ROMAN COINS OF THE LONDON MINT: 296-325 AD
As cataloged in RIC, Volumes VI and VII

LONDON MINT COIN COMPOSITION, MINT MARKS & STYLE

Coin Composition

Only aes coins -- usually called folles (singular=follis) in modern numismatic texts -- composed of an alloy of copper (by far the largest constituent), tin, lead, silver (and with a silver surface wash) were produced by the London Mint. The size and weight of these coins steadily diminished throughout this period. Coins were initially approx. 28 mm in diameter (approx. 11 grams) gradually declining to approx. 20 mm diameter (approx. 3 grams) -- and less -- by the time the mint closed in 325. Similarly, the silver content declined from approx. 4% to approx. 1%.

Mint Marks

The primary Mint mark is engraved on the reverse of the coins in the exergue. The earliest coins (c. 297), a small and rare issue, are marked LON. Other early issues (300 - mid 307) do not have Mint marks [1]. The PLN Mint mark was introduced in the summer of 307 and continued until 314 when it was superceded by the M series marks, to be resumed again in 316 and continued in use until 321 (used concurrently with PLON in the last year of usage). The M series marks: MLL, MSL and MLN were used 314-316. The PLON mark was introduced in 320 and was used until the London Mint closure in 325. Commencing in mid 310, the primary exergue Mint marks are frequently accompanied by a variety of letters/symbols in the reverse field. All of these Mint marks are depicted on coin images throughout these Roman Coins of the London Mint pages.

Initial output in 296/297 - coins with LON exergual Mint marks

After the restoration of Britain to the Empire Constantius re-opened the London Mint -- now as an official facility with one officina (workshop). After the death of Constantius, this mint continued to operate under Constantine until its closure in 325. The initial issue folles c. 297, again issued in the names of Diocletian & Maximian Herculius as Augustus and Constantius & Galerius Maximian as Caesar, closely followed the design, size and weight of the "Unknown Continental Mint" coinage except they now bore a LON mint mark in the reverse exergue.

RIC Volume VI (Londinium), Group I, (i), No. 1-5, c. 297, 11.0-9.5 gm, 28/26 mm. Obverses in the style of the "Unknown Continental Mint" coinage with strong-jawed portraits.

IMP C DIOCLETIANVS PF AVG ......................... GENIO POPV -- LI ROMANI
DIOCLETIAN (RIC) - depicted on PLATE 1
RIC Volume VI (Londinium) No. 1a

actual size of coin

Obverse busts face right in this series. The Genius of the Roman People reverse with the legend GENIO POPVLI ROMANI is standard. Genius is depicted standing, head surmounted by modius [2], naked except for chlamys over left shoulder, holding patera in right hand and cradling cornucopia in left arm. Peripheral legends read clockwise on London Mint coins.

It is now generally accepted that these LON mint marked, and succeeding unmarked, folles were indeed produced in Britain by the London Mint.

Unmarked coinage of the London Mint

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RIC Volume VI (Londinium), Group I, (ii), Class II, (a), No. 6-16, c. 300 onward, 11.0-9.5 gm, 28/26 mm. "small head on a tall neck" obverse busts (reminiscent of some of the Carausius ~ Allectus coinage, the portaits un-charitably described as "ugly" by Sutherland).

FL VAL CONSTANTIUS NOB C ......................... GENIO POPV -- LI ROMANI
CONSTANTIUS (RIC)
RIC Volume VI (Londinium) No. 14a

actual size of coin

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RIC Volume VI (Londinium), Group I, (ii), Class II, (b), No. 17-22, c. 300 onward, 10.8-9.0 gm, 27/26 mm. Obverse busts with shorter necks and proportional heads.

IMP C MAXIMIANVS PF AVG .................................. GENIO POPV -- LI ROMANI
MAXIMIAN HERCULIUS (RIC)
RIC Volume VI (Londinium) No. 17 (tentative attribution).

actual size of coin

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RIC Volume VI (Londinium), Group I, (iii), Class III, No. 23-39, c. 303 onward, 10.8-9.0 gm, 27/26 mm. Large, spread, obverse busts.

MAXIMIANVS NOBIL C ......................... GENIO POPV -- LI ROMANI
GALERIUS MAXIMIAN (RIC)
RIC Volume VI (Londinium) No. 33

actual size of coin

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RIC Volume VI (Londinium), Group II, (i), No. 40-77, May 305-early 307, 11.0-9.0 gm, 28/26 mm. Well proportioned obverse busts.

SEVERVS NOBILISSIMVS CAES ......................... GENIO POPV -- LI ROMANI
SEVERUS (RIC)
RIC Volume VI (Londinium) No. 59a

actual size of coin

DN DIOCLETIANO FELICISSIMO SEN AVG .......... PROVIDENTIA DEORVM QVIES AVGG
DIOCLETIAN (RIC)
RIC Volume VI (Londinium) No. 77a

actual size of coin

Abdication coinage: 305 - wearing Imperial mantle, holding olive branch and mappa. Reverse depicts Providentia extending a hand to Quies (symbolizing tranquility & peaceful rest). This issue -- RIC no. 76 & no. 77 in the names of Diocletian & Maximian Herculius -- ends the "large folles" series of approx. 11.0-9.0 gm weight.

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RIC Volume VI (Londinium), Group II, (ii), No. 78-81, of reduced size, late 306-Summer 307, 8.5-6.0 gm, 25/23 mm. Well proportioned obverse busts.

FL VAL CONSTANTINVS NOB C ....................................... GENIO -- POP ROM
CONSTANTINE (RIC)
RIC Volume VI (Londinium) No. 79v

actual size of coin

End of unmarked coin series.

PLN exergual Mint mark - introduced in the Summer of 307

The Genius of the Roman People reverse now bears the contracted legend GENIO POP ROM due to smaller flan size. Genius is depicted as previously except now occasionally with head surmounted by a towered/turreted crown [3].

RIC Volume VI (Londinium), Group II, (iii), No. 82-100, initially 8.5-5.75 gm, 25/23 mm. The weight and size reduction continues through Group III, (i), (ii), (iii) & (iv), No. 101-242 and Group IV, No. 243-287.

DN MAXIMIANO PFS AVG ................................. GENIO -- POP ROM
MAXIMIAN HERCULIUS (RIC)
RIC Volume VI (Londinium) No. 85/90 (?)

actual size of coin

Numerous new reverse depictions now came into use including the one on the following follis struck by Constantine in memory of his father, Constantius.

DIVO CONSTANTINO PIO ......................... MEMORIA FELIX
CONSTANTINE (RIC)
RIC Volume VI (Londinium) No. 110

actual size of coin

.......... and typified by the following reverse symbolizing Constantine in Concord with the Army.

CONSTANTINVS PF AVG ......................... CONCOR -- D MILIT
CONSTANTINE (RIC) - depicted on PLATE 1
RIC Volume VI (Londinium) No. 195

actual size of coin

In 310 a variety of Mint symbols/letters appear in the reverse field as illustrated by the * in the right field of the following coin.

IMP LICINIVS PF AVG ................................... GENIO -- POP ROM
LICINIUS (RIC)
RIC Volume VI (Londinium) No. 209c

actual size of coin

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EXEMPLAR COINS CATALOGED IN RIC, VOLUME VII, LONDON (313-325)

PLN exergual Mint mark .......... continued: 313 to 314

The weight and size reductions continue throughout the coin issues catalogued in RIC Volume VII (London), No. 1-300, eventually declining to approx. 3.0 gm, 20 mm -- and less by the time the London Mint closed in 325. The mostly laureate and cuirassed obverse busts are naturally proportioned.

The variety of reverse depictions introduced in 307 and the Mint symbols/letters in the reverse field introduced in 310 are continued. The following coin depicts SOL - the sun god - the personal protector of Constantine, with S and F in the left and right fields respectively.

IMP CONSTANTINVS P AVG ......................... SOLI INVIC -- TO COMITI
CONSTANTINE I (RIC)
RIC Volume VII (London) No. 8

actual size of coin

MLL, MLN, MSL exergual Mint marks - used 314-316

IMP CONSTANTINVS AVG ......................... SOLI INVIC -- TO COMITI
CONSTANTINE I (RIC)
RIC Volume VII (London) No. 27

actual size of coin

MLL Mint mark issue

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IMP CONSTANTINVS AVG ....................................... SOLI INVIC -- TO COMITI
CONSTANTINE I (RIC)
RIC Volume VII (London) No. 43

actual size of coin

MLN Mint mark issue

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CONSTANTINVS P AVG ....................................... SOLI INVIC -- TO COMITI
CONSTANTINE I (RIC)
RIC Volume VII (London) No. 76

actual size of coin

MSL Mint mark issue

Reversion to PLN exergual Mint mark - re-introduced in 316 and used until circa 321

FL CL CONSTANTINVS IVN NC ....................................... SOLI INVIC -- TO COMITI
CONSTANTINE II (RIC)
RIC Volume VII (London) No. 145

actual size of coin

PLON exergual Mint mark - introduced c. 320 and used until the Mint closure in 325

CRISPVS NOBIL C ......................... BEAT TRA *** NQLITAS
CRISPUS (RIC)
RIC Volume VII (London) No. 275

actual size of coin

CONSTANTINVS IVN NOB C ....................................... CAESARVM NOSTRORVM
CONSTANTINE II (RIC)
RIC Volume VII (London) No. 292

actual size of coin

Footnotes (with return links to location in text)

[1] Many coins now attributed to RIC Volume VI (Lugdunum), Group I, (iv), Class I, are being re-assigned within the RIC VOLUME VI, LONDINIUM listing scheme by some authors/collectors in order to incorporate the proposed "Intermediate Group" coinage of Bastien. Of course, RIC itself can only be changed by the Publisher. Location in page [1]

[2] Genius of the Roman People depiction, head surmounted by modius:

This photograph of the reverse of a Claudius quadrans (RIC Vol. I No. 88) features a modius -- a container mounted on three legs used in ancient Rome to hold the standard measure of grain. It was sometimes depicted on the reverse of Imperial coins to symbolize the sure supply of corn and wheat -- the staff of life for the citizens of Rome. The depiction of the personification of the Genius of the Roman People (GENIO) as described in RIC features a modius surmounting the head. It is interesting to note that on page 37, RIC Vol. VI (General Introduction) Sutherland states that on the folles issued at Trier, Lyon and London, Genius is normally depicted wearing a modius which he appears to equate with a calathus -- the latinized form of the Greek kalathos -- by appending it in parentheses. I must say that, to me, many of the modius depictions on the Genius reverses of my London mint folles fit the "vase shaped flower basket" description of a calathus rather than the modius depicted on the Claudius quadrans. Of course, if one wishes to be pedantic (or very precise) the Latin definition of modius is a measure of dry weight (approx. one peck) usually applied to grain. Location in page [2]

[3] Genius of the Roman People depiction, head surmounted by a towered/turreted crown:

As far as I can determine, "Towered head" (turreted, Mural crown) Genius depictions are recorded in RIC Vol. VI (Londinium) only for GENIO POP ROM reverses as follows:

• Group II (ii) last unmarked series Nos. 78-80
• Group II (iii) PLN exergual mint mark Nos. 86-90
• Group III (ii) PLN exergual mint mark Nos. 117a - 117b
• Group III (iii) PLN exergual mint mark Nos. 129-131
• Group III (iv) PLN exergual mint mark Nos. 209a - 213
• Group IV PLN exergual mint mark No. 249

There are non recorded in RIC Vol. VII (London). In many instances, due to passage of time wear or weak strikes, I sometimes find it difficult to differentiate between "turreted" and "modius" head Genius reverses. Location in page [3]

References and Resources

• DIOCLETIAN AND THE TETRARCHY, Roger Rees, Edinburgh University Press Ltd, (2004).
• IN PRAISE OF LATER ROMAN EMPERORS (The Panegyrici Latini), Rodgers, Barbara Saylor & C. E. V. Nixon, University of California Press, (1995).
• THE ROMAN IMPERIAL COINAGE (RIC), Volume VI, Diocletian's reform (AD 294) to the death of Maximinus (AD 313), C. H. V. Sutherland, Spink & Son Ltd, London (1967 et al).
• THE ROMAN IMPERIAL COINAGE (RIC), Volume VII, Constantine and Licinius (AD 313-337), Patrick M. Bruun, Spink & Son Ltd, London (1967 et al).
• The London Mint 313-318 AD - A Preliminary Listing - Lee Toone's PDF updated listing of RIC Volume VII (London Mint) coins from this period (Volume VII was published in 1966 and since then much new material has come to light).
• Experimental Investigation of Silvering in Late Roman Coinage, C. Vlachou, J.G. McDonnell, and R.C. Janaway, University of Bradford, Material Research Society, (2007).
• Metallurgy of Constantinian "Bronzes" - reference page by Victor Clark.
• Ancient Greek & Roman coins - reference pages by Doug Smith.
• London Mint: AD 296-325 -- a compilation by Ken Elks that includes RIC references, production dates, weight ranges, mint marks, Augustus associations and a link to his page: Obverse & Reverse types and legends used at the London Mint AD 296-325.
• Constantine the Great coins.com - website of Victor Clark.

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