A great acquisition Callimachus.
The late imperial
follis has always been an impressive coin to me. Yours captures the haunting strangeness of a world on the cusp of profound change particularly well. The pagan late ancient
portrait style that emphasized the induvial, such as on the coins of
Gallienus struck 40 years earlier is dying. The emperor as a personification of imperial rank is at this time being created, as seen on the coins of
Constans I or
Constantius II 40 years later.
In the impressive
portrait on your coin
Constantine still has
his pagan
laurel wreath, but
his features are becoming less naturalistic, more formal and
stylized. The early
medieval world is not far in the future but has not yet formed. These coins have an almost spooky presence to me. As historical markers of social change a
good follis is hard to beat!
Steve