Featured The LUGDUNUM mint challenge

Constantine the Great
AE Follis

309 - 310 A.D., Lugdunum Mint, 1st Officina
5.16g, 26.0mm, 12H
Obverse: IMP CONSTANTINVS P F AVG,
Bust of Constantine I, laureate, draped, right, seen from behind

Reverse: SOLI INVICTO COMITI,
Sol, nude, standing front, head left, raising right hand and holding globe in left hand

Exergue: F/T//PLC

Reference: RIC VI Lugdunum 307

 

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@Caesar_Augustus Great coin.

Here are some contemporaries.....

Similar but the smaller (later) variety

Obv:– IMP CONSTANTINVS P F AVG, Laureate, draped and cuirassed bust right, seen from rear
Rev:– SOLI INVIC-TO COMITI, Sol standing left holding globe in left and raising right.
Minted in Lugdunum. F in left field, T in right field, PLC in exe. A.D. 309 - 310
Reference:– RIC VI Lugdunum 310



This one is from the same issue as yours but has a previously unknown short legend (lacking the leading IMP). This one should be in the next Bastien supplement.



There are other reverse variations in tbis issue.

Obv:– IMP CONSTANTINVS P F AVG, Laureate, draped and cuirassed bust right, seen from rear
Rev:– SOLI INVIC-TO COMITI, Sol walking left holding globe in left and raising right.
Minted in Lugdunum. F in left field, T in right field, PLC in exe. A.D. 309 - 310
Reference:– RIC VI Lugdunum - (Unlisted reverse type variation). Bastien 529 (4 examples cited)



Obv:– IMP CONSTANTINVS P F AVG, Laureate, draped and cuirassed bust right, seen from behind
Rev:- SOLI INVIC-TO COMITI, Sol advancing left, raising right hand, holding whip in left hand
Minted in Lugdunum (F | T / PLG). Spring A.D. 310 - 311
Reference:– RIC VI Lugdunum 312 (Rated Scarce). Bastien XI 528 (28 examples)
3.32g. 24.26mm



My favourite is this earlier issue.

Obv:– IMP C CONSTANTINVS P F AVG, Laureate, draped bust right (seen from the rear)
Rev:– GENIO POP ROM, Genius standing left, wearing modius and chlamys, sacrificing from patera on flaming altar and holding cornucopiae
Minted in Lugdunum (CI | H/S / PLC) A.D. Autumn A.D. 308 to start A.D. 309 (Bastien)
Reference:– Bastien 509 (75 examples cited). RIC VI 287 (though Bastien groups both Modius and Towered versions into one group)
6.35 gms. 25.67 mm

 

I will be modest as well: this one is rare, as it is an 'altar' coin struck under Claudius!

 

Augustus AR Denarius, Lugdunum (Lyon) mint
Obv: AVGVSTVS DIVI F; Bare head right
Rev: IMP X; Augustus seated left on curule chair extending right hand toward two soldiers, each carrying a parazonium and presenting laurel branches (some scholars believe the two soldiers are Tiberius and Nero Drusus)

 

@maridvnvm, you destroyed my mouse button, because of all the 'likes' i had to click!

Really nice coins shown here! I really don't think i have something new to add at this moment.

Well, then again, perhaps. Did aliens land in Lugdunum? Because there's this alien on the reverse of my coin of Augustus....



Looks like:

 

What a delightful thread, just like walking into a museum, awesome!

This type was previously attributed to have been struck in Rome, and changed to Lugdunum, don't know why:

Æ As, Vespasianus
Gallia, Lugdunum, 77 - 78 AD
26 x 27 mm, 9.05 g
Ref.: RIC² Vespasian 1237 (764a); BMCRE 848; BN/R.850; Cohen 482; RCV 2362

Ob.: IMP CAES VESPASIAN AVG COS VIII P P, laureate head right; globe at point of bust
Rev.: Eagle standing facing on globe, head right, with wings spread; S C across fields

​

 

and a Diocletianus that I think has not been shown in this thread yet:

Antoninianus
21 x 22.5 mm, 3.58 g
Lugdunum, 290 - 291 AD, 1st officina, 7th emission
Ref.: RIC V Diocletian 28; Sear 12655; Cohen 153;

Ob.: IMP DIOCLETIANVS AVG, Radiate bust of Diocletianus left in imperial mantle: toga picta and toga palmata, holding scipio (scepter)
Rev.: IOVI - AVGG, Jupiter standing left, holding Victory on globe in right hand and scepter in left hand; at foot, eagle; A in exergue

​

 

I thought that I would give this another kick......

These were quite hard to obtain....

Maximinus Daia
Follis
Obv:– GAL VAL MAXIMINVS N C, Laureate, draped and cuirassed bust right
Rev:– GENIO POP-VLI ROMANI, Genius standing left, modius on head, naked but for chlamys at waist, left hand holding cornucopiae and right hand holding patera over altar
Minted in Lugdunum (_ | N / PLC). Spring A.D. 307
Reference:– RIC VI Lugdunum 215 (rated R). Bastien XI 396 (18 examples cited)



Licinius I
Follis
Obv:– IMP LICINIVS P F AVG, Laureate, cuirassed bust right
Rev:– GENIO POP ROM, Genius standing left, modius on head, naked but for chlamys round waist, left hand holding cornucopiae and right hand holding patera
Minted in Lugdunum (TF | * / PLG). A.D. 315
Reference:– RIC VII Lugdunum 48 (R4). Bastien XI 598 (8 examples cited)



Follis
Obv:– IMP LICINIVS P F AVG, Laureate, cuirassed bust right
Rev:– GENIO POP ROM, Genius standing left, modius on head, naked but for chlamys round waist, left hand holding cornucopiae and right hand holding patera
Minted in Lugdunum (TF | * / PLG). A.D. 315
Reference:– RIC VII Lugdunum 50 corr (R5). Bastien XI 600 (6 examples cited)

 

I'm arriving at this party late due to being away on vacation last week.

It looks like all my types from this prolific mint are already posted above... with just one exception:

 

OOPS! I forgot one. Beautifully perfect round flan, eh? ;-)

 

I was inspired by Gavin's post to make size comparisons that show debasement over time. Here's an illustration showing that debasement at the Lugdunum mint for coins of Constantine. Still need to get some more Lugdunum coins to create a better timeline.

 

Not that it is directly relevant here but flan size can sometimes be misleading. Circle of dots size is sometimes needed to differentiate between issues.

 

Severus II (305 - 307 A.D.)
Æ Follis
O:SEVERVS NOB C, Laureate, draped and cuirassed bust right.
R: GENIO POP-VLI ROMANI, Genius standing left, holding patera and cornucopiae; altar left, star right: PLC in exeergue.
Lugdunum (Lyon) mint
8.83g
39mm
RIC VI 193

Ex CNG Electric Auction, Lot 372, 1/10/2008

Ex. Gordon s. Perry Collection

 

Even my small collection (fewer than 60 coins) includes nine coins minted in Lugdunum, and it would be excessive to post them all here, especially since they've been posted before in other threads.

Except for one.

In the recent Roma auction I finally acquired the last remaining 12 Caesars coin that I've been seeking for over eight years now. To complete my "mint set" of Tiberius, I needed a portrait Tiberius sestertius. The only ones available are those with the Altar of Lugdunum on the reverse, and these are rarely available in good condition that shows both the obverse portrait as well as the Altar of Lugdunum on the reverse. But finally one showed up at the Roma auction, and despite some flaws, it's one of the better ones I've seen in years.



TIBERIUS
AE Sestertius (26.216 g.) Lugdunum circa 8 - 10 A.D. RIC 240 (Augustus)
TI CAESAR AVGVTVSTI F IMPERATOR V Bare head of Tiberius l. Rev. ROM ET AVG Altar of Lugdunum. Rare.

Here's my completed "mint set" of Tiberius:

 

Spectacular as always IOM! That is the nicest Tiberius “altar” sestertius I have ever seen (and I have seen several).

 

Congratulations! Spectacular set .

 

A wonderful coin and a great set. Congrats on putting this set together

 

Just one more: Fausta RIC 235

 

Aurelianus of Numerian Lugdunum. RIC 305 Obv Bust facing left holding spear and shield. Rv. Pax standing left. 283-284 A.D. 2.79 grms 23 mm

 

Wow @Ocatarinetabellatchitchix, you initiated a most interesting thread, I'm speechless with all those beauties

Although I'm probably here the one living the closest to Lyon (40 miles) I don't have so many coins from that city (I have a few though)

I will only show you one, which hasn't been shown yet in this thread, and worth adding IMO


Galba, As - Lugdunum mint, AD 68
SER GALBA IMP CAESAR AVG PON M TR P PP, Laureate head of Galba right
Rome seated left, SC in field
10,60 gr
Ref : Cohen #182, RIC - (see RIC # 141), see BM #248 (same obverse die), Gorny&Mosch auction 76, 22.04.1996, n° 405 and Müller auction 15, 19-20.09.1975, n° 152. (same dies)

A friend of mine, writing his PhD thesis about the coinage of Galba has made a comprehensive study, finding only less than 20 asses struck in Lyon for Galba, and only three others showing this particular obverse legend ending with TR P PP instead of TR POT. The specimen in BM has been apparently misread either by BMC authors than RIC authors, due to the coin being worn. But as it's undoubtely the same obverse die it should be read as TR P PP instead

Q