RIC VII, CONSTANTINE I, UNLISTED ISSUE [IMP CONSTANTINVS P F AVG, BUST H2 l.]

OBVERSE	IMPCONSTANTINVSPFAVG [IMP CONSTANTINVS P F AVG]; bust l., helmeted, cuir., spear across r. shoulder, shield on l. arm [H2 l.].
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 Depeyrot's paper (p. 165, no. 1). Combination of obv. legend and bust type not attested in RIC VII. Note, however, the close similarity with obverse of RIC VI TREVERI 805 (Berlin no. 18202521, medallion of 1½ solidi, 6.66 g, 23 mm) and medallion of 2 solidi unlisted in RIC (RIC VI TREVERI [before 805] (Freeman & Sear, spring 2004 sale, 8.90 g).

NOTES

AV medallion. Weight 4.87 g. Coin sold on Jacquier auction 47 (lot 1580) in September 2019 for EUR 18,000; sold on Gorny & Mosch auction 280 (lot 708) in October 2021 for EUR 33,000. Other specimens: - sold on Grün auction 79 (lot 1493) in November 2020 for EUR 20,000; sold on Hess Divo auction 340 (lot 106) in June 2022 for CHF 24,000; sold on Künker auction 382 (lot 540) in March 2023 for EUR 24,000; weight 4.83 g [click for picture]; - sold on Künker auction 326 (lot 1621) in October 2019 for EUR 6,500 (specimen cited in Depeyrot's paper as no. 1b); weight 4.27 g; obv. legend break N-T [click for picture]; - sold on Numismatica Ars Classica auction 34 (lot 89) in November 2006 for CHF 5,000; weight 4.02 g [click for picture]; - from the Münzkabinett of the Staatliche Museen zu Berlin Collection (reg. no. 18230084; specimen cited in Depeyrot's paper as no. 1a but not illustrated); weight 3.55 g; diameter 22 mm [click for picture]; - ex Jacquier auction 47 (lot 1581), September 2019; ex iNumis Mail Bid Sale 48 (lot 217), March 2020; sold on MDC Monaco auction 15 (lot 1864) in October 2024 for EUR 10,000; weight 3.81 g; diameter 21 mm; dot on rev. apparently obliterated [click for picture]; - obv. of specimen from the Rheinisches Landesmuseum Trier Collection (reg. no. 1911,804; specimen cited in Depeyrot's paper as no. 1d but without picture); weight 4.18 g [click for picture] [Thanks to the collaboration of Tomasz Speier]; - from Depeyrot's paper (p. 166, no. 1c); weight 3.92 g [click for picture].