Interesting Constantine Sol bronze

[FORVM AUCTIONS]

Here is a neat one we just cleaned. The exergue appears to be RS, while the obv reads IMP C CONST...    This legend is not accepted in RIC VII Rome for the Sol series, and we can't see a crescent in the right field (see page 301 )

Any ideeas ?  (PS I would say the portrait looked more like Arles, not Rome...)

[wolfgang336]

Hey Alex! The crescent is there, just very hard to see, and only barely visible in the scan. I've got it circled in my attachment.

Evan

[Heliodromus]

I can almost "see" that crescent too, but it's not actually there!

This is RIC VI Rome 374 from 312-313.

This brief use after defeating Maxentius is the last time Constantine used the IMP C vs plain IMP.  Maybe due to reduction in flan size at that time, or maybe he felt he was more his own man and didn't need to draw comparison to Caesar for honorifics!

Ben

[curtislclay]

Good, no addition to RIC required this time!
To be exact, I'd say the coin is RIC VI Rome 376, since Sol is standing r., head l., not merely standing l.

[Varangian]

That's one of the tricks to Constantine...remembering to check both RIC VI and VII...

[wolfgang336]

Of course you are correct, Ben! It seems my eyes are showing me what I want to see!

Evan

[Heliodromus]

Could Sol be standing facing, head left rather than standing right, head left? The former is a footnoted option for RIC 374, so I chose it since I was unsure and the I-C-T reverse legend break fits, while it would be unlisted for RIC 376.

Ben

[curtislclay]

        On closer examination, 374 and 376 may well be the identical coin!
        For 374 Sutherland notes only the Gerin catalogue, as though he had seen no actual specimens.  How then did he know the legend breaks, which Voetter doesn't indicate?
        For 376 Sutherland cites Vienna, the present home of Voetter's own collection.  I wouldn't be surprised if those Vienna coins that Sutherland cites are the identical specimens Voetter was citing for his Gerin Cat. no. 37!
        By my definition, the difference between "standing l."  and "standing r., head l." is that the figure places his weight on his r. leg in the first case, on his l. leg in the second. 
        I'm not sure Sutherland was no precise.  EITHER of these poses, if you liked,  could be called "standing front, head l."!

[FORVM AUCTIONS]

  very ashamed, how could I forget checking RIC 6 ! I have to do it very often with Iovi Con folles from eastern mints, but Rome Sol before 313 are uncommon so it did not even cross my mind to reach for RIC 6 !
In any case the Sol here stands quite uncomfortable, looking left, with the upper body facing and one leg right.