Late Roman Bronze Coins

Coin talk => COTD => Topic started by: Al.cofribas on July 05, 2016, 06:19:49 PM

Title: Interesting Divus Constantinus
Post by: Al.cofribas on July 05, 2016, 06:19:49 PM
Good evening, Please to meet you
for a first comment, I wish to present you this imitation of a Constantine's consecration coin from Trier (i presume)(1,88 g - 16 mm).
the "original" RIC. 44 below (from Victor's I.C. )

The difference is such as I intérroge me on its utility.
Would have you an interpretation?
Many Thanks
Christophe
Title: Re: Interesting Divus Constantinus
Post by: Victor on July 05, 2016, 08:16:38 PM
Hello and welcome.

It is a neat example and you rarely find unofficial posthumous issues.

The obverse and reverse are retrograde or reversed. The engraver probably just copied an example and engraved the die with a right facing bust, but like a mirror image, when struck it produced a left facing bust. So he either didn't realize what would happen, or possibly did not care.

These coins were minted due to a shortage, often after a monetary reform. To give a French example-- similar in concept to what happened with the more modern coinage sometimes called "monnaies de nécessité"

I have a page on unofficial coinage during the 4th century-- http://www.constantinethegreatcoins.com/barb2/