Virtvs
Exercit / Vot Xx
This type – ‘Two captives
std. beneath vexillum inscribed VOT/X or VOT/XX’ was minted for Constantine and
Licinius augusti and Crispus, Constantine II and Licinius II caesares.
The augusti celebrated their 20th vows (VOT XX) and the caesares
their 10th (VOT X). The type for the caesares was only
minted in Aquileia and Siscia. Imitations of this type occur in the Danube
region, using Siscia protoypes. Many ‘hybrids’ exist, pairing VOT X of the augusti
with a portrait of a caesar and vice versa. This is another indication
that ‘barbarous’ mints didn’t reproduce one particular prototype, but combined
several obverse and reverse designs as they saw fit.
Crispus and Constantine II
L: 2.64g/17.5mm; R:
2.89g/18mm
These coins have a Siscia
mintmark which unmistakenly identifies the origin of the prototype(s). The
obverse legend of the coin on the left hand side has NOB CAES readable, while
the number of preceding letters suggests CRISPVS was meant. The reverse,
however, has VOT/XX on the vexillum. This number was, as mentioned above, only
minted for Constantine and Licinius, celebrating their 20th vows. An
emission of Siscia of 320 has S/F in fields and a SIS* mintmark, which are
rendered very well on this coin. The coin on the right has a portrait of
Constantine II caesar. The beginning of his name is clearly
identifyable. His father, Constantine the Great, only has a helmeted bust. On
the reverse of the coin the letters S/E appear, in stead of the prototype’s
S/F.
Licinius I
2.31g/18mm
The coin above is rare,
partly because the original is also rare. It features the bust of Licinius and
has the 320 prototype with S/F in fields. The bust is identifyable as Licinius
because the portrait has a beard and Licinius was the only one at the time who
was portrayed with a beard. However, the vexillum has VOT X, the 10th
vows, of the caesares. This means this is another ‘hybrid’ imitation.