142, Lot: 178. Estimate $500. Sold for $300. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee. |
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Constantine I. AD 307/310-337. Æ Follis (19mm, 3.48 g). Thessalonica mint. Struck AD 319. Laureate and cuirassed bust right / Sol standing half-left in center of plan of Roman camp, raising right hand and holding globe in left; •TS•
G•. RIC VII 66. Good VF, dark green patina under some original silvering.
The true meaning of this reverse type has never been fully deciphered, the latest theory being that the X shaped pattern represents Constantine's vision before the battle of the Milvian bridge. This does not seem likely since the type is known on coins of Licinius, who was not a Christian, and perhaps more importantly, was Constantine's enemy.