PROVIDENTIAE AVGG coins after Licinius' death

[Genio popvli romani]

What is your point of view about the significance of the Augustorum reverse titulature after Licinius was put to death, as there was at this time only one Augustus: Constantine.
For exemple, this coin  has been struck circa AD327-328.

 

Licinius was dead and Crispus, who could have claim this title was dead too. Some suggest that Crispus reputation among the Roman people could have induce Constantine to maintain this titulature. I could agree that point of view if it had been for a few months long but a few years seems to my eyes have been too longer.

[Victor]

It is possibly just the mint using the same wording just from habit.


RIC VII does not talk about this...I will check "The Constantinian Coinage of Arelate" (also by Patrick Bruun), to see if he has any suggestions.

[Genio popvli romani]

It is possibly just the mint using the same wording just from habit.

This argument is sometimes mentioned (notably by Maurice J. defender of the theory of Crispus notoriety), but this would imply that the dies were made in one lot for all the emission with different mintmarks for each year. It seems that it is not the case, especially for Arles which name has changed  during the period implying that the dies were remade to modify the mintmark.

[Victor]

I checked in "The Constantinian Coinage of Arelate" but he did not talk about it.


In 324 the campgates were issued with AVGG, as there were two Augusti, but none were issued in the name of Licinius. In 325, Licinius has been executed and coins are still being issued with AVGG. Of course Helena is an Augusta during this period (and Fausta until her execution), so she might be the other "G."  I think that either Helena makes up the AVGG with Constantine or else the mint employees are still using AVGG because they were not told to change it.

[Genio popvli romani]

I checked in RIC VII for each mint that struck this reverse:

LONDON: AD324
LYON: AD324
TRIER: AD324-328
ARLES: AD324-329. Note that the VIRTVS AVGG have been struck for Constantine I and II, Crispus, Licinius I and II from AD325 to ad 329.
ROME: AD324-326
SISCIA: AD324-329
THESSALONICA: AD326-328
HERACLEA: AD316-320. Only for Licinius.
CONSTANTINOPLE: AD326-327
NICOMEDIA: AD324-329
CYZICUS: AD324-330
ANTIOCH: AD325-330
ALEXANDRIA: AD325-330

What we can say with this listing is that we can reject the idea that employees were not told to change or engrave dies from habit. If we look at the Constantinople mint, it start to struck those coins just after its opening, so we can conclude there was no habit and the employees should have been well informed.
As you say, Helena might be the other G but in this case the VIRTVS AVGG reverse from Arles mint seems a little bit strange for an Augusta.

[Victor]

The AVGG might also only refer to an idea of the foresight (PROVIDENTIAE) of the Emperors, so not actually a reflection of how many Augusti there actually were at the time. It could possibly be used just as a slogan giving thanks to all Emperors present and past, so it may just be an abstract expression of faith in the Emperors.

[Genio popvli romani]

This explanation is the most convincing I have seen. I will keep it until a "better one" could be provided.

Thanks.

[Victor]

I was looking through some older stuff and saw these two pictures of campgates ending with AVG and remembered this topic and thought I would post them.

[Genio popvli romani]

And two more  :

[Victor]

I wonder if these coins with one G were merely an error or an attempt to refelect that there was only one Augustus. Since they are from more than one die, it seems like the latter.