RIC VI, ROMA ?, CONSTANTINE, UNLISTED ISSUE, OFFICINA P

OBVERSE	IMPCONSTANTINVSPFAVG [IMP CONSTANTINVS P F AVG]; bust r., laur., dr., cuir.
REVERSE	LI-BER-A-TORORBIS [LIBERATOR ORBIS]; Emperor galloping r., dog or lion (?) below horse. R*P in exergue.
NOT IN RIC	UNLISTED ISSUE. In RBC 234CI (see p. 31 and plate 14). Failmezger describes it as "Emperor riding down lion", gives the highest rarity (RR) and adds it to the group of "the special victory coins struck after the battle of the Milvian Bridge by Constantine to celebrate both his defeat of Maxentius and to show solidarity among the three remaining emperors" (p. 31). This specimen is rather light - circa 2.4 g - which suggests that it could be a fraction (half-follis). Although the obverse legend [IMP CONSTANTINE P F AVG] is not uncommon on coins minted in Rome before year 314, all known fractions [RIC VI ROMA 355-360] have legend FL VAL CONSTANTINVS AVG. Also mintmark is exceptional and there are no signs of "solidarity among emperors". On the other hand, the style of the obverse portrait and small weight lead us to another hypothesis that the coin was minted few years later - probably in 315 when Constantine arrived to Rome to celebrate his decennalia. At the same time the great triumphal arch was finished, dedicated to Constantine as LIBERATORI VRBIS. See also: ROMA ?, CONSTANTINE, UNLISTED ISSUE, OFFICINA T.

NOTES

From Victor Failmezger's collection. Number 234 in his RBC.