RIC VII, CONSTANTINOPLE [after 12], CONSTANTINE I, UNLISTED OBVERSE LEGEND [FORGERY]

OBVERSE	CONSTAN-TINVSAVG [CONSTANTINVS AVG]; head r., laur.
REVERSE	SPES-PVBLIC [SPES PVBLIC]; rev. legend across field; labarum, with three medallions on drapery and crowned by Christogram, pierces serpent. A in left field. CONS in exergue.
NOT IN RIC	UNLISTED OBVERSE LEGEND. RIC lists for this type only longer obv. legend CONSTANTINVS MAX AVG [CONSTANTINOPLE 19 and CONSTANTINOPLE 26]. Shorter legend was in use earlier [CONSTANTINOPLE 7] so the present specimen might belong there. But note that such official issue probably does not exist. All known specimens should be regarded as ancient imitations or, mostly, as modern FORGERIES made by tooling rev. of common genuine coins. There are also many forgeries of this type made by the same method (or by casting from genuine specimens) with listed (i.e. long) obv. legend. See also: Lars Ramskold, "Highly Deceptive Forgeries of Constantine’s SPES PVBLIC Coinage", The Celator, December 2009, pp. 18-32. See also: CONSTANTINOPLE [after 12], CONSTANTINE I, UNLISTED OBVERSE LEGEND AND MINTMARK VARIETY [FORGERY] CONSTANTINOPLE 19, CONSTANTINE I, MINTMARK VARIETY [FORGERY]

NOTES

From FORVM ANCIENT COINS; posted by XLi. Other specimens: - offered on Rauch Summer Auction 2007 (lot 1179) in September 2007 for EUR 1,200, but withdrawn from sale; weight 2.99 g [click for picture]; - offered on Gorny & Mosch auction 101 (lot 2493) in October 2009 for EUR 1,000 and also withdrawn from sale; weight 2.17 g [click for picture]; - sold as "barbarous imitation" on CNG Mail Bid Sale 60 (lot 1902) in May 2002 for USD 2050; ex Lars Ramskold; sold on Leu Numismatik web auction 26 (lot 5382) in July 2023 for CHF 700; weight 1.20 g; diameter 14 mm [click for picture]; - offered on Artemide Aste auction XVIII (lot 158) in December 2007 for EUR 800 (unsold); sold on Artemide Aste auction XXII (lot 279) in October 2008 for EUR 700; note that Christogram resembles a star or a fourfold loop; weight 2.93 g; diameter 19 mm [click for picture]; - from FORVM ANCIENT COINS [click for picture].