Of the twelve groupings assembled for this page, this is probably the one with the most variations. Our examples show the two most commonly seen gods from the old pagan pantheon but others appear on coins in ACE lots and these two will be found with quite a bit of variation from these examples. Both of these two coins show a number of minor details that are commonly found but this page can not cover all of the different things you might find on your coins. The discussion here will be a little more in detail than some provided on these pages and might give an idea of how many things there are to learn about our coins. Since the coins are so different, I will change the format a bit here and discuss both sides of one coin before moving to the other.
Left: Licinius II Caesar, 321-323 AD AE3 (bronze 17-20mm)
Dominus Noster Valerius Licinianus Licinius Nobilissimus Caesar
The reverse of our example shows Jupiter standing holding an eagle topped staff and a small statue of Victory standing on a globe. At his feet is another eagle holding a wreath in its beak and a captive seated on the ground looking up at the god. In the right field is something very unusual on Roman coins: a mark of denomination. The Roman numeral XII is followed by a symbol (I used < but there is no good match on my available fonts) which stood for 'a half'. It was probably derived from the letter S standing for 'semis' but usually looks like something between a Greek gamma G and an S. Some even look like an M with the right 'leg' missing. This coin was issued when Licinius I declared that, in the areas he controlled, all coins previously valued at 25 'denarii communes' (a system of accounting but not issued as coins of the period) where halved in value. Newly minted coins bore this 12 1/2 mark. Mints under the control of Licinius' rival Constantine did not observe the revaluation and these marks soon disappeared from the coins. The mintmark expands to Sacred Money of the mint of Antioch, 7th (Zeta) workshop.
Right: Constantine I, 316 AD AE3 (bronze 17-20mm)
On the right we see the sun god Sol. The coin is dedicated to the Unconquerable (Invicto) Companion (Comiti) of the Emperor. Sol wears a radiate crown and carries a globe. With his other hand he makes a gesture important enough that the hand is enlarged but the exact meaning and finger position of this sign is something that requires more research. Equally in need of research are the meanings of the star in the field and the letters TF that flank the figure. There are several other letter combinations found on similar issues and students of the period have assigned meanings (educated guesses). TF is 'temporum felicitas' (happiness of the times). It seems likely that these letters and symbols were used as some sort of internal controls within the mint but their exact purpose and meaning is not clear. The mintmark PARL combines the initial of the ordinal 'Primus' and the abbreviation for the city name (Arles). Mints in the Western portion of the Empire often used ordinals rather than Greek numerals to distinguish workshops.
Constantine I is described as Imperator which is better translated as 'General'. The use of this term by Emperors was rare after this time but Constantine still used the old conventions on this issue. PF is 'pius felix' or pious and blessed (common terms for the Emperors for a century by this time). Augustus, 'revered', is the title that should be translated as 'Emperor' since it was only held by the most senior rulers. While he lived, Constantine never awarded it to his sons. Half a century in either direction it was common for heirs (even children) to hold the title but it was particularly dear to Constantine and was not awarded lightly. The portrait is shown wearing a laurel wreath and military cloak over armor (parallel lines on the shoulder) consistent with the use of the title Imperator.
This is a coin of 'lasts'. After the issue, pagan gods no longer were used on coins, Imperator was a rare title and the laurel wreath was replaced with a jeweled diadem. Constantine was the last Emperor of the old style and the first of the new style more an oriental despot than first citizen of the Republic.