Constantine I SOLI INVICTO COMITI from Lyons with spear and shield obverse

[Victor]

This coin is not listed in RIC or Bastien. It should come after RIC VII Lyons 54. No weight or diameter because it sold in a group lot.


Constantine I
A.D. 316
CONSTANTINVS P AVG; laureate and cuirassed bust right with spear over right shoulder and shield on left.
SOLI INVICTO COMITI; Sol rad., raising r. hand, globe in l.; stg. l., chlamys across l. shoulder; across fields A- S.
in ex. PLG
RIC VII Lyons –



http://www.notinric.lechstepniewski.info/7lyo-54.html

[Gavin]

I find it fascinating that so many of these variants come from Lyon. KOINON III will have an article about another trabeate bust variant from Lyon. The author speculates at this particular variant might mark an unconfirmed visit of Constantine to that city. At the very least, it might mean that Lyon was trying to get the emperor‘s attention at a time when other western cities were enjoying imperial preferment.

[Victor]

I wouldn't say a bust type (even trabeate) not in RIC necessarily indicates a visit from Constantine, as many of the mints in the West during this period occasionally have some different or special bust types. London, specifically, has a series of trabeate bust types, circa 315 for his 4th consulship. Also, Lyons is not well represented in RIC, which is why Bastien is an important reference. Even so, coins turn up not in either reference, like this coin. I don't want to dump a ton of pictures into this topic, but an example of another interesting bust from about the same time (315- 316) from Arles. Next, a special bust type from Trier, also from about the same time. So, if these mints issued special types because of personal visits, Constantine was very busy bouncing around in 315- 316.

[Gavin]

Well, I don’t want to misrepresent the article. The suggestion, as I recall, was highly speculative. And there may be more to it than a simple trabeate bust. I think there were consular implications too. But I’ll wait for KOINION III to come out so the author can make the case in his own voice.

[Victor]

The author speculates at this particular variant might mark an unconfirmed visit of Constantine to that city.

I read the article and it does speculate; but I don't think this type has to reflect a visit to the city. For instance, Lyons issued types for Crispus with COS II for his second consulship in 321, but he was apparently in Serdica at the time with his father. So this seems just some more Lyons flair.

I thought that I recognized the coin and found the old post

https://www.lateromanbronzecoinforum.com/index.php/topic,755.msg2207.html#msg2207

[Heliodromus]

Similarly there are consular bust VOT XX types for Constantine from Arles, Ticinum and Rome that must date to his 6th consulship in 320, when he appears to have spent the whole year around Sirmium and Serdica.

As it happens though, it does seem that Constantine may have been in Lyons in early 315. Depeyrot (Monnaies D'Or) has him there in "spring" (before heading to Rome), although I'm not sure what this is based on. Most of Depeyrot's chronology entries are for actual specific dates which I assume come from the Theodosian code.

The consular busts from Lyons 315 really need to be taken in context of all the other special busts (martial, victory on globe, raised hand, horse) and legends (MAX, COS IIII) from Lyons for that year. These are really celebrating his decennalia, dedication of his arch, and status as maximus augustus (awarded a few years earlier, but now emblazoned on the arch). Naturally since he was consul in that year (no doubt by design) they threw the consular busts/legends into the mix too.

So, in this case he probably was "in town" at the time, but generally that seems not to have been a requirement, and even in this case probably not really the motivation. Lyons just seems to have been more gung-ho with the numismatic celebration of events vs Rome which switches up the bronze mintmark from R-F to R/X-F and calls it a day! 

[Victor]

As it happens though, it does seem that Constantine may have been in Lyons in early 315. Depeyrot (Monnaies D'Or) has him there in "spring" (before heading to Rome), although I'm not sure what this is based on.

Maybe based on just his "Frenchness"    I looked and he does not state where his info came from, other than broadly reference Bastien, Sutherland, Bruun and Demougeot; and he leaves out some places explicitly stated below.

Barnes (New Empire) has a comprehensive account of where Constantine was according to sources (mainly Theodosian Code) and does not have anything about Lyons. Barnes has Constantine at Trier from Oct 314 until April 315. He even cites a coin -- RIC VII Trier 164 FELIX PROCESSVS COS IIII AVG N. June of 315 at Sirmio (?) July at Aqua Viva, July - Sept at Rome, Oct- Milan and by Jan of 316 back at Trier. Of course, Constantine could have visited Lyons, but it does not seem to be otherwise recorded.