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An Interesting Constantine Bust type from London

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leetoone:
Constantine the Great

Æ Follis (4.23 g, 21mm, 6h). London mint. Struck circa AD 310-312.

Obverse : CONSTANTINVS P AVG, laureate, helmeted, and trabeate bust left, holding Victory on globe in right hand.

Reverse : SOLI INVIC-TO COMITI, Sol standing left, raising right hand, holding globe in left; star to right; PLN in exergue.

RIC VII - , Huvelin 149.

Although not in RIC, this type is previously known from the Huvelin reference coin that came from the Sarzeau hoard (#3606) and which was later sold by CNG (Triton X, Lot #779).

In the Sarzeau report, Huvelin described the bust type as trabeate but in her later reference it is listed as cuirassed.  To my eyes it is clearly trabeate. Both the above example and the Sarzeau coin come from the same obverse and reverse dies.

This bust type itself is extremely rare, known only from a few examples with the COMITI-AVGG NN reverse type (RIC 173 and 174). The RIC 173 reference coin is a BM example that Huvelin was unable to find. She did find the RIC 174 reference coin (also in the BM) and suspected that the two coins had been confused. There is also an example of RIC 174 in Paris from the Boursies hoard (#312). Both examples of RIC 174 are obverse die matches with the two SOLI coins above. One can therefore assume that it is probable that only one die was cut for this obverse type at London.


H. Huvelin, “Le trésor de Saint-Colombier-en-Sarzeau,” TM II.

H. Huvelin, Les Deux Emissions Londoniennes, Numismatische Zeitschrift 1990, p.29-50 (pl.VI-XV).

Constantine IV:
 +++ I have a bias for the London mint  ;)

Nikko:
A great portrait indeed. Thanks for sharing it.
The bust type looks trabeate.

Randygeki(h2):
Nice

Mark Z:
Lee (or anyone),

I have been trying to locate a reference/definition for the words "trabeate" or "trabeated" as they relate to clothing but the only references I can find are for architecture.

Unfortunately, there is no Numiswiki link attached to the word.

Could you define that and could you explain the difference between "trabeate" and "cuirassed" as it applied to this very cool coin?

Thanks!

Regards,
mz

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