Author Topic: Cyzicus mint GLORIA EXERCITVS  (Read 1610 times)

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Offline Victor

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Cyzicus mint GLORIA EXERCITVS
« on: December 24, 2013, 12:19:35 PM »
Over the years I have seen a few people having problems with the identification of GLORIA EXERCITVS coins from Cyzicus- the dificulty being the way the laurel leaves were engraved as the laurels often resemble pearls. On FORVM someone just posted a query which I didn't completely answer, but rather just gave a hint.

The hint is to look at the pattern of busts for Constantine I versus his Caesars at all the mints, while momentarily excluding Cyzicus. Starting circa A.D. 326 (the date varies a bit from mint to mint) Constantine I started being depicted with a diadem. There are some issue where you can see the transition, like campgates or votives, where Constantine I had coins issued with both laurel and diadem bust types. By the time the GE types were introduced, Constantine I is always diademed, while his Caesars are laureate. This distinction of headdress has become a mark of seniority.

Cyzicus coins are poorly engraved and sometimes the Caesars seem to be wearing pearl diadems, but RIC VII even states that these are just poorly engraved laurels; which becomes clearer, as one sees that all across the Empire, the Caesars are laureate on the GLORIA types from other mints.

I have attached two examples from Cyzicus, but these coins run a wide range and despite what they might look like, they must all depict laurels.