So the middle coin arrived this week from Spain--an eBay snack from Lucernae. I’m trying to get a CONSTANTINE SOL INVICTUS from each mint. The middle one is from Trier. I like this one not only because of the awesome cape (chlamys), but because of Sol’s posture: left leg straight and right knee bent. This pose, for some idiosyncratic reason, reminds me of the Heisman Trophy pose (an American football award, for our European friends). In my mind I think of these as the “HEISMAN SOL” coins. The pose is distinctive because most of these coins have Sol’s right leg straight and left leg bent, like in the Sol coin from Aquileia on the far left. I don’t know what would make a die engraver opt for the Heisman pose—some kind of mint control effort, or just a bored die engraver wanting to do something different? On a related note, I’ve often found the directional descriptions of these coins to be confusing. It’s common to see this: “Sol facing left, holding globe in left hand with right outstreched…” or some variation. With the respect to the hand position, Right and Left, then, must refer to Sol’s right and left. But the facing direction seems to be described from the perspective of the coin viewer, not Sol. If Sol could talk, he’d say he was turning his head to the right. Right? Confusing. So post your “Sol for the Heisman” coins, or garden variety Sols, or maybe just comment on the red bit above to confirm that I’ve accurately summarized the conventional (and confusing) numismatic reverse description.
Here's a garden variety Sol from Constantine. Uncleaned hoard coin so difficult to attribute. So far my only Sol from him. Man, I need to upgrade from this coin. It's not a slug, but almost.
That IS slug-ly. But I have still learned a lot from “uncleaned” slugs. The nice thing about those Sol coins is that, unless you’re looking for some scarce version, even VF or EF examples can still be had in the neighborhood of $25. Rarely do they top $50 even in really nice shape
I too would prefer having body, body parts, and things bodies are holding all referenced to the person/animal/deity's perspective. Changing this custom now would just lead to more confusion so I guess we're stuck with the mixture. Nice Heisman Sol!
This is typical for RIC, and is consistent with their descriptions of other figures and deities. Sol's right hand is always his right hand regardless of how he is facing or who is looking at him. Facing refers to the side of the coin. True, but the converse is by no means rare. It depends on the mint. Sometimes RIC points out the difference and assigns the different attitudes different catalog numbers, sometimes it just lumps them all together. RIC v.6, Treveri, #865-876 are described as "Sol, stg. l (or facing, head l.) . . . " with a footnote that says: "The difference is not such as to constitute a separate variety, and is indeed sometimes very dificult to detect." But RIC v.7, Treir, [Treveri and Treir are the same mint. Treveri is the Latin], #39-42 are listed as "Sol rad., stg. l. . . . " while 43-47 are described as "As no. 39 but stg. r., looking l. . . . " Go figure. FYI, there's even one from Ticinum where Sol is facing forward, which I think is kind of cool: Ticinum mint, A.D. 312-313 RIC 133 Obv: CONSTANTINVS P F AVG Rev: SOLI INVI-C-TO COMITI - Sol, head facing forward, holding globe in left hand, raising right ST in exergue 20 mm, 3.8 g.
Yeah, Victor has a nice one in his stock. Maybe if it's still around on my birthday I might make a run at it. A very cool--and rare--variation. Thanks for comments on the RIC descriptions.
Sharing what I have found: Constantine the Great bronzes having a reverse with Sol holding a globus were minted in nine cities in Italia, Gaul, Britannia, and Pannonia: Aquileia, Arles/Arelate, London/Londinium, Lyons/Lugdunum, Ostia, Rome, Siscia, Ticinum, and Trier/Treveri. This coin type was minted by Constantine for about eight years, between 310 and 318 AD. During the Constantine period it has been estimated that 1,000's of dies must have been needed for all the bronze issues. The interesting thing is that Roman coins were pretty standard and an emperor's portrait was pretty uniform so it is hard to figure out how they could make dies so standardized if many craftsmen were producing them individually. One theory is casting dies in order to replicate them exactly. Or the portraits could have been cut by the craftsmen and then replicated by others. However, researchers really have no conclusive evidence of this for the Roman period. The diameter of these Constantine the Great Sol/Globus is typically between 18 and 24 millimeters at their widest with relatively round coins, and the weight typically is between 2.4 and 4.8 grams, though fully intact pieces can be lighter than 1.8 grams or heavier than 6.2 grams. The C - S symbols across the field on the reverse were only struck on coins minted in Rome in the years 315 - 316 AD, therefore the letter R should be in exergue followed by the officina number, which could be a T
Some London mint Soli Invicto Comiti: RIC VII, London, Constantine, No. 8 Reduced weight follis - 312 to 314 O: Constantine I laureate and cuirassed bust right - IMP CONSTANTINVS P AVG R: Sol with radiate crown, holding globe (lh) - chlamys over left shoulder - SOLI INVICTO COMITI - PLN (exergue) S (l) F (r) RIC VII, London, Constantine, No. 10 Reduced weight follis - 312 to 314 O: Constantine I laureate and cuirassed bust left - IMP CONSTANTINVS AVG R: Sol with radiate crown, holding globe (lh) - chlamys over left shoulder - SOLI INVICTO COMITI - PLN (exergue) S (l) F (r) RIC VII, London, Constantine, No. 11 Reduced weight follis - 312 to 314 O: Constantine I helmeted bust left with spear and shield - IMP CONSTANTINVS AVG R: Sol with radiate crown, holding globe (lh) - chlamys over left shoulder - SOLI INVICTO COMITI - PLN (exergue) S (l) F (r) RIC VII, London, Constantine, No. 27 Reduced weight follis - 314 to 315 O: Constantine I laureate and cuirassed bust right - IMP CONSTANTINVS AVG R: Sol with radiate crown, holding globe (lh) - chlamys over left shoulder - SOLI INVICTO COMITI - MLL (exergue) S (l) F (r) RIC VII, London, Constantine, No. 28 Reduced weight follis - 314 to 315 O: Constantine I laureate and cuirassed bust right - IMP CONSTANTINVS AG R: Sol with radiate crown, holding globe (lh) - chlamys over left shoulder - SOLI INVICTO COMITI - MLL (exergue) S (l) F (r) RIC VII, London, Constantine, No. 43 Reduced weight follis - 315 O: Constantine I laureate and cuirassed bust right - IMP CONSTANTINVS AVG R: Sol with radiate crown, holding globe (lh) - chlamys over left shoulder - SOLI INVICTO COMITI - MLN (exergue) S (l) F (r) RIC VII, London, Constantine, No. 76 Reduced weight follis - 316 O: Constantine I laureate and cuirassed bust right - CONSTANTINVS P AVG R: Sol with radiate crown, holding globe (lh) - chlamys over left shoulder - SOLI INVICTO COMITI - MSL (exergue) S (l) P (r) RIC VII, London, Crispus, No. 122 Reduced weight follis - 318 O: Crispus laureate and cuirassed bust right - CRISPVS NOB CAES R: Sol with radiate crown, holding globe (lh) - chlamys over left shoulder - SOLI INVICTO COMITI - PLN (exergue) S * (l) F (r) RIC VII, London, Constantine II, No. 145 Reduced weight follis - 318 O: Constantine II laureate and cuirassed bust right - FL CL CONSTANTINVS IVN NC R: Sol with radiate crown, holding globe (lh) - chlamys over left shoulder - SOLI INVICTO COMITI - PLN (exergue) u (l)
Thanks for these recent replies folks. That’s a lot of good information in one place, @cmezner. I am just a Lyon and Ostia issue away from mint set. Both are available, I just have to pace myself budget wise and I’ve spent all my money for the month. I will start working on variants and scarcities after that. @jamesicus I love those London issues. That spiky “Indian chief“ crown is pretty distinctive. @gogili1977 has some serious Heisman candidates there. Especially the last one. Pretty extreme posture. Interesting. I think Sol has a good chance for the Heisman this year. He is, after all, Invictus.
Nothing special but there has not been an Arles issue posted yet. Shame about the deposits on the Reverse but check those thighs out, running back material ? RIC VII - 102, ARLr, MF in fields. Weight 4.25g.
Love the coins everyone! Here's my humble addition: Constantine I, AD 306-337 Æ follis, 22mm, 2.9g, 12h; Rome mint, AD 314-315. Obv.: IMP CONSTANTINVS P F AVG, laureate, draped and cuirassed bust right. Rev.: SOLI INV-I-CTO COMITI, Sol standing half left, radiate, nude but for chlamys over shoulders and left arm, raising right hand commanding the sun to rise, globe in left hand, R over X on left, F on right In Ex.: RS
I have no Heisman Sol but do have this Fabio-esque facing Sol backed by a Sewer Goddess shrine . Moneyer issues of Imperatorial Rome L. Mussidius Longus, 42 BCE AR denarius, 18 mm, 3.8 gm. Rome mint. Obv: Radiate and draped bust of Sol facing Rev: Shrine of Venus Cloacina: Circular platform surmounted by two statues of the goddess, each resting right hand on cippus, the platform inscribed CLOAC and ornamented with trellis-pattern balustrade, flight of steps and portico on left; L • MVSSIDIVS • LONGVS around above. Ref: Crawford 494/43b; CRI 189a; Sydenham 1094a; Kestner 3758-9 var. (CLOACIN); BMCRR Rome 4252-4; Mussidia 7a. https://www.cointalk.com/threads/ancients-a-deity-worthy-of-respect.251682/
