7-676

RIC VII, LONDON 79, LICINIUS I, UNLISTED ISSUE OR ENGRAVER'S ERROR

  

OBVERSE

IMPLICINIVSPFAVG [IMP LICINIVS P F AVG]; bust r., laur., cuir.

REVERSE

SOLIINVIC-TOCOMITI [SOLI INVICTO COMITI]; Sol stg. l., chlamys across l. shoulder, raising r. hand, globe in l. S in left field, P in right field. MSN in exergue.

NOT IN RIC

UNLISTED ISSUE OR ENGRAVER'S ERROR. Coin similar to LONDON 79 except for MSN in m.m. instead of MSL. It could be an engraver's error, but also other specimens from different dies are known (one from Fitzwilliam Museum is mentioned in RIC in footnote 79 on p. 102). This fact strongly supports the hypothesis promoted by Lee Toone, that MSN is a mintmark of regular, but unlisted, London issue (see: Lee Toone, "A New London Mintmark for Constantine the Great?", Numismatic Circular, July 2009, p. 106). However, in Cloke-Toone listed only as a minor variant of LONDON 79 (8.07.023).

See also:
LONDON 68, CONSTANTINE I, UNLISTED ISSUE OR ENGRAVER'S ERROR

NOTES

Weight 3.41 g; diameter 20.7-20.9 mm. Plate coin in Cloke-Toone. Sold on Spink auction 15006 (lot 97) in September 2015 for GBP 300; sold on CNG auction 121 (lot 967) in October 2022 for USD 1,200.


NOT IN RIC © 2004 Lech Stępniewski