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 Replies: 12 / Views: 345 |
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Pillar of the Community
United Kingdom
1563 Posts |
I am just in the middle of sorting some coins out for the dreaded bay and was wondering if it would be beneficial to potential buyers if I could extend my descriptions. Sometimes all I put is 'buyer to identify' purely for time reasons.  This is not one that is going on, this is one from my own collection that I am keeping. The letters in the field are, I presume, Alpha and Gamma, 1 & 3 respectively. I also presume that this is to tell you more about which workshop/officina the coin was minted at. So my question is how do you work out the officina from these letters/symbols? Thank you in advance, Kev. |
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Pillar of the Community
 United States
900 Posts |
The letter in the left field is not a Greek alpha; but a Roman A; and it is the 1st workshop. This issue had three workshops-- A,B and C. The gamma in the right field is to separate this issue from the previous issue, that had an empty right field.
This series starts with a mintmark of TR and no field marks, so probably only one workshop.
Second, with three workshops, is A-C in left field.
Third is A-C/ gamma in right.
Fourth, with two workshops, is A-B/ star in right.
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Pillar of the Community
 United Kingdom
1563 Posts |
Brilliant, thank you Victor.
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Moderator
United States
187446 Posts |
Well done.  |
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New Member
United States
46 Posts |
I am amazed that this information is available. Can you tell me the sources, books, articles, whatever, that lists this kind of information and how it was determined?
Thanks!
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Pillar of the Community
United States
900 Posts |
You can find all this information, and much more, in Roman Imperial Coinage volume VI Diocletian to Maximinus
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Pillar of the Community
United States
3433 Posts |
Broke my promise to myself to refrain from 'splurging' But this one caught my eye And it was fairly reasonably priced . I might have more than enough Galerius to occupy my time But the "N" in field caught my eye After the left facing cuirassed bust and the very unusual Rv legend break ! GENIOPO - PVLIROMANI I honestly have never seen before Hopefully the 'post' won't let me down Also hope a long bath with improve Galerius' famous sour disposition BI Follis Galerius as Augustus Obv IMP MAXIMIANVS P F AVG Laureate and cuirassed bust left Rv Draped Genius standing left holding patera over altar and cornucopia PLG in exergue N in field Lugdunum (Lyon) mint RIC VI 205 Struck early AD 307 I have seen CNG assign this one to first officina But how they determined "N" is first is beyond my pay grade !   |
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Moderator
United States
187446 Posts |
Very nice! |
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Pillar of the Community
United Kingdom
1563 Posts |
Nice addition. Should clean up nicely, I do like the colour of it as it is.
No idea On the Field letter being workshop 1.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
900 Posts |
The N in left field is not a designation for the workshop. We actually don't know what most of the letters in fields are, except maybe for a few popular slogans like T F probably means TEMPORVM FELICITAS. The workshop is in the exergue for this coin-- PLG (or PLC) with the first letter being a P for PRIMA or first. The rest of the mintmark is the abbreviation for the city-- Lugdunum. I have some N coins from Constantine I as Caesar  Constantine I A.D. 307 AE follis 25x27mm 8.2g FL VAL CONSTANTINVS N C; laureate and cuirassed bust right. GENIO POPVLI ROMANI; Genius standing l., modius on head, loins draped, r. holding patera and sacrificing over altar; in l. cornucopiae; N in r. field. In ex. PLG RIC VI Lyons 213b now the reverse legend is shortened  Constantine I A.D. 307 AE follis 25mm 8.6g FL VAL CONSTANTINVS N C; laureate and cuirassed bust right. GENIO POP ROM; Genius standing left, tower on head, loins draped, r. holding patera over altar, l. cornucopiae; N in right field. In ex. PLC RIC VI Lyon 231 |
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Moderator
United States
187446 Posts |
Nice examples! |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
3433 Posts |
Enlightening . It aligns with the mint mark information I had received from my brother (MARCVS OBLIVIVS) The coin had been advertised as "Maximianus" follis Somewhere in the past 50 years I had gotten it in my 'addled' brain that the P in mint mark was for pecunia ! Nevertheless comparisons seem difficult to find I found only two others and they were attributed to RIC 227 ! But as they both had the same standard Rv legend break rather than GENIOPO - I will stick to 205 For now ! I will attempt a superficial 'conservation' But yes the colors have a cheerful (red green) Christmas appeal  |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
900 Posts |
Quote:
I found only two others and they were attributed to RIC 227 ! They were wrong with the attribution as RIC 227 has the shorter reverse legend of GENIO POP ROM. The reverse legend break does not change the RIC number. The authors of RIC just didn't see any other legend breaks for 205. If you look in Bastien's "Le monnayage de l'atelier de Lyon" for RIC 205 (# 393 in his numbering) he notes 29 POP-VLI examples and 2 PO-PVLI another N series I have that is not in RIC...it should be listed after RIC 231; but is listed in Bastien  Constantine I A.D. 307 AE follis 25mm 7.5g FL VAL CONSTANTINVS N C; laureate, draped and cuirassed bust right. GENIO POP ROM; Genius standing left, tower on head, loins draped, r. holding patera over altar, l. cornucopiae; N in right field. In ex. PLC RIC VI Lyon --; Bastien 411 (5 ex.) Edited by Victor
03/20/2026 1:23 pm
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Replies: 12 / Views: 345 |
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Posted 03/17/2026 11:26 am
