Posted 08/09/2011 6:34 pm
Nice example - I like these and dont think they get enough praise.
I'm sure you already know but if not yours is RIC VII Trier 105 and was minted around 316/317.
Yours is Officinae A, interestingly Trier was also producing Sol coins during this time with AS and BS in the fields and PTR as the mintmark, its a peculiarity as most of the nine mints indicated officinae in the mintmark alone.
TF is thought to stand for TEMPORVM FELICITAS - happyness of the times, a common (ish) saying for the day but the ultimate use of the fields was to indicate the series of the coins incase of problems, lots of variations of field marks exist across all the mints. Constantine II and Crispus also had these 'TF XTR' coins minted at Trier but its one of the few that was not minted under Licinius I's name.
The production and marking of these coins is interesting to study (produced 307 to 319) as it reflects Constantines progress across the Empire, I particularly like the ones with captives in the mintmarks and fields celebrating some of Constantines victories against Maxentius. There is also a theory that some of the marks from London, Arles and Rome celebrate the birth of Constantines children and a very rare coin from London with 'II' in the fields supposedly commemorates Constantines 'vision' from Christ before the battle of Milvian Bridge.
I'm sure you already know but if not yours is RIC VII Trier 105 and was minted around 316/317.
Yours is Officinae A, interestingly Trier was also producing Sol coins during this time with AS and BS in the fields and PTR as the mintmark, its a peculiarity as most of the nine mints indicated officinae in the mintmark alone.
TF is thought to stand for TEMPORVM FELICITAS - happyness of the times, a common (ish) saying for the day but the ultimate use of the fields was to indicate the series of the coins incase of problems, lots of variations of field marks exist across all the mints. Constantine II and Crispus also had these 'TF XTR' coins minted at Trier but its one of the few that was not minted under Licinius I's name.
The production and marking of these coins is interesting to study (produced 307 to 319) as it reflects Constantines progress across the Empire, I particularly like the ones with captives in the mintmarks and fields celebrating some of Constantines victories against Maxentius. There is also a theory that some of the marks from London, Arles and Rome celebrate the birth of Constantines children and a very rare coin from London with 'II' in the fields supposedly commemorates Constantines 'vision' from Christ before the battle of Milvian Bridge.
I don't know what your occupation might be, but if you're not a history teacher you are missing your calling. The knowledge you possess and are willing to share is fascinating.
