RIC VII, NICOMEDIA 164, CONSTANTIUS I, Æ TRIAL PIECE [FORGERY]

OBVERSE	FLVALCONSTANTIVSNOBCAES [FL VAL CONSTANTIVS NOB CAES]; head r., laur.
REVERSE	[no legend]; Emperor stg. facing, head l., in quadriga, raising r. hand, eagle-tipped sceptre in l. hand.
NOT IN RIC	Æ TRIAL PIECE. Strange specimen with obverse of Nicomedian style (cf. VI NICOMEDIA 28a) which belongs to RIC VI and reverse die-linked to NICOMEDIA 164, CONSTANTINE I, Æ TRIAL PIECE. Apparently a modern forgery from the infamous Bulgarian Lipanoff Studio. See: Lars Ramskold, "Constantine's Vicennalia and the Death of Crispus", Niš and Byzantium XI, 2013, p. 435-437.

NOTES

Weight 9.18 g; diameter 28.5 mm. From Gorny & Mosch auction 181 (lot 2459), October 2009.