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 Replies: 13 / Views: 3,073 |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
4253 Posts |
A couple of weeks ago I purchased this AE Follis of Constantine I for a whooping $5 plus shipping. I decided to buy it because of it's strange portrait of Constantine. It arrived in today's mail, and it's a nice coin, but still a strange portrait. I have it attributed as Thessalonica RIC VI 50b, struck circa 312-13 AD:  OBV: CONSTANTINVS P F AVG, laureate head right REV: IOVI CONSERVATORI, Jupiter standing left, holding globe & sceptre, wreath left, E right, dot SM dot TS dot in ex. 5.5g, 26mm This coin seems a little large and a little heavy for a follis. Any comments or observations would be appreciated. |
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Pillar of the Community
United Kingdom
4208 Posts |
Nice Coin! Now, is it just me or do I see a mustache?
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Pillar of the Community
 United States
4253 Posts |
You know, I hadn't noticed before you mentioned it. I looked at the coin with a 7x jewelers loop, and sure enough, there is a mustache and a beard. I need to do some research, but I seem to recall there were some few coins struck of Constantine with facial hair. If anyone has information, please let me know so I'm not searching for hours. Thanks
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Pillar of the Community
United States
4253 Posts |
I just read an ariticle and I quote: "that while it was fashionable to have facial hair in the East of the empire, the fashion in the West was to be clean shaven. The emperor would be depicted with our without epidermic growth depending on whether the mint was in the East or in the West".
Interesting
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1549 Posts |
 As a comment I'll post a coin I got last week. It is RIC 50a workshop delta to your epsilon. Mine weighs 5.20g which is just inside the RIC suggested weight range of 5.25-4.25. Yours is a bit heavy but not something to worry about. Style wise I'd say they were engraved by different hands but there is some similarity in the portraits including the mustache. I am not fond of the face style on your reverse figure but mine was wiped out by the flat strike in that area while your coin's flat area was lower on the legs. Your portrait could have more facial detail so I assume that explains the $5 price. I'd pay $10. I so prefer coins like these with smooth surfaces compared to the corroded things we see so often. You are taking over as the chief cheapskate of the list. 
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Pillar of the Community
United Kingdom
945 Posts |
I watched a lecture on the subject of Constantine's breaking away from the Tetrarchic system, to hark back to the "glory days" of the Roman empire. And so, on his coinage as Emperor, he stopped having himself depicted in the Tetrarchic fashion, to a "Julio-Claudian" fashion. However the bearded coinage of his only seem to come from Thessalonica.  |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1549 Posts |
Looking at my photo files, I discovered I have 4 coins of Constantine with beards. This, also Thessalonica as RIC 61b, is the latest one dated 312-313 (not a whole year after the OP coin). The Eastern factor still holds but I'll also suggest that the beards come from the pre-Christian days when Constantine was not the biggest fish in the pond. After he got out from under the thumbs of 'senior' Augusti, he shaved. The next beard we see is on Julian and facial hair was not considered good by early Christians it would appear from coin evidence. Beards and Christianity reunited in the Byzantine period (again using art and coins as evidence).  |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1549 Posts |
This is Rome but very early (as Caesar). I doubt anyone asked Constantine about it and the face really does not look much like him. He had not been to Rome by this date.  |
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
10045 Posts |
Perhaps I'm showing my inexperience here with Roman coins, but I never expected to see a Constantine (first coin) with a profile like that--interesting coin!
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Pillar of the Community
United States
4253 Posts |
I agree with you DVC. I bought this coin because I hadn't seen one like it. I have no doubts about it's authenticity though. As you can see it is a large coin, and the color is fantastic. It's a golden patina which I have also rarely seen. Anyway, for $5 how can I go wrong, eh?
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
10045 Posts |
$5 is a fantastic price to me!  Great color too, almost brassy. Despite the flat strike in places, the sharp areas are super sharp--like it's struck with fresh dies?  Edited by DVCollector
07/24/2012 12:29 am
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Moderator
 United States
23731 Posts |
Been lazy lately, probably the heat anyway it took me a few days to look through my Constantine I coins. Out of just under 50 Constantine I coins I have this is the only one I found with a beard.   Folles circa 312-313 IMP CCONSTANTINVS PF AVG IOVI CONSERVATORI AVGG NN dot TS dot B dot Thessaloncia mint RIC VI 58 |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
2044 Posts |
For the OP coin. It looks more like brass than bronze. Which is kind of strange. If the color is right in the image.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
4253 Posts |
It's actually a golden brown patina. The color is correct, but it's not the metal you're seeing. It is patina.
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Replies: 13 / Views: 3,073 |
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Posted 07/23/2012 3:31 pm
