a gold coin with an image of a woman on it
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953 - ROMAN EMPIRE - ROMAN
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Estimate €10,000
Sale commission
Description
ROMAN EMPIRE - ROMAN Constantine I (307–337). Single-sided gold medallion, a military honour for the auxiliary troops, undated (c. 318), Aquileia or Ticinum? Obverse: IMP CONSTANTINVS PF AVG. Armoured and helmeted bust facing left, wearing a helmet with a plume, adorned with a fleur-de-lis motif; the spear is held in the right hand over the right shoulder, whilst the left arm holds a shield decorated with a studded motif. Reverse: Plain with an outer flange. Münsterberg NZ 56, 1923, p. 25 – Depeyrot, 1996, p. 165, 1–2 – Bland 2012, pp. 217–225; Gold – 3.8 g – 21 mm – 12 h From an iNumis VSO 48 sale (cover coin) and previously P.-F. Jacquier 47, 21 September 2019, lot 1581 (A second specimen of slightly higher quality, lot 1580 from the same sale, was sold for €33,000 by Gorny, sale 280, lot 708). NGC MS 5/5 2/5 wavy flan scuffs Loop removed (6774578-003). Minimal proof mark at 7 o’clock on the reverse. The flan is barely veiled. Magnificent bust, highly detailed. Only a slight patina has slightly darkened the edges, which retain their original lustre. Very rare. Superb in mint condition. This medallion forms part of an issue by Constantine I and his sons of the utmost rarity. On the reverse, there is either a central dot, a letter (to date, only the letters B and V have been found), or a mint mark attributed to the mints of Trier, Siscia, Thessaloniki and Aquileia. The weight ranges from 3.80 to 4.20 grams. Most known examples show suspension holes, with some even having a ring. As these medallions do not follow the model used for coins, they do not constitute a means of payment and were certainly produced for distributions linked to the various donativa during military campaigns. According to N. Holmes, they represent ‘a military merit award of some sort’, a kind of military decoration or distinction, certainly intended for auxiliary troops given the numerous finds beyond the limes, in the Barbaricum. The inscription on this medallion indicates it was issued in the year 318, when Constantine’s two sons, Crispus and Constantine II, were elevated to the rank of Caesar https://d10dakqizeg4uw.cloudfront.net/VAE19/953.mp4
See original version (French)
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About the sale Numismatics
Auction location
Auction time 10/14/2026 at 9:30 AM
Pictures credits: Contact the Auction House
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