a star.[ATTACH=full]691770[/ATTACH] I hope this helps clarify the question of how the FIL AVG inscriptions were handled and what the use of the singular or plural endings signified from mint to mint.[/QUOTE]

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