Follis Of Constantine I : Constantiniani Dafne :

Cool type. I like the reverses with captives and trophy's. Nice historical tie in at the link regarding DAFNE coinage. Thanks for posting!

"But you didn't mention what is going on in the exergue. I read CONS followed by a star. That would be consistent with RIC VII 38 for Constantinople."

he didn't mention the mintmark, but he said RICVII,38E

I would also like to mention (also on my page linked to in the first post) "RIC describes the reverse of the Dafne coinage as Victory holding a palm branch in each hand; but Victory is actually only holding a palm branch in her left. In her right hand she is holding a laurel branch." This is not evident on every coin, but on clear examples you can see the difference.

Great pick-up Albert!

I wasn't aware of the significance of the DAFNE.

"The branch question is very interesting"

I was not questioning, only making a statement based on observation. I am also not the first to notice the difference. On my previously linked page http://www.constantinethegreatcoins.com//DAFNE/ here is a quote - Otto Voetter recognized the difference between the two branches and in his 1921 catalogue on the Gerin collection described the reverse as "Victoria mit Zweig und Palmzweig" (Victory with branch and palmbranch) Voetter was not confident enough to say what kind of branch; but others since then have decided it must be a laurel branch. There are many errors in RIC VII. Another issue for this series -- Bruun thought it commemorated a fort on the Danube. I talk about that at length on my page and explain why it is indeed a commemoration type; but rather commemorates his recent victory over Licinius. From RIC VII-- "Four entirely new types were created for Constantine, GLORIA EXERCITVS, GLORIA ROMANORVM, LIBERTAS PVBLICA, and SPES PVBLIC.Here the reverses record a summing up of the Civil War II, the glory of the army constituting the glory of the Empire, the death of the tyrant (SPES PVBLIC) granting liberty for all." RIC VII pg 567. Bruun left the DAFNE issue out of the series of coins that summed up the civil war, despite the fact it was also a new type only issued for Constantine and was also issued chronologically with the others, the last one. "This coin most likely symbolized the defeat of Licinius because the Greek word for laurel is daphne, and laurel wreaths were signs of victory. The legend of the Dafne coin would actually translate as 'Constantinian Laurel/Victory'." There is more, but I don't want to reiterate my whole page here.

Thanks Irbguy , I always prefer to hold a book in my hands, maybe because I am getting old
Congrats Victor with your work on the coins of Constantine .
I still have some problems with this Dafne coin .
The mint of Constatinolopis was created in AD 326, when Constantine was sole emperor .He created then 4 new inscriptions on coins,wich were used in the different mints . In one sence , it was normal he would change the coinage : he did it already before and the coins were very important for his propaganda .
He created also the legend : Constantiniana dafne , wich was used only in Constantinopel .
1:Why this coin was only used in one mint and only by him ?If it was created for the same purpose at the same time,
, then why the other mints didn t use it ?
2:Constantiniani :it is the adjective of his name Constantinus . Why didn t he use the genitive Constantini , as he did on other coins : soli comiti Constantini .I always learned there is a difference in Latin using an adjective or a genitive .In my opinion , if he had meaned : the victory of Constantine , he had wroten Constantini dafne , now ,for me , he means on object or a fact he has realised .
3:dafne .You are right Victory has two different branches : a palm and an olive branch . The word dafne is a Greek word and doesn't exist in Latin .If you make a Latin transcription , you have to write : Daphne (Greek Efesos , Latin Ephesus) .Roman provincial coins with Greek inscriptions ended about AD 275 ,50 years earlier.So it is unusual to use now Greek , even in a (wrong) Latin transcription .It has also no sense to use a Greek word in the Western mints , there Latin was the language .IMO with Dafne , he means a fact or event ,maybe his wars with the Sarmatae AD 322.They lived at the other side of the Danube , so the word Dafne can refer to a bridge ( Aurelius Victor) or a fort , named Dafne : local name or choosen because there were mane olive trees.
4:in this meaning the captive is an commen everyday barbarian captive,as is represented on many coins and used in the same way .
5:with this explanation , it is normal the coin was only minted in Constantinople and for few years .
albert

sorry for the constantiniani error , of course it is an A because dafne is a female word.
second error : it is a laurel not a olive .
Latin has the word Daphne as loanword just as it had the word Athena for the Greek city Athene .
The coin is minted in Constantinople , it is in Byzantium , a Greek city .It is logic that Constantine made use of the knowledge of Greek in this case : Victoria : the winner with a palm branch : synbol of victory and a laurel branch : symbol of ratification of his victory
The latin word for the Greek Dafne is Laurus = Laurel but also triumpf ( remenber English laureate : winner).
As far as I know , there is no Latin word ressembling dafne.
albert

I am not discussing the theological signification of this coin because I think it is very difficult and you can see in it what you want .
I limit myself for this coin to what is represented : a classic representation of a victory over barbarians and a reminder of the works he undertook .In this vision , the coin is not a 5th new type as Victor thinks .
As Latin lexicon , I use that one of my great-great-grandfather , edited in 1878 .It is very intersting as it gives a translation of the word and often one or more exemples of the word in a Latin text .albert