Late Roman Brass Coin

[Victor]

This coin is not a Late Roman Bronze, but rather a Late Roman Brass or, as the Romans called the metal, orichalcum.





Commemorative
A.D. 348
16mm   2.5gm
OBV: ROMA, draped bust of Roma right, wearing visored and crested helmet.
REV: Anepigraphic- Emperor, helmeted and in military dress, standing facing, head left, holding spear in right hand and resting left hand on shield. P-R across fields.
RIC VIII Rome 104


The description above is from RIC VIII, which is outdated. The figure on the reverse is female (which can be seen clearly on some examples)- so probably VIRTVS. It also seems most likely that these coins were struck in Constantinopolis in A.D. 330 for the dedication of the city.

These coins were assigned to the Rome mint mainly because of the ROMA obverse and the P R on the reverse, which stands for POPVLI ROMANI (Roman People), but a sister issue of this type has Constantinopolis on the obverse and PAX reverse with P-R across the fields. VOT P R also appears on the shields of VLPP’s from a variety of mints, so there is no reason to believe that P R must be indicative of a Rome product.


Two articles that talk about this coinage--


Simon Bendall Some comments on the anonymous silver coinage of the fourth to sixth centuries A.D.

Lars Ramskold Coins and Medallions struck for the Inauguration of Constantinopolis 11 May 330


below is another example which nicely shows the brassy color. 16mm   1.4gm

[Victor]

here's a really nice example of this type


COMMEMORATIVE Anonymous

AE Cent., ca.348AD, ca.16mm, ca.2.3g.

RO-MA, dr. bust r. wearing visored & crested helm./P | R Emperor, helm. & in military dress, stg. facing, hd. turned r., hldg. spear in r., hand & resting l. hand on shield.

RIC104(R4)