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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;dougsmit, post: 3128256, member: 19463&quot;]If you searched back posts in the ancient section, you might find this explanation but it never hurts to repeat things if there is interest.&nbsp; The Urbs Roma coins and the Constantinopolis commemoratives were issued in honor of the old and new capitols of the empire but were just a part of the coins issued in that period.&nbsp; There were also portrait coins for each ruler.&nbsp; Coins for Constantine the Great and his sons used a reverse type showing two soldiers with two standards between them.&nbsp; A bit later, inflation resulted in a weight reduction of the coins and the standards between the soldiers dropped to just one.&nbsp; Very shortly after the start of the one standard, lighter coins, Constantine I died and the sons became full Augusti rather than the junior grade of Caesar they had been while dad was alive. </p><p><br /></p><p>The two commemoratives were issued in both earlier, heavier and later, lighter versions.&nbsp; No &#039;code&#039; like the number of standards was changed so the only way you separate the two is by weight.&nbsp; There were several mints and several years covered in both periods and weights of individual coins was not as important as long as the correct number of coins were made from a pound of metal.&nbsp; That means you get a large variation from coin to coin.&nbsp; A coin weighing 3.1g was definitely early while one in the 1.5g range would be late but there is no certain absolute number in the middle where you can say with certainty that over is early and under is late. </p><p><br /></p><p>The standard reference for these coins RIC (Roman Imperial Coinage) breaks between volume VII and VIII with the death of Constantine.&nbsp; All two standards coins and a few of the earliest one standard types are in volume VII along with the heavy commemoratives.&nbsp; More of the one standards variations (the ones that do not come in a variety named for Constantine I) and the lighter commemoratives&nbsp; are in volume VIII.&nbsp; Not having a clear &#039;code&#039; on the coins makes us rely on weight to find the types we seek in the correct volume.&nbsp; All this reminds me of the US situation with arrows and rays on seated silver.&nbsp; Many collectors probably don&#039;t realize that these code weight changes.&nbsp; Not having year dates and &#039;arrows&#039; means ancient collectors need scales to separate some coins.</p><p>Constantine I two standards 2.7g</p><p>[ATTACH=full]797537[/ATTACH]</p><p><br /></p><p>Constantine I one standard 1.3g</p><p>[ATTACH=full]797539[/ATTACH]</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>Constantinopolis (at 2.8g, a heavy one)</p><p>[ATTACH=full]797544[/ATTACH]</p><p><br /></p><p>Constantinopolis (at 1.9g, a lighter one)</p><p>[ATTACH=full]797545[/ATTACH]</p><p><br /></p><p>Weights for wolf coins work the same way.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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