Festival of Isis and related issues. Constantine II, as Caesar, 316-337. AE (Bronze, 14 mm, 1.53 g, 6 h), Rome, 317. CONSTANTINVS IVN NOB C Bare-headed and cuirassed bust of Constantine II to right. Rev. PRINCIPI I-V-VENTVTIS Constantine II standing front in military attire, head to right, holding spear in his right hand and globe in his left. Alföldi -. Ramskold, Festival (2016), Group 4.5, p. 220, 43 (this coin, Ø20/R18) and pl. 3, fig. 043. RIC -. Apparently unique. Minor traces of cleaning, otherwise, about extremely fine.


In his seminal 1937 study of the Festival of Isis tokens, Alföldi presented die links between the Egyptian types and three ’fractions’ with reverse legends 'PRINCIPI IVVENTVTIS', 'VICTORIA CAESS', and 'VOTA VICENNALIOR'. Ramskold (2016) detailed all die links in the imperial Festival of Isis tokens struck under Constantine and included the ’fractions' in the material. Some authors prefer to restrict the Festival of Isis tokens to the 'VOTA PVBLICA' types, but that approach limits our possibilities to understand the tokens. The ’fractions' were struck together with the 'VOTA PVBLICA' types, on flans of the same size, weight and metal, and there is no evidence that such 'fractions' were ever struck without the accompanying 'VOTA PVBLICA' types. During Constantine I's reign, most Festival of Isis emissions were struck for regnal anniversaries (the 10-, 15-, 20- and 25-year jubilees), but we still do not know the purpose of the 'VOTA PVBLICA' types, nor of the 'fractions'. However, even if they were used for different purposes, the fact that they were produced together means that they should be studied together.