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Author Topic: COTD: Constantine I as Caesar, follis of Alexandria.  (Read 305 times)

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Offline Callimachus

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COTD: Constantine I as Caesar, follis of Alexandria.
« on: May 08, 2023, 10:58:28 pm »
A coin recently added to my galleries:

Constantine I as Caesar, Follis, late 306 - early 307, Alexandria mint.
Obverse: FL VAL CONSTANTINVS NOB CAES   /  Laureate bust of Constantine.
Reverse: PERPETVITAS AVGG   / Roma, helmeted, seated on throne with shield underneath, holding small Victory on globe, and leaning on scepter.  S in left field; Δ and P in right field.
Mint mark: ALE
9.70 gm., 25 mm.                                       
RIC #63; PBCC #1164; Sear #15545.

Another reference:
Dharmadhikari, Jay. “L’atelier tétrarchique d’Alexandrie de 304 à 307,” Revue Numismatique, Année 2016, pp. 303-358.
This coin is listed as #39 on page 346 of this article. A coin of the same dies is pictured on page 358. It is listed as 39 (3) – Paris 9139.

A very rare coin.

One of my goals is to get one coin of Constantine I as Caesar from each of the 15 mints where they were produced.
This is the 8th such coin I have, so I am halfway to my goal.

My Constantine gallery: https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/thumbnails.php?album=5151


Offline Victor C

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Re: COTD: Constantine I as Caesar, follis of Alexandria.
« Reply #1 on: May 08, 2023, 11:17:02 pm »
congrats...it is an awesome example!
Victor Clark

LRB gallery

Offline Lech Stępniewski

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Re: COTD: Constantine I as Caesar, follis of Alexandria.
« Reply #2 on: May 09, 2023, 07:38:25 am »
Very nice portrait. He has look in his eyes as he is Augustus already.
Lech Stępniewski
NOT IN RIC
Poland

Offline Virgil H

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Re: COTD: Constantine I as Caesar, follis of Alexandria.
« Reply #3 on: May 09, 2023, 11:19:20 pm »
That is a beautiful example.

Virgil

Offline gallienus1

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Re: COTD: Constantine I as Caesar, follis of Alexandria.
« Reply #4 on: May 10, 2023, 07:26:50 am »

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

 

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