Featured The NICOMEDIA mint Challenge

Flaccilla AE2 and Eudoxia AE3 from Nicomedia:

24mm 5.28g unrecorded issue, should go between RIC 42 and 43 (or perhaps before RIC 28). This issue has no field marks and uses officina Δ or possibly A(?), unrecorded for Nicomedia 42/28, but recorded for the Empress type Nicomedia 43 (Δ), which started around 384.




18mm 2.30g RIC IX Nicomedia 102.
First issue for Eudoxia from ca. 400.

 

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I have a couple coins from Nikomedeia:

Maximinus II Daia
AE Follis

305 - 306 A.D., Nicomedia Mint, 2nd Officina
9.14g, 27.0mm, 6H

Obverse: GAL VAL MAXIMINVS NOB CAES,
Head of Maximinus Daia, laureate, right

Reverse: GENIO POPVLI ROMANI,
Genius, wearing modius, nude, chlamys draped over left shoulder, standing left, pouring liquid from patera in right hand and holding cornucopiae in left hand

Exergue: -/-//SMNB

Provenance: Ex. Savoca 5th Blue Auction, Lot 1476

Reference: RIC VI Nicomedia 40

Licinius I
AE Follis

313 - 317 A.D., Nicomedia Mint, 5th Officina
3.41g, 23.0mm, 6H

Obverse: IMP C VAL LICIN LICINIVS P F AVG,
Head of Licinius, laureate, right

Reverse: IOVI CONS-ERVATORI,
Jupiter, nude, chlamys draped across left shoulder, standing left, holding Victory on globe in right hand and leaning on sceptre with left hand; to left, eagle holding wreath

Exergue: -/∈//SMN

Provenance: Ex. Savoca Blue Auction 18, Lot 1947

Reference: RIC VII Nicomedia 13

Justinian the Great
AE Follis

540 - 541 A.D., Nicomedia Mint, 1st Officina
23.31g, 39.0mm, 6H

Obverse: D N IVSTINIANVS PP AVG,
Helmeted and cuirassed bust of Justinian I facing, holding globus cruciger and shield decorated with horseman motif; cross to right

Reverse: -,
Large M; A/N/N/O - X/II/II (R.Y. 14) across field, cross above, A below

Exergue: NIKO

Provenance: Ex. Numismatik Naumann Auction 60 Lot 593

Reference: SBCV 201

 

Constantinopolis Victory on Prow types from the four officinas of Nicomedia.

A, B, Delta, E

 

A new addition to one of my favorite Late Roman mints:


Valentinian I AE1 27mm 8.79g, RIC IX Nicomedia 7 ca. 364-5

The AE1 was introduced by Magnentius at the end of 352 or very early 353 and was revived by Julian's copper coinage reform of 362. AE1s are rather common for Julian and Jovian, scarce for Valentinian I and rare for Valens.

 

doucet posted some nice Constantinopolis coins, here is an unofficial "barb" example.




Circa A.D. 330- 335
16mm 2.7gm
CONSTANT [???]; laureate, helmeted, wearing imperial mantle, holding scepter.
Rev. Victory stg. on prow, holding long scepter in r. hand, and resting l. hand on shield.
in ex. • SMNB •

 

My only coin from Nicomedia.

 

Even in one of the most boring phases for AE, Nicomedia had a good pleasing style.

Here is Constans from early 334 to ca. early 338:

- very early experimental legend FL IVL CONSTANTIS NOB C



- Constans as Augustus with a moved die showing a sort of ”eyes to heaven” effigy

 

My offering. Constantius II, fallen horse reverse. This coin was described as being from the Nicomedia mint, but the mint mark is off the flan, so I'm assuming it can be deducted by the officina letter? Please correct me if I'm wrong, still learning.

 

Here 4 coins, 1 from Constantine I, and from each caesar one.
Constantine:

Crispus
Constantius

Constantinus II

 

This is one of my favorite coins of Crispus.

FL IVL CRIS-PVS NOB C // PROVIDEN-TIAE CAESS// MNB

Date: 325-326
Mint: Nikomedia
Officin: 2e
Bust: B*1

Weight: 3.12 gr.
Diameter: 18mm
Dies: 12h

 

And here is Julian II

JULIAN II APOSTATA (361-363). Follis. Nicomedia.
Obv: D N FL CL IVLIANVS P F AVG.
Diademed, helmeted and cuirassed bust left, holding round shield and spear.
Rev: VOT X MVLT XX / NIKB.
Legend in 4 lines within wreath.
RIC 123 var. (officina).
Condition: extremely fine.
Weight: 2.97 g.
Diameter: 19 mm.

 

Here's my Nikomedia coins, a bit earlier than the others.

Nikomedes I
279 - 255 BCE​

AE 4.477g, 16.5mm, 0h
Rec Gen I-2 p.​

Ex Forum Ancient Coins​

Kings of Bithynia. Nikomedes I​

circa 280-250 BCE
AE Bronze, 23 mm, 8.75 g, 6 h
Diademed head of Nikomedes I to right.
Rev. BAΣIΛE - NIKOMH Horse prancing right; above, wreath; below foreleg, spearhead.
RG 7. SNG von Aulock 242
Ex Leu​

 

Heraclius (610-641) was the Byzantine emperor at the time.



Heraclius, year 1 (610/611)
27 mm. 11.05 grams.
Sear 833 overstruck, with traces (most obvious is the star at 4:00 on the reverse) of the undertype, Sear 62 or 63, for Justin I

I wonder if we can show a coin of Heraclius from Nicomedia closer to 627?

 

I don't think a Roman provincial of Antoninus Pius has surfaced yet...

Bithynia, Nicomedia, Antoninus Pius (138-161), AE (3.1g, 18mm)
Obv: ANTΩΝ ΚΑΙCΑΡ CEB, bareheaded and draped bust right.
Rev: DHMHT NEIKO, Demeter standing left, holding grain ears and scepter.
Ref: RPC online 5588

 

Here's a year 16 (625/6)... I sold it, though!

 

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"And," as they used to say on Monty Python, "now for somthing completely different."

Here are two arab imiations of the Justin II/Sophia seated folles of the late 6th century AD. Both are from Scythopolis (Baysan), located in present day Israel. Although not minted in Nicomedia, these 7th century coins incorporate "NIKO" in the reverse's exergue, probably to increase acceptance, although the coins, as can be clearly seen, also include Arabic and other unusual elements as well.

11.06 grams




12.3 grams





I do have one Justinian I follis from Nicomedia, RY 13. It's one my favorites, even though his eyes do make him look a bit like a "deer in the headlights", or perhaps he was just hung over from the previous night's activities.

Note what seems to be a chi-rho cross on the reverse, above the M.

ex Harlan Berk