Every so often you get lucky and find a prisitine coin. Whenever I do, I consider it a compensation for the coins I buy that do not quite measure up to my expectations (or the seller's description!).

Here is a Licinius I follis in Mint condition, as struck, with all the original silvering:


LICINIUS I
Valerius Licinianus Licinius
Augustus: 308-324 AD
A689 (Askew)
Obverse: MAXIMIANVS NOB CAES
Reverse: GENIO POP ROM (S F - left & right in field) (PLN - in exergue)
(Genius of the Roman People with cornucopia in cradled in left arm - patera in right hand)

James

James that is a real beauty, I really like the clarity of it it looks like it was minted yesterday

Nice one. It's getting harder & more expensive to get coins in this condition.

^^ so true

I am not usually a Roman fan, but when they are nice like this, and London mint

I've always wondered what a ancient in MS looked like!
Beautiful coin!

Thank you, everyone, for your comments. Here is another nice coin -- not quite as good as the Licinius, but extremely fine for a Constantius I "Chlorus" as Caesar:



James

I have been admiring that one in your avatar

@jamesicus,,

This is a superb piece !!

Here's your det, it's RIC London nr 3,

Licinius I IMP LICINIVS PF AVG LC GENIO-POP ROM left modius loins draped pateria, cornucopiae PLN S F London RIC VII London 3 C3 313-314 Follis

Source was the Genio sheet (Excel XLS) at Dane's website, which is Catbikes - coinstuff.


Lex

I don't know which I like better - very tasty stuff!

Here is another favorite of mine:


MAXIMIANVS NOB CAES .................................................... GENIO POPVLI ROMANI
GALERIUS (Caius Galerius Valerius Maximianus)
RIC Volume VI - No. 15 - Class II, Cuirassed bust, c. AD 300 onward, with small head on tall neck


A great feature of collecting Tetrarch coins is that they are often available in extremely fine condition -- at very reasonable prices -- from dealers with well established reputations.

James

Isn't it funny how they all looked so much alike?

In general, Yes. Here is the (to me) impish Maximianus:


Maximianus (Herculius)
Marcus Aurelius Valerius Maximianus
Augustus of the western Empire: 286-305 AD
A612 (Askew)
DN MAXIMINIANO PF S AVG

James

In this era expecially the hair and the eyes are rendered in such a way as to make thme all look alike. Although on this piece there is a little more personal detail in the eyes. Do you just collect these from the tetrarchy onwards or do you have any pieces from just before? It would be cool to see the portrait progression from veristic to canonical as the Empire moved from a Latin to a Greek center.

Presently I specialize in Roman coins of the London Mint: 296-325 AD. However, over the (now many) years I have formed collections of coins from various periods of Roman Imperial history, particularly Julio-Claudian.

My major interest has always been the historical association of these coins, although I am also an avid student of Inscriptional letterforms (see the following thread on this subject).

James

Nice pieces!