7-1673

RIC VII, CONSTANTINE I, UNLISTED ISSUE [IMP CONSTANTINVS PIVS F AVG, BUST C2]

 

OBVERSE

IMPCONSTANTI[N]VSPIVSFAVG [IMP CONSTANTINVS PIVS F AVG]; bust r., rad., dr., cuir., seen from back [C2].

REVERSE

Blank but for dot in center.

NOT IN RIC

UNLISTED ISSUE. Not attested in RIC. These enigmatic uniface gold pieces are often pierced or mounted with a loop. They were sometimes described as 'Indian imitations' from later period but modern scholars regard them as official products.

According to Depeyrot, who also made a brief catalogue of them, they were not money but were struck at some western mints as military donatives (Georges Depeyrot, "Les médaillons d’or unifaces du quatrième siècle (318–340)", Italiam fato profugi hesperinaque venerunt litora. Numismatic Studies dedicated to Vladimir and Elvira Eliza Clain-Stefanelli, ed. T. Hackens, Louvain-la-Neuve 1996, p. 165: "[...] ces objets ont été préparés pour des distributions liées aux divers donativa lors des campagnes militaires").

According to Holmes, they were "military merit awards of some sort - badges of status of recognition of achievement or valour" (N.M.McQ. Holmes, "A Uniface Gold Medallion of Constantine II", Numismatic Chronicle 2004, p. 235).

Recently, Bland confirmed "that these medallions were not struck as currency but to be worn". However, he also suggested that "they may have been produced (a) as subsidies for the barbarians [...], or (b) as payment for troops of barbarian origin," because a significant number of these pieces "were found in the barbaricum" (Roger Bland, "Gold for the Barbarians? Uniface Gold Medallions of the House of Constantine Found in Britain and Ireland", Britannia, vol. 43, November 2012, p. 222).

Listed in Cohen (vol. VII, p. 318, no. 762). Listed in Depeyrot's paper (p. 168, no. 8). Combination of obv. legend and bust type not attested in RIC VII.

NOTES

AV medallion. Weight 3.79 g; diameter 22 mm. Coin sold on Leu Numismatik auction 10 (lot 2374) in October 2021 for CHF 6,000.

Other specimens:

- sold on Pecunem (Gitbud & Naumann) 17 (lot 305) in May 2014 for EUR 1,300; sold on Solidus Numismatik 4 (lot 283) in November 2014 for EUR 2,000; weight 3.84 g; diameter 22 mm [click for picture];

- offered on Rauch auction 73 (lot 911) in May 2004; weight 3.96 g [click for picture];

- from Depeyrot's paper (p. 166, no. 8a); weight 3.43 g [click for picture];

- from Depeyrot's paper (p. 166, no. 8a); weight 3.14 g [click for picture].


NOT IN RIC © 2004 Lech Stępniewski