Rare Constantine ½ Follis - Coin Community Forum

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Author	Replies: 4 / Views: 1,474
pendrak Valued Member United States 253 Posts	Posted 12/03/2019 6:13 pm Hi guys- Just want to share images of a rare Constantine type coin I got in a lot from Turkey about 10 years ago back when you could still get good unsearched lots. Many collectors wrongly believe that the 4th century Roman bronzes were like our US cents. That is not true. They were used like our modern paper currency and subject to major inflation. Depending on the day, a silvered bronze follis was equivalent to a predetermined amount of "denarii communes". Example: "today an AE18 is 50 Denarii- and an AE 24 is 100 denarii" etc. After the monetary system crashed, they were used as pocket change bronzes. This coin was in the first group of bronzes issued by Constantine I at Rome after his defeat of Maxentius. This is one of the few denominational marked Roman coins of this period. A follis at this time (about 312) was worth 24 denarii equivalents (communes) so the XII (12) on the reverse referred to 12 denarii, or one half follis. Obverse: FL VAL CONSTANTINVS AVG - Laureate, draped, cuirassed bust right. Reverse: PACI P-ERPET. Pax standing facing, head left, branch in right hand, standard in left. XII in left field. RS in Ex. The one listed in Wildwinds shows a RP in Ex. 16mm and 2.3 grams. Desert patina. RIC VI Rome 356. Van Meter #69. Just a cool share. Comments? If you are a Constantine type collector- they are really hard to find. Later- Report this Post to the Staff

Kamnaskires Pillar of the Community United States 7066 Posts	Posted 12/03/2019 7:12 pm Interesting write-up, and good looking coin with, presumably, a legit, attractive sand patina. Thanks for sharing. Report this Post to the Staff
paralyse Bedrock of the Community United States 12057 Posts	Posted 12/04/2019 8:46 pm That's a really nice example of a scarcer reverse, and I dig the desert patina. Member ANA - EAC - TNA - SSDC - CCT #890 "Most of the things worth doing in the world had been declared impossible before they were done." -- Louis D. Brandeis Report this Post to the Staff
echizento Moderator United States 23731 Posts	Posted 12/05/2019 08:24 am Very nice coin, excellent write up. Interesting to see the sand patina on a Rome mint coin. It did some traveling from Rome to where ever it got that patina. Report this Post to the Staff
pendrak Valued Member United States 253 Posts	Posted 12/05/2019 4:04 pm I got this coin in a lot from Turkey. That does not mean that it was actually found there. The patina looks like the ones I previously purchased in lots from Lebanon and Syria. This was back before fake desert patinas were a thing. Interestingly though- the coin listed on Wildwinds which was added on August 7, 2001 also has the exact same patina but with a mint mark of RP. I wonder if there is a historical connection.?. I just checked and I put it on Tantalus on April 3, 2010- back when that was a cool thing to do- Later- Edited by pendrak 12/05/2019 4:07 pm Report this Post to the Staff
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