Numismatic and History Discussion Forums > Roman Coins Discussion Forum
A thread for scarce and/or interesting GLORIA EXERCITVS soldiers & standards.
Ayse T:
--- Quote from: seth on October 27, 2013, 03:53:58 pm ---This is a scarcer issue of the common soldiers & standards type:
OBV: CONSTANS IVN NOB C; laureate, draped, cuirassed bust in paludamentum r.
REV: GLOR – IA EXERC – ITVS; 2 soldiers with 2 standards in between them.
EXE: SMHB* Heraclea mint.
REF: RIC VII Heraclea 139, rated R5
333-335AD.
It's an interesting early emission for Constans at Heraclea with the IVN titulature which should've been used for Constantine II. The pictures are the seller's.
--- End quote ---
Crazy coincidence but I've been stuck on (almost?) the same coin for a while now and I was actually on the forum to ask about that. The problem with mine is that rather than letters, it seems that the "carvings" on the bottom of the reverse side are more of symbols like an Omega and probably an H and a T or an N. I was wondering if that happens often and what it actually means since I haven't found any examples of it online. After reading the quotes on the post, I've paid more attention to the other side, I believe that it's written Constantinus ii on the coin I have in my hands but I can't read the surroundings of the name (I can barely see OIS which I'm not sure of). But I've noticed that the bust looks quite young.
Regards,
Ayse.
Curtis JJ:
The Rare One? "VM"
I suspect I have one "VM" type Constantine II. What do you think?
I wouldn't have known about "CONSTANTINVS VM AVG" types if not for this thread. Not sure how well I understand it as it is, but glad to have been alerted!
The dramatic double-strike was the reason I took notice, but it's a complicating factor. It came from CNG's recent sale of the Matin Wettmark Collection of error coins. (He's a Swedish collector and author known for world error coinage.)
From the same group lot, I suspect this tiny 8mm brockage probably would've been a (British imitative) GLORIA EX. if Constantine's bust wasn't jamming up the dies!
Common Ones but Interesting Backstory:
These ones are interesting mainly for their collection/hoard history (below), though 1 or 2 are attractive enough.
If I have it right, they're all common types:
1. Constantine the Great MAX AVG from Antioch; 2. Constantine Jr. MAX AVG from Siscia;
3. Constantine Jr. PF AVG from Constantinople; and, 4. Constantius II from Constantinople.
They're all from the collection of Ken Bressett (b. 1928-) and the "Lincoln Higgie Hoard, 1967."
Bressett is the well-known numismatic author & former ANA President. (See Smith, Am. Num. Bios., 57-8 [LINK].) Of these coins he wrote: "The Lincoln Higgie Hoard was discovered in Turkey by Lincoln W. Higgie, III, in 1967 and sold to me intact." But unfortunately no further circumstances given. (The Hoard is described as 40 coins in CNG Keystone 6, but it's clearly a cut-and-paste error. From the listings there must be >60.)
"Bill" Higgie (b. 1938-), the third, is on pp. 203-4 of Smith's ANB [LINK], or see a reduced bio from Wash U/Newman [LINK]. At least one of the prior Lincoln W. Higgie's is also well-known in numismatics, and no doubt was also known to Bressett [LINK].
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