Time of Constans and Constantius II. Roman billon reduced centenionalis, 1.59 g, 14.3 mm, 5 h. Heraclea, AD 347-348. Obv: VRBS ROMA, helmeted and mantled bust of Roma, left. Rev: VOT XX MVLT XXX legend in four lines within laurel-wreath, •SMHB below. Refs: RIC viii, p. 433, 56; LRBC I, 965; Cohen 10; RCV 17545. These coins are not commonly encountered in nice condition, so when I saw this one at @John Anthony's V-Coins site, I had to get it for my VRBS ROMA subcollection. While the wolf and twins reverse type for these coins is certainly the most encountered and of interest, this obverse was intentionally paired with other reverse types at certain mints. @Valentinian has an excellent page on his website about these if you're interested in learning more about this fascinating series. The VRBS ROMA coins were struck at all mints from 330 until the death of Constantine I in 337, and continued until 340 when Constantine II died. After his death, very few, or even no, copper coins were issued for six years, with small issues resuming in 347-348, such as my new coin. This particular reverse type paired with the VRBS ROMA obverse was issued only at Heraclea and Nicomedia, two cities on the shore of the Propontis. The VRBS ROMA and CONSTANTINOPOLIS coins were subject to a coinage reform in 335, when the module was reduced from ~2.5 g to ~1.6 g in weight and from ~18 mm to ~15 mm in diameter. When buying and attributing these coins, pay attention to their weights and diameters and you may have to look in two different volumes of your references to find them. The earlier, larger modules are listed in RIC vii and Sear vol. 4, with the smaller modules listed in RIC viii and Sear vol. 5. A massive monetary reform took place in 348, accompanied by the introduction of the popular FEL TEMP REPARATIO series. But that's a subject for a completely different thread. Do you have any VRBS ROMA coins with reverses other than the wolf and twins design? Let's see what you have!!
This one has an excellent strike, but is overall rather poor Here’s the other variant, Gloria Exercitvs. Not sure which one is more common than the other
This siliqua, issued more than 20 years later, also qualifies as a coin with an VRBS ROMA legend that doesn't depict the wolf and twins: Gratian, AR Siliqua, 368-375 AD, Trier Mint. Obv. Pearl-diademed, draped, and cuirassed bust right, D N GRATIA-NVS P F AVG / Rev. Helmeted Roma seated left on throne, holding Victory on globe in right hand, and scepter in left hand, VRBS ROMA; in exergue, TRPS• (Trier Mint; PS = pvsvlatvm, struck from refined silver). RIC IX 27f(1) at p. 19, RSC V 86a, Sear RCV V 19964. 17 mm., 2.0 g. PS re typo in your description: Nicomedia, AD 147-148 should, of course, be 347-348. (Proving that I do actually read what people write!)
Very cool coin style RC! It almost appears barbarous I used to have more of these, but lost interest when I lost interest in Constantine. Here's an outright barbarous example:
