Possibly the Second Known

231, Lot: 277. Estimate $100. Sold for $245. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

Constantine I. AD 307/310-337. Æ Follis (19mm, 3.16 g, 6h). Constantinople mint, 1st officina. Struck AD 326-327 AD. Laureate head right / Camp gate surmounted by two turrets on raised base; above, star; A//CONS. RIC VII 7, note; LRBC 969. Good VF, brown patina. Extremely rare.

From the Elliott-Kent Collection. Ex Classical Numismatic Group E69, lot 150; Classical Numismatic Group 35 (20 September 1995), lot 991.

This is the second known example of this coin, the other known being in Vienna. Here, the camp gate rests on a raised base, unlike the more common simple ground line. In addition, the reverse legend, PROVIDENTIAE AVGG, which is more in keeping with the joint emperorship of Constantine and Licinius, seems out of step here, given the fact that this coin was struck during Constantine’s sole rule, and at an imperial mint which was not founded until after his final defeat of his imperial rival.