7-344

RIC VII, HERACLEA [before 126], CONSTANTINE I, UNLISTED OBVERSE LEGEND, OFFICINA B

  

OBVERSE

CONSTAN-TINVSAVG [CONSTANTINVS AVG]; bust r., rosette-diadem, dr., cuir.

REVERSE

GLOR-IAEXERC-ITVS [GLORIA EXERCITVS]; two soldiers, helmeted, stg. looking at one another, holding spear and resting hand on shield set on ground; between them, two standards. Three horizontally arranged dots near the top of the standards. SMHB in exergue.

NOT IN RIC

UNLISTED OBVERSE LEGEND. RIC lists only long obv. legend CONSTANTINVS MAX AVG (p. 557, see picture of HERACLEA 126) and combination of bust type E8 and short obv. legend CONSTANTINVS AVG is not attested at all for Heraclea. Such combination is rather rare (e.g. THESSALONICA 154, 169), but also known for Gloria rev. (ARLES 341). Footnote 126 on p. 558 shows that Bruun was aware of this variant: "In V [Vienna] one regular off. A, another with obv. legend CONSTANTINVS AVG (E8). This coin obviously induced Voetter (NZ 1909, Atlas, Tafel 5) to regard this mark as the first of the Gloria exercitus series. The coin, however, does not illustrate any transition from the Providentiae coinage, where Constantine already earlier had been accorded the obv. legend with MAX AVG. As it is difficult to accept this coin of the Gloria 2-standard type as depicting Constantine II as Augustus, it should be classified as an inexplicable irregularity". There is no doubt that other specimens from officina B, Γ and Є make Voetter's hypothesis much stronger. Coin should be listed before HERACLEA 126.

See also:
HERACLEA [before 126], CONSTANTINE I, UNLISTED OBVERSE LEGEND, OFFICINA A
HERACLEA [before 126], CONSTANTINE I, UNLISTED OBVERSE LEGEND, OFFICINA Γ
HERACLEA [before 126], CONSTANTINE I, UNLISTED OBVERSE LEGEND, OFFICINA Є
HERACLEA [before 126], CONSTANTINE I, UNLISTED OBVERSE LEGEND, MINTMARK VARIETY

NOTES

Weight 2.90 g. From Emporium Hamburg e-Auction 518 (lot 90) in May 2015.

Other specimens:

- from Victor Clark's collection; sold on eBay in April 2010 for USD 7.99; weight 2.2 g; diameter 19 mm [click for picture];

- sold on Rauch Mail Bid Sale 8 (lot 614) in October 2004 for EUR 54; weight 2.88 g [click for picture];

- from Wildwinds; contributed by Dane Kurth [click for picture];

- from Wildwinds; contributed by Dane Kurth [click for picture];

- sold on eBay in November 2007 for USD 32.79; weight 2.60 g; diameter 18 mm [click for picture].


NOT IN RIC © 2004 Lech Stępniewski