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My first group of LRBs, nine coins of Constantius II, Gratian, Valentinian II, and Theodosius I

zanzi

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zanzi Community Regular

zanzi

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I mentioned in another thread that I had bought a small group of late Roman bronze coins, but I had not finished identifying them then to post. Here is that small group. I know common, poor LRBs aren't too exciting to experienced collectors, but I had a blast trying to identify these with the few clues they held. Some were easy, and some impossible. The latter I tried to narrow it down as much as possible. I only wish the group held more diversity of the reverses, as these are all VOT XX or SALVS REIPVBLICAE coins, but I still thought they were neat to go through. I saved the best coin for the last, so at least skip down to that if you don't want to see them all. If I mistakenly attributed any of these, a correction would be kind.

 

image.jpeg.9bf28fdc5526302105df8f278cc3732e.jpeg

Roman Empire
Emperor Constantius II
Issued in the name, and honor, of his father Constantine the Great
Unclear mint
347 to 348 AD
AE Follis
O: Veiled head of Constantine I right, DV CONSTANTINVS PT AVGG
R: Constantine I standing right, veiled and draped, VN MR
Weight: 1.4 grams
Size: 12.9mm - 12.1mm - 1.5mm

 

image.jpeg.0481950484c494cae726c44da7b9e4bb.jpeg

Roman Empire
Emperor Constans I or Constantius II
Unclear mint
347 to 348 AD
AE Follis
O: Head of the emperor right, DN Cons [. . .]
R: Wreath, VOT XX MVLT XXX within
Weight: 1.8 grams
Size: 13.6mm - 13.1mm - 1.9mm

 

image.jpeg.20ab8e30aded19d181a14c2a6ad55dd2.jpeg

Roman Empire
Emperor Gratian
Antioch mint, 1st officina
378 to 383 AD
AE Follis
O: Head of Gratian right, D N GRATIANVS P F AVG
R: Wreath, VOT XX MVLT XXX within, ANTA below
Weight: 1.4 grams
Size: 12.8mm - 1.6mm
RIC #58a
 

image.jpeg.909b2ca63e556321cde09dff82f57134.jpeg

Roman Empire
Emperor Valentinian II
Antioch mint, 1st officina
378 to 393 AD
AE Follis
O: Head of Valentinian II right, DN VALENTINIANVS PF AVG
R: Wreath, VOT XX MVLT XXX within, ANTA below
Weight: 1.2 grams
Size: 13.4mm - 12.5mm - 1.3mm
RIC #38b

 

image.jpeg.941b2c73da1f1f7da3757bbf0976d9c6.jpeg

Roman Empire
Emperor Valentinian II
Unclear mint
383 to 392 AD
AE Follis
O: Pearl-diademed head of Valentinian II right, DN VALENTINIANVS PF AVG
R: Winged goddess Victory walking left, dragging a captive and carrying a trophy, a Tau Rho ⳨ left, SALVS REIPVBLICAE
Weight: 1.0 grams
Size: 13.7mm - 12.1mm - 1.1mm
Note: identified by 'DN VAL' on obverse

 

image.jpeg.14cc58d038eaf89f33ea3fa4135aa594.jpeg

Roman Empire
Emperor Theodosius I
Antioch mint, 2nd officina
383 to 392 AD
AE Follis
O: Pearl-diademed head of Theodosius I right, DN THEODOSIVS PF AVG
R: Winged goddess Victory walking left, dragging a captive and carrying a trophy, a Tau Rho ⳨ left, SALVS REIPVBLICAE, ANTB below
Weight: 0.9
Size: 11.0 - 10.1 - 1.5
RIC #67b
Note: identified by mintmark ANTB

 

image.jpeg.6933e09484f0558da476efcf7b5fa3b6.jpeg

Roman Empire
Emperor Theodosius I
Cyzicus mint, 3rd officina
388 to 392 AD
AE Follis
O: Pearl-diademed head of Theodosius I right, DN THEODOSIVS PF AVG
R: Winged goddess Victory walking left, dragging a captive and carrying a trophy, a Tau Rho ⳨ left, SALVS REIPVBLICAE, SMKΓ below
Weight: 1.3 grams
Size: 13.1mm - 12.5mm - 1.5mm
RIC #26b

 

image.jpeg.c0ab0ec65991f7a967e3a87cdfd951bc.jpeg

Roman Empire
Emperor Arcadius, Theodosius I, Valentinian II, or Honorius
Unclear ruler or mint
383 to 403 AD
AE Follis
O: Pearl-diademed head of an emperor right
R: Winged goddess Victory walking left, dragging a captive and carrying a trophy, a Tau Rho ⳨ left, SALVS REIPVBLICAE
Weight: 1.4 grams
Size: 11.6mm - 10.7mm - 1.8mm
Note: no obverse details

 

I saved the best coin for last, check out those hairs. Just wear wise, this is surely my nicest Roman coin now.

image.jpeg.84fe1f9bb3018d3fb6a4457f0216d7f8.jpeg

Roman Empire
Emperor Constantius II
Antioch mint, 11th officina
347 to 348 AD
AE Follis
O: Head of Constantius II right, DN CONSTANTIVS PF AVG
R: Wreath, VOT XX MVLT XXX within, SMANAI below
Weight: 1.4 grams
Size: 13.9mm - 12.4mm - 1.5mm
RIC #113

 

 

A few questions for the members here. What are your favorite LRB reverse types? I see campgates and fallen horseman are pretty popular for good reasons. I will try to get some here soon. What do you do with the LRBs which cannot be identified down to a single emperor? Junk pile? Lastly a request not a question, but I would love to see your favorite LRB. I've seen some really nice or interesting ones around this website, but what is your favorite?

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CPK Grand Master

CPK

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Nice little group @zanzi. LRBs are fun since they are so inexpensive and it's relatively easy to acquire attractive specimens. Here is one of my favorites - not so much for the coin itself but for the collection provenance:

CommodoreTurnertag(Diocletian).jpg.b56ebac05a4a94369da4e61ffbfbc5bf.jpg

DIOCLETIAN, AD 284-305
AE Post-Reform Radiate (20.65mm, 3.00g,1h)
Struck AD 295-298. Heraclea mint
Obverse: IMP C C VAL DIOCLETIANVS P F AVG, radiate, draped, and cuirassed bust of Diocletian right
Reverse: CONCORDIA MIL-ITVM, Diocletian, in military attire, standing right, holding short scepter and receiving Victory on globe from Jupiter standing left, holding long vertical scepter; H A in lower field
References: RIC VI 21, RCV 12833
From the collection of Commodore Daniel Turner (1794-1850), naval veteran of the War of 1812 and later captain of the USS Constitution.

The former owner:

OIP(4).jpg.986dbbc6de593fcfb8bc7782c70f9b6a.jpg

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Nerosmyfavorite68 Grand Master

Nerosmyfavorite68

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Congrats upon your new acquisitions, the Constantius is pretty charming.

I guess it depends if one counts tetrarchal-era nummi as LRB's.  If it's Constantine, then the decargyri nummi (AE2) of Magnus Maximus, the martial bust of the Theodosians, and the Julian AE1 bull from Antioch. The Honorius 3-4th facing busts aren't that bad, either. 

I think I've only purchased maybe 4 individual buys of LRB's within the last 15 years.  Before 2008, I would sometimes partake in Dr. Fishman's pick bulk lots, which were generally really nice.

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Victor_Clark Proficient

Victor_Clark

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Posted (edited)
On 11/22/2024 at 10:57 AM, JAZ Numismatics said:

If you like identifying LRBs, the best attribution guide is Late Roman Bronze Coinage by Guido Bruck.

 

Bruck's book (say that three times fast) was translated into English in 2015

 

51kTsHGXTL._SL1360_.jpg.9bf204731372544832467fc32b27394f.jpg

 

 

but there is an online version with even more material, since Bruck only looked at coins in Vienna

 

https://www.tesorillo.com/aes/home.htm

 

and my latest LRB lot

 

LRB_lot.jpg.a9ae2c72983ae86dd20955bafba9d5b5.jpg

 

Edited by Victor_Clark
wrong date
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AncientCoinnoisseur Proficient

AncientCoinnoisseur

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Constantius II gang 😎

16-ConstantiusIIAE3ENGLOGOBW.jpeg.a59f956fa53deb89b46e480a7781d55c.jpeg

Constantius II Æ 3 (or reduced maiorina), 348-351 AD, Constantinople mint, 7th officina, 17.5-18mm, 3.5g, 12h.  

Obverse: D N CONSTAN-TIVS P F AVG (Dominus Noster Constantius Pius Felix Augustus = Our Lord Constantius Pious, Happy, Augustus). Diademed, draped and cuirassed bust of Constantius II.

Reverse: FEL TEMP R-EPARATIO [Rare variety, usually RE-PARATIO] (FELix TEMPorvm REPARATIO, or FELicivm TEMPorvm REPARATIO, or FELicis TEMPoris REPARATIO = Happy times restored). Soldier attacking a falling horseman, X on the left, • in the middle. In exergue CONS-Z.  

Constantinople RIC VIII 123

Thanks to @JAZ Numismatics who at the time I posted this noted the rare legend break combined with the X in the left field. So although this was my very first (overpaid) coin and it’s not in amazing condition, it’s still cool in its own right and I’ll never sell it 🙂 

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John Conduitt Grand Master

John Conduitt

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Not all LRBs are cheap. Someone just paid £14,000 + fees for this Constantine I nummus. Not that you'd have to identify any nummus that costs that much.

Identifying them is fun but frustrating, since they're often missing bits of the legend and the mintmark, which you need to do it properly. This is one I got in a group lot. I like to think it's Eugenius.

Eugenius Nummus, 392-394
image.png.c910966654f2bf56b7f60d05750f0d97.png
Arelate. Bronze, 14mm, 1.22g. Bust of Eugenius, pearl-diademed, draped and cuirassed, right; D N EVGENI-VS P F AVG. Victory advancing left, holding wreath and palm; VICTOR-IA AVGGG. Mintmark PCON (RIC IX, 30F).

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Furryfrog02 Veteran

Furryfrog02

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8 hours ago, CPK said:

Nice little group @zanzi. LRBs are fun since they are so inexpensive and it's relatively easy to acquire attractive specimens. Here is one of my favorites - not so much for the coin itself but for the collection provenance:

CommodoreTurnertag(Diocletian).jpg.b56ebac05a4a94369da4e61ffbfbc5bf.jpg

DIOCLETIAN, AD 284-305
AE Post-Reform Radiate (20.65mm, 3.00g,1h)
Struck AD 295-298. Heraclea mint
Obverse: IMP C C VAL DIOCLETIANVS P F AVG, radiate, draped, and cuirassed bust of Diocletian right
Reverse: CONCORDIA MIL-ITVM, Diocletian, in military attire, standing right, holding short scepter and receiving Victory on globe from Jupiter standing left, holding long vertical scepter; H A in lower field
References: RIC VI 21, RCV 12833
From the collection of Commodore Daniel Turner (1794-1850), naval veteran of the War of 1812 and later captain of the USS Constitution.

The former owner:

OIP(4).jpg.986dbbc6de593fcfb8bc7782c70f9b6a.jpg

I absolutely love this coin an its story!

I don't have anything with quite such a history behind it...but I do have several with other Nvmisforum members' provenance and they're very special to me 🙂

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zanzi Community Regular

zanzi

Posted · Member
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On 11/22/2024 at 7:22 AM, CPK said:

Nice little group @zanzi. LRBs are fun since they are so inexpensive and it's relatively easy to acquire attractive specimens. Here is one of my favorites - not so much for the coin itself but for the collection provenance:

CommodoreTurnertag(Diocletian).jpg.b56ebac05a4a94369da4e61ffbfbc5bf.jpg

DIOCLETIAN, AD 284-305
AE Post-Reform Radiate (20.65mm, 3.00g,1h)
Struck AD 295-298. Heraclea mint
Obverse: IMP C C VAL DIOCLETIANVS P F AVG, radiate, draped, and cuirassed bust of Diocletian right
Reverse: CONCORDIA MIL-ITVM, Diocletian, in military attire, standing right, holding short scepter and receiving Victory on globe from Jupiter standing left, holding long vertical scepter; H A in lower field
References: RIC VI 21, RCV 12833
From the collection of Commodore Daniel Turner (1794-1850), naval veteran of the War of 1812 and later captain of the USS Constitution.

The former owner:

OIP(4).jpg.986dbbc6de593fcfb8bc7782c70f9b6a.jpg

When your provenance has an image like that, you know you scored! That's awesome. Super cool

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zanzi Community Regular

zanzi

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Thank you everybody else for the kind works, and nice examples and links! Great information for a starter here in this thread. Thanks all

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Victor_Clark Proficient

Victor_Clark

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On 11/22/2024 at 3:18 AM, zanzi said:

 

image.jpeg.c0ab0ec65991f7a967e3a87cdfd951bc.jpeg

Roman Empire
Emperor Arcadius, Theodosius I, Valentinian II, or Honorius
Unclear ruler or mint
383 to 403 AD
AE Follis
O: Pearl-diademed head of an emperor right
R: Winged goddess Victory walking left, dragging a captive and carrying a trophy, a Tau Rho ⳨ left, SALVS REIPVBLICAE
Weight: 1.4 grams
Size: 11.6mm - 10.7mm - 1.8mm
Note: no obverse details

 

I believe that it is a cross in the left field; which means it is from Thessalonica, Nicomedia, Antioch or Alexandria.

 

 

and here is my favorite LRB

 

Constantinople_SPQR.jpg.fb652e7c5d4c760076599de5be39aa51.jpg

Constantine I
circa A.D. 330
20mm 3.1g
CONSTANTI-NVS MAX AVG; Rosette-diademed head right, with slight drapery on left shoulder.
S P Q R OPTIMO PRINCIPI; Victory standing front, head to left, holding wreath in her right hand and palm frond in her left.
In ex. CONSA
RIC VII Constantinople –

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