Lot 4982

Description

Constans II, (A.D. 409/10-411), silver Siliqua (1.00 g), Arelate (Arles) mint, obv. around [D] N CONST[A NS P F AVG], pearl-diademed, draped, and cuirassed bust right, rev. VICTO[RI A AA]VCC, Roma seated left on cuirass, holding Victory on globe and reverted spear, (S.4262, RIC 1540, Ferrando 1711 (rev. only illustrated; same die); RSC 1a, CNG Auction Sale 94 [lot 1116, same dies]. Large fragment, parts missing, otherwise fine - very fine, toned, obverse double struck and extremely rare.

Kent noted a total of six examples of Arelate mint siliquas of Constans II - five with the rosette-and-laurel diadem (St. Petersburg, Trier, Vienna, Albuquerque 34 [23 April 1992], 199, and Tkalec [26 March 1991], 520) - and only one with the pearl-diadem (Paris). Ferrando, who did not distinguish the diadem varieties in his catalogue, also listed six examples - all of them in public collections - at least one of which is in Arles. To date, only one example of the pearl-diadem variety has appeared at auction that being the Kunker 193 (lot 1041) in 2011 and that coin again in CNG Auction Sale 94 (lot 1116) in September 2013. That coin is from the same dies as our coin.