Constantine I, 307/310-337. Follis (Silvered bronze, 22 mm, 4.00 g, 6 h), Londinium, circa 311. CONSTANTINVS P F AVG Laureate, draped and cuirassed bust of Constantine I to left, seen from behind, holding spear in his right hand and shield, decorated with an aegis with central gorgoneion, in his left. Rev. MARTI CONSERVATORI Helmeted and cuirassed bust of Mars to right. Cloke & Toone -. RIC -. Unpublished and unique, and of great numismatic importance, a highly interesting issue. Thin flan crack and with some traces of corrosion and minor deposits, otherwise, very fine.



The discovery of this coin, with its extraordinary imperial bust, is remarkable - particularly for a mint such as Londinium, which has been studied so meticulously since the work of Cloke & Toone. It portrays the emperor with a spear and a shield adorned with an aegis bearing a central Gorgoneion, a design that harkens back to the Greek mythological Aigis - a goat-skin bearing the head of the Gorgon that protected the goddess Athena. In this way, the coin places Constantine not only under the protection of the helmeted Mars Conservator, depicted on the reverse, but - through his shield - also under that of Athena-Minerva.