Constantine I CONSERVATOR AFRICAE SVAE from Carthage

[Victor]

RIC does not list coins with S-F across fields; but does have SE-F (second coin below--RIC VI Carthage 58). Drost in his book on Maxentius (Le monnayage de Maxence) has examples of S-F for Maximianus and Maxentius (emission 3 #20-24). Though he did not know of examples for Constantine, he anticipated them and created a listing—Carthage 24. The S-F series should come before the SE-F series.

Part of a group lot...I will post better pictures and measurements after (slow) arrival


Constantine I
A.D. 307
FL VAL CONSTANTINVS NOB CAES; laureate head right.
CONSERVATOR AFRICAE SVAE; Africa standing facing, head left, in long drapery with elephant- skin head-dress, right holding standard, left tusk, at feet to left lion with captured bull, in right field I.; S in left field, F in right.
In ex. Δ           
RIC VI Carthage --; Drost 24

[Victor]

new picture

Constantine I
A.D. 307
27x28mm   7.8g
FL VAL CONSTANTINVS NOB CAES; laureate head right.
CONSERVATOR AFRICAE SVAE; Africa standing facing, head left, in long drapery with elephant- skin head-dress, right holding standard, left tusk, at feet to left lion with captured bull, in right field I.; S in left field, F in right.
In ex. Δ           
RIC VI Carthage --; Drost 24

[Per D]

Congratulations!

I was eyeing that lot, hoping no one else had spotted this interesting coin. I suspect there were at least three of us …

As a kind of consolation prize I found myself being the only bidder on this Rome follis a couple of days later. The type (with a seated captive in front of Victoria) is missing from RIC, and this particular legend break is unrecorded in Drost.

With a narrow enough collecting focus even tiny variations like this become interesting, and the competition isn’t always fierce.

Maxentius
Early 310 – early 311
IMP C MAXENTIVS P F AVG Laureate head right.
VICTO-R-I-A AVG N Victoria advancing left, holding wreath in right hand, palm branch in left, with seated captive in front. RBP in exergue.
23 mm, 6,83 g, ↑↓
RIC – ; Drost 112 var.

[Victor]

I thought you may have seen the coin; but congrats on your new coin.