7-3789

RIC VII, TRIER [after 60], CONSTANTINE I, UNLISTED ISSUE [Bust of Mars; Ticinum/Aquileia style]; obv. legend 1d, bust B5

  

OBVERSE

CONSTANTINVSPFAVG [CONSTANTINVS P F AVG]; bust r., laur., cuir.

REVERSE

MARTICONSERVATORI [MARTI CONSERVATORI]; Bust of Mars r., helmeted and cuirassed.

NOT IN RIC

UNLISTED ISSUE. According to the preliminary study published by Genio popvli romani, not only T|F/PTR emission was continued after the 1/96 reduction [RIC VII TRIER 39-60] but also the emission of unmarked folles with bust of Mars on reverse [RIC VI TREVERI 877-885]. The main problem is to distinguish this later part from the earlier one, issued on the 1/72 standard. As Sutherland wrote in RIC VI (footnote 1 on p. 227): "It is not always easy to distinguish this earlier and heavier unmarked series from the lighter one, with the same types, which appeared after Maximinus' death: the weight-peaks are quite distinct from each other, but the light 'heavies' and the heavy 'lights' inevitably tend to overlap".

Probably the most crucial data is not a weight, but a diameter of die (PRD), i.e. pearl ring diameter (which should be not confused with a diameter of flan!). For earlier and heavier coins, issued on the 1/72 standard, we may assume that the diameter of beaded circle is at least 21 mm. For lighter coins, issued on the new 1/96 standard, this diameter is significantly smaller - c. 19 mm.

The diameters given below are usually the diameters of the flan. Keep in mind that it is sometimes hard to extrapolate a diameter of die from a diameter of actual flan, so the attribution is not always certain.

Note that the 1/96 emission was continued up to 316, which is proven by the die match discovered by Genio popvli romani. Compare obverses of coin from 1/96 emission with Sol [2.99 g; 19-20 mm] and of coin from T|F/ATR emission [2.90 g; 19 mm; TRIER 113].

See also: Lawrence H. Cope, "The sequence of issues in the long T/F series of Constantinian folles minted at Trier, A.D. 309-315", Schweizer Münzblätter 1969, no. 75, pp. 59-66.

The coin presented here has style somehow similar to coins of this type from Ticinum/Aquileia (see TICINUM [before 115], CONSTANTINE, UNLISTED ISSUE [MARTI CONSERVATORI], BUST TYPE C and AQUILEIA [before 130], CONSTANTINE, UNLISTED ISSUE [MARTI CONSERVATORI]).

However, die-link with coin minted in Treveri proves that this specimen belongs to the same 1/96 issue. It is also possible that there are more such specimens minted in Treveri after 313 but feature Ticinum/Aquileia style. Possibly an engraver (engraver's apprentice?) from Ticinum/Aquileia was transfered to Treveri at that time [Attribution corrected thanks to the collaboration of Thierry Carion].

See also a similar issue with bust B4, which may also belong to the 1/96 emission from Trier. But this attribution is based only on style - no die-link yet.

Coin should be listed after TRIER 60.

See also:
TRIER [after 60], CONSTANTINE I, UNLISTED ISSUE [Bust of Mars]; obv. legend 1a, bust B5
TRIER [after 60], CONSTANTINE I, UNLISTED ISSUE [Bust of Mars]; obv. legend 1c, bust B3
TRIER [after 60], CONSTANTINE I, UNLISTED ISSUE [Bust of Mars]; obv. legend 1c, bust B4
TRIER [after 60], CONSTANTINE I, UNLISTED ISSUE [Bust of Mars]; obv. legend 1c, bust B5
TRIER [after 60], CONSTANTINE I, UNLISTED ISSUE [Bust of Mars]; obv. legend 1d, bust B3
TRIER [after 60], CONSTANTINE I, UNLISTED ISSUE [Bust of Mars]; obv. legend 1d, bust B4
TRIER [after 60], CONSTANTINE I, UNLISTED ISSUE [Bust of Mars]; obv. legend 1d, bust B5

NOTES

Weight 3.36 g; diameter 20 mm. Ex Jacquier auction 40 (lot 509), September 2013; ex Lars Ramskold; sold on Leu Numismatik web auction 26 (lot 5316) in July 2023 for CHF 550. Now in the collection of Beatissimus Sol Invictus.

Other specimens:

- sold on Jacquier auction 40 (lot 508) in October 2015 for EUR 450; weight 3.29 g; possibly also minted in Trier but this attribution is highly uncertain [click for picture];


NOT IN RIC © 2004 Lech Stępniewski