Roman Coins in Reverse - a Chronological Gallery

[Prieure de Sion]

 

 

Commemorative series, struck under Constantine I. the Great; Follis of the Roman Imperial Period 333/335 AD; Material: silvered AE; Diameter: 18mm; Weight: 2.73g; Mint: Alexandria; Reference: RIC VII Alexandria 64; Provenance: Ex Artemide Aste Numismatica San Marino; Obverse: Bust of Constantinopolis, laureate, helmeted, wearing imperial cloak, left, holding reversed spear in right hand. The Inscription reads: CONSTAN TINOPOLIS for Constantinopolis (Personification of the City Constantinople); Reverse: Victory, winged, draped, standing left on prow, holding spear in right hand and shield in left hand. The Inscription reads: SMALA for Alexandria, 1st officina.

 

[Qcumbor]

No one for the ladies ?

Nothing very exciting as a reverse in my trays, but I only have one of each : they will have to do...

Theodora :

 

Fausta :

 

Helena :

 

Q

[DonnaML]

This thread seems to have fallen by the wayside for the last 10 days, so I thought I'd try to revive it by catching up on the people I missed.

Fausta:

Fausta (wife of Constantine I and daughter of Maximian), Billon reduced Centenionalis, Alexandria Mint (First Officina) 326 AD. Obv. Draped bust right, FLAV MAX FAVSTA AVG / Rev. Veiled Fausta standing facing, head left, holding two small children [representing Constantine II Caesar and Constantius II Caesar?]* in her arms, SPES REIP-VBLICAE; in exergue, SMALA [Alexandria, First Officina].  RIC VII Alexandria 40 (p. 709), Sear RCV IV 16582. 19 mm., 2.92 g. Ex. Dr. Frank Sternberg Collection, Sternberg I, Zurich, Nov. 30-Dec. 1, 1973, part of Lot 524 (catalogue p. 61) (with old coin ticket).

 *  Sear argues (see Sear RCV V at p. 77) that the two children depicted were Constantius II and Constans, asserting that Constantine II was not Fausta’s son. This is a minority view.

Crispus:

Crispus Caesar (son of Constantine I), Billon reduced Centenionalis, Arelate [Arles] Mint (3rd Officina) 321 AD. Obv. Laureate bust right, CRISPUS NOB CAES / Rev. VOT • V in three lines within laurel wreath, CAESARVM NOSTRORVM. In exergue: T [Crescent] A. RIC VII ARLES 235 (p. 260), Sear RCV IV 16747, Cohen 30. 20 mm., 2.73 g.

Delmatius:

Delmatius Caesar (nephew of Constantine I), Billon reduced Centenionalis, Antioch Mint (10th Officina), 335-337 AD. Obv. Laureate and cuirassed bust right, FL DELMA-TIVS NOB C / Rev. Two helmeted soldiers, standing facing one another, reversed spears in outer hands, inner hands on shields resting on ground, one standard between them, GLOR-IA EXERC-ITVS; in exergue, SMANI [Antioch, 10th Officina]. RIC VII Antioch 112, p. 697; Sear RCV IV 16901; Cohen 4. 15x16 mm., 1.7 g.

Constantine II:

Constantine II Caesar (son of Constantine I), Æ reduced Follis. small bust type, Heraclea Mint (5th Officina), 317 AD. Obv. Small laureate half-bust of young Constantine II left, wearing imperial mantle, holding mappa in right hand and globe and scepter in left hand, D N FL CL CONSTANTINVS NOB C / Rev. Campgate with five rows, three turrets, no door, and no star, PROVIDEN-TIAE CAESS; in exergue, mintmark MHTЄ [Epsilon = 5th Officina]. RIC VII 20 (p. 545), Sear RCV V 17140, Cohen 107. 18 mm., 3.31 g. (Purchased from Kirk Davis). 

Constans:

Constans (son of Constantine I), AE Centenionalis, Alexandria Mint (1st Officina) 348-350 AD. Obv. Draped and cuirassed bust left, wearing pearl diadem and holding globe in right hand, D N CONSTA - NS P F AVG / Rev. Emperor in military dress, standing left and holding labarum in right hand and shield in left, placing right foot on leg of one of two captives before him with hands bound behind their backs, wearing caps and kneeling facing with their heads turned towards one another, FEL TEMP REPARATIO. ALEA [Alexandria Mint, 1st Officina] in exergue. RIC VIII 56(A) (p. 542), Sear RCV V 18706.  20 mm., 3.45 g. (Purchased from Harlan J. Berk, Ltd., 211th Buy or Bid Sale, June 2020, Lot 302.)

Constantius II:

Constantius II Caesar (son of Constantine I), silvered billon centenionalis, Trier Mint (2nd Officina) 326 AD. Obv. laureate, draped and cuirassed bust left, FL IVL CONSTANTIVS NOB C / Rev. Campgate with six rows, two turrets, no door, and star between turrets; PROVIDEN-TIAE CAESS. In exergue: STR followed by pellet in crescent. RIC VII Trier 480S (p. 209), Sear RCV V 17618. 19 mm., 3.09 g.

Constantius II (son of Constantine I), AR reduced Siliqua, Lugdunum (Lyon) Mint, 360-361 AD. Obv. Rosette-diademed [despite description by all dealers as pearl-diademed], draped, and cuirassed bust right, D N CONSTAN-TIVS PF AVG / Rev. Victory advancing left, holding wreath in right hand and palm frond in left, both wings visible [despite description by all dealers as one wing visible], VICTORIA DD NN AVG; in exergue, mint mark LVG (Lugdunum). 17 mm., 2.06 g. RIC VIII 211 at p. 193 [both wings visible]; RSC V 259b (ill. p. 131) [rosette-diademed; both wings visible, = RIC VIII 211]; Sear RCV V 17948 (ill. p. 165) [applicable to RIC 210-211 & 214]. Purchased from Herakles Numismatics, July 2022; ex. Triskeles Auction 31, 27.03.2020, Lot 344; ex Spink Auction 16006, 26-27 Sep 2016, East Harptree Hoard Sale, Part of Lot 2929 (see https://www.numisbids.com/n.php?p=lot&sid=1689&lot=2929); from 1887 East Harptree hoard (one of 49 coins of this type in hoard; see article with inventory, “On a Hoard of Roman Coins Found at East Harptree, Near Bristol,” The Numismatic Chronicle (Vol. VIII, London 1888), pp. 22-46 at pp. 39-40; available at  https://archive.org/details/thirdnumismatic08royauoft/page/40/mode/1up).*

 

* The East Harptree hoard was discovered in 1887 on the land of Mr. W. Kettlewell of Harptree Court, while a search for a new spring was being conducted. Mr. Kettlewell kindly made them available for study at the British Museum, and they were written up by John Evans for the Numismatic Chronicle of 1888, pages 22-46. The British Museum was given a few of the most interesting coins, and the rest were returned to the owner. Many years later they were given to the father of the consignor by Mr. Kettlewell's son, and they have remained in their packing ever since. Evans noted \The coins when found were to some extent coated in dirt, and with what was probably a little chloride of silver. When carefully washed and brushed their remarkably good preservation became apparent, and there were none but what could be attributed to the emperor under whom they were struck\\. The coins offered here are as they were when returned from the BM in 1887/1888. Many exhibit light deposit, which could be easily removed by a competent conservator, but at the expense of the mint bloom that is apparent on many. The overall quality is remarkable, and few, if any, are clipped. Large numbers look ordinary to the naked eye, but when tilted towards the light, or examined under magnification, reveal extraordinary quality. (See https://www.numisbids.com/n.php?p=lot&sid=1689&lot=2858 .)

[shanxi]

Nov. 22 - still Constantius II

CONSTANTIUS II.
Reduced Siliqua, Arles
Obv.: DN CONSTANTIVS P F AVG, diademed, draped, and cuirassed bust
Rev.: VOTIS/XXX/MVLTIS/XXXX within wreath, PCON
Ag, 17mm, 2.1 g
Ref.: RIC VIII, 207

 

 

Edited November 22, 2023 by shanxi

[Qcumbor]

Time for Magnentius 

Magnentius, AE 1 - Amiens mint, AD 353, 
D N MAGNEN TIVS P F AVG, Draped bust of Magnentius right
SALVS DD NN AVG ET CAES, Large christogram between alpha and omega. AMB at exergue
9.20 gr
Ref : Cohen #30, LRBC #19, Bastien # 135 (15 ex), RIC # 34 (C)

Q

[shanxi]

Magnentius
Centenionalis
Obv.: D N MAGNENTIVS PF AVG, draped and cuirassed bust right. A behind
Rev.: GLORIA ROMANORVM, Magnentius on horseback right, thrusting spear at man kneeling; TRS crescent.
RIC 271, Bastien 32

[Qcumbor]

Beautiful reverse scene on that one @shanxi

Q

[CPK]

Lovely Magnentius coins @Qcumbor and @shanxi

I'm starting to run out - but here is a Magnentius with a nice, crisp - if slightly pedestrian - reverse scene:

[Ancient Coin Hunter]

Magnentius

AE2

[lrbguy]

On 11/21/2023 at 4:58 PM, DonnaML said:

This thread seems to have fallen by the wayside for the last 10 days, so I thought I'd try to revive it by catching up on the people I missed.

Talk about "catching up on the people I have missed" sure rings a bell with me.  I had to pull back for the last month and a half due to preparations for an exhibit and delivering a one hour presentation at an exhibition. That came to a conclusion on Nov 20.  I have watched (with a feeling of guilt) as the thread soldiered on, wishing I could take the time to show some things.  If there is no objection, I would like to catch up by filling in from Macrianus to the present, including wives.  I could limit myself to one coin per figure, or one per metal per figure (where relevant), if that is preferred.  Or I could just take my lumps and sit it out. 

Please let me know what you would prefer.

In the meantime, the thread is up to Magnentius (but mentions neither Decentius nor Vetranio nor Nepotian nor Constantius Gallus).

For now I will keep it to one coin:

a toned siliqua for Vetranio - a VICTORIA AVGVSTORVM from the mint at Siscia

 

Edited November 23, 2023 by lrbguy
inaccuracy

[DonnaML]

1 hour ago, lrbguy said:

Talk about "catching up on the people I have missed" sure rings a bell with me.  I had to pull back for the last month and a half due to preparations for an exhibit and a one hour presentation at an exhibition. That came to a conclusion on Nov 20.  I have watched (with a feeling of guilt) as the thread soldiered on, wishing I could take the time to show some things.  If there is no objection, I would like to catch up by filling in from Macrianus to the present, including wives.  I could limit myself to one coin per figure, or one per metal per figure (where relevant), if that is preferred.  Or I could just take my lumps and sit it out. 

Please let me know what you would prefer.

In the meantime, the thread is up to Magnentius (but mentions neither Decentius nor Vetranio nor Nepotian nor Constantius Gallus).

For now I will keep it to one coin:

a toned siliqua for Vetranio - a VICTORIA AVGVSTORVM from the mint at Siscia

 

All fine with me, but I'm not the boss of this thread!

[CPK]

5 hours ago, lrbguy said:

Talk about "catching up on the people I have missed" sure rings a bell with me.  I had to pull back for the last month and a half due to preparations for an exhibit and delivering a one hour presentation at an exhibition. That came to a conclusion on Nov 20.  I have watched (with a feeling of guilt) as the thread soldiered on, wishing I could take the time to show some things.  If there is no objection, I would like to catch up by filling in from Macrianus to the present, including wives.  I could limit myself to one coin per figure, or one per metal per figure (where relevant), if that is preferred.  Or I could just take my lumps and sit it out. 

Please let me know what you would prefer.

In the meantime, the thread is up to Magnentius (but mentions neither Decentius nor Vetranio nor Nepotian nor Constantius Gallus).

For now I will keep it to one coin:

a toned siliqua for Vetranio - a VICTORIA AVGVSTORVM from the mint at Siscia

 

I think we'd all like to see what you have! Post away! 😉 

[Al Kowsky]

[Qcumbor]

Wow @Al Kowsky, puts mine to shame !

Julian II, AE 1 - Antioch mint, 3 rd officina
D N FL CL IVLI ANVS P F AVG, Diademed, draped and cuirassed bust of Julianus right
SECURITAS REIPUB, Bull to right, two stars above. ANT gamma between two branches at exergue
8.73 gr
Ref : Cohen #38, RC #4072, LRBC #2641

Q

[Al Kowsky]

1 hour ago, Qcumbor said:

Wow @Al Kowsky, puts mine to shame !

Julian II, AE 1 - Antioch mint, 3 rd officina
D N FL CL IVLI ANVS P F AVG, Diademed, draped and cuirassed bust of Julianus right
SECURITAS REIPUB, Bull to right, two stars above. ANT gamma between two branches at exergue
8.73 gr
Ref : Cohen #38, RC #4072, LRBC #2641

Q

Your bronze is an exceptionally fine example ☺️! I'm glad you posted it after my coin just for the comparison of two different mints, Sirmium & Antioch. Despite the vast distance between these mints & the difference in styles, the composition on both coins is the same. This leads me to think that Julian must have had input into the design on these coins.

[Ancient Coin Hunter]

Julian II The Apostate

 

[shanxi]

Time for a Julian II without bull 😁

Julian II "the Apostate"
February 360 - 26 June 363
Siscia mint,
Obv: D N IVLIAN-VS NOB C, bare-headed, draped and cuirassed bust right
Rev: FEL TEMP REPARATIO, helmeted soldier with shield on his left arm spearing a fallen horseman wearing a pointed cap, M in left field, ΔSIS in exergue
AE, 2.02g, 17.04 mm
Ref.: RIC p.377, VIII 378

[expat]

The only Julian II in my collection. The portrait suffered a little while it was buried, but I have never seen a spearhead quite as large on the reverse.

Julian II AE3. 355-361 AD struck under authority of Constantine II.
 DN IVLIAN-VS NOB C, bare-headed, draped and cuirassed bust right /
SPES REI-PVBLICAE, emperor standing left, helmeted and in military dress, holding globe and inverted spear. Mintmark dot ΔSISV.
RIC VIII Siscia 402..
14mm, 2.25gr
Julian II, "The Apostate": Caesar 355-360 AD, Augustus 360-363 AD. The last true "pagan" emperor responsible for re-instating the Pagan religion, and who revered the ancient gods until the day he died in 363 from a javelin wound fighting the Persians

[ambr0zie]

The iconic Julian II coin is the double maiorina wit hthe bull reverse. Mine is most likely barbarous. 

28 mm, 7,71 g.
Julian II 360-363. Æ double maiorina. Heraclea.
D N FL CL IVLI-ANVS P F AVG, bust of Julian, pearl-diademed, draped, cuirassed, right / SECVRITAS REI PVB, Bull, standing right, head facing; above, two stars. Mintmark •HER(A on •)CL•A.
RIC VIII Heraclea 104.

[DonnaML]

My favorite Julian II reverse is -- guess what! -- the ever-popular bull:

Julian II, AE Double Maiorina, 361-363 AD, Sirmium [Sremska Mitrovica, Serbia] Mint, 2nd Officina.  Obv. Pearl-diademed, draped, and cuirassed bust right, FL CL IVLI-ANVS PF AVG / Bull (prob. Taurus) standing right, two stars above, SECVRITAS REIPVB; in exergue: mintmark star-BSIRM-palm branch. RIC VIII Sirmium 107B (p. 392), Sear RCV V 19152 (ill.), Cohen 38. 28 mm., 8.48 g. Purchased from Frank S. Robinson, Auction 113, Sep 2, 2020, Lot 315.

All three of my other Julian II coins -- two siliquae and a centenionalis -- have VOTIS V MVLTIS X or VOT X MVLT XX reverses, and I bought them for the portraits. Since I believe I've posted each of them more than once before, I'll refrain from doing so again here.

[expat]

That was my final contribution to this thread, as far as posting images is concerned. I have a couple of the remaining Emperors but nothing interesting or unusual about the reverses. I will be watching the remainder with equal joy.

[shanxi]

Jovian

Jovian (363-364 AD)
Æ Follis
Obv.: DN IOVIA-NVS PF AVG, Diademed draped and cuirassed bust right
Rev.: : VOT / V / MVLT / X in wreath
Æ, 2,96 g, 18 mm
Ref.: RIC 118

 

[Qcumbor]

For Jovian, just like Magnentius and Julian II, I follow up with an AE1 featuring quite a nice reverse

Jovianus, AE 1 - Antioch mint, 3 rd officina
D N IOVIAN VS P F AVG, Diademed, draped and cuirassed bust of Jovianus right
VICTORIA ROMANORVM, Jovianus standing, holding victory on a globe and labarum, ANT gamma at exergue
8.46 gr
Ref : RIC # 228, Cohen #22, RC #4085, LRBC #2645

Q

 

[DonnaML]

Sorry for missing the time slot for Jovian. I've felt quite ill the last five days with a terrible cold and sore throat. The good news is I tested negative for Covid, although I'll take a test again tomorrow to be sure. I sincerely hope it doesn't become pneumonia, which has happened to me a couple of times in the past. But I have a doctor's appointment for Thursday -- entirely coincidentally; it's for a checkup -- so I suppose I'll find out more then even if I don't feel any better.

Anyway, this is my one Jovian:

Jovian, AR Reduced Siliqua,* Nicomedia Mint (now Izmit, Turkey), AD 363-364. Obv. Pearl-diademed, draped, & cuirassed bust right, D N IOVIAN-VS P F AVG / Rev. VOT/V/MVLT/X in four lines within laurel wreath; in exergue: SMN [Nicomedia]. 18 mm., 2.11 g., 7 h. RIC VIII 127 (p. 485), RSC V Jovian 33Ae (ill. p. 147), Sear RCV V 19209 (ill. p. 287). Purchased from Leu Numismatik AG, Winterthur, Switzerland, Web Auction 21, 19 Jul 2022, Lot 5522, ex Collection of Dipl.-Ing. [ = Engineering Master’s Degree] Adrian Lang, b. Germany 1956.** [Footnotes omitted.]

 

And here's my one coin of Valentinian I. I didn't discover the 1966 provenance until after I bought it, through a footnote reference in Depeyrot.

Valentinian I, AV Solidus, 365 AD [Sear, Depeyrot] (reigned 364-375 AD), Antioch Mint, 3rd Officina. Obv. Rosette-diademed (with square & round rosettes separated by ovoid pearls), draped, & cuirassed bust right, D N VALENTINI-ANVS P F AVG [Dominus Noster Valentinianus Pius Felix Augustus] / Rev. Valentinian, in military attire, standing facing, head right, holding labarum or vexillum ornamented with “T” [uneven/Tau cross?] in right hand* and, in outstretched left hand, Victory standing left on globe, holding up crowning wreath towards emperor, RESTITVTOR – REIPVBLICAE around; in exergue, ANTΓ [Antioch Mint, 3rd Officina**].  RIC IX (1951) Antioch 2b (var. unlisted) ***; Sear RCV V 19267 at p. 294 (rosette-diademed, with no cross in the reverse left field, no stars or dots in the reverse exergue, and known from Officina 3, as well as Officina 10) (citing Depeyrot); Depeyrot II Antioch 23/1 Valentinian I (p. 281) (examples with this mint-mark, without stars or dots, & monogrammed cross in labarum rather than Chi-Ro, known from Officinas 3 & 10) (citing 1966 sale of this coin as the one example from 3rd Officina, with one other from 10th Officina) [Depeyrot, George., Les Monnaies d'Or de Constantin II à Zenon (337-491) (Wetteren 1996)]. 21.2 mm., 4.44 g. Purchased from Odysseus Numismatique [Julien Cougnard], Montpellier, France, Feb. 2022, “from an old Parisian collection”; ex Maison Vinchon Auction Sale, Mon. 25 April 1966, Hotel Drouot, Paris, Lot 257 (sold for 780 French francs, = $159.16 in 1966 U.S. dollars).

25 Apr. 1966 Maison Vinchon catalogue:

*Technically, the term “labarum” refers only to “a type of Roman cavalry standard, a vexillum with a military ensign marked with the Christogram (Greek monogram of Christ)” (see https://www.forumancientcoins.com/numiswiki/view.asp?key=Labarum), although it is also commonly used for a vexillum with an ensign marked with other Christian symbols such as a cross. Thus, if the “T” in the ensign on this coin is not a Christian symbol but is actually a “T” (with an unknown meaning) -- rather than simply an uneven cross without the top portion, known as a “Tau Cross” – then it should properly be referred to as a vexillum, not a labarum. If it is intended as a Christian symbol, note the combination of the Christian labarum in Valentinian’s right hand and the pagan Victory in his left hand.

**The two well-known forgeries of Valentinian I solidi from Antioch are from officinae H and I (8 and 10), and don't much resemble this coin in other respects.

***RIC IX Antioch at pp. 269-271 lists 38 different variants of the Valentinian I “RESTITVTOR REIPVBLICAE” solidus for the Antioch mint alone, differing, among other things, in the officina numbers, on whether Valentinian's bust is rosette-diademed like this coin or pearl-diademed, on the presence or absence of a cross in the reverse left field, on the precise form of the device inside the labarum or vexillum, and on the presence or absence of various stars and/or dots in the exergue (and/or above it) in addition to the officina number. This specific variant is unlisted in RIC. Cf. RIC IX Antioch variant xi at p. 269 (variant has “T” in labarum/vexillum, but has pearl-diademed bust and is from Officina A); see also rosette-diademed example from Officina H [8] sold by cgb.fr in 2019, at https://www.acsearch.info/search.html?id=5728298 (image at https://www.acsearch.info/image.html?id=5728298) (appears to have “T” in labarum/vexillum on reverse).

[shanxi]

Valentinianus I.
364-375 AD
AE-Follis, Siscia, 367-375
Obv.. DN VALENTINIANVS PF AVG / Diademed, draped and cuirassed bust right.
Rev.: GLORIA ROMANORVM M / * / P, BSIS in ex, Emperor advancing right, holding labarum and grasping captive
AE, 15 mm, 2.5g
Ref.: RIC 14a