CRISPUS - Trier - Decorated shield - UNLISTED BUST Bust type absent from entire RIC - Amazing shield scene Start Price USD 0.99 Current Price USD 1,025.00 Time Left - Bid Count 6 Buy It Now Price - Reserve Price - Start Time Friday, July 18, 2008 End Time Monday, July 28, 2008 Location Stockholm, Sweden See more about 'CRISPUS - Trier - Decorated shield - UNLISTED BUST' Description An ancient Roman coin of Crispus as caesar, with elaborate scene on the shield AND a totally unlisted bust!!!This is one of the rarest coins ever sold from Trier showing an elaborate shield scene.2nd known specimen!This is an ancient Roman bronze coin of the ill-fated caesar CRISPUS (caesar 317-326 AD), son of Constantine I (the Great). In 326 AD Crispus was falsely accused by his step-mother Fausta of having attempted to rape her. Crispus was executed, and when the truth was discovered, so was Fausta.The coin is very well struck, with no flatly struck areas. The coin shows no wear at all, and I grade it as Unc. A slight loss of small detail on the head of Crispus is ascribed to corrosion rather than wear. It has a lovely, original, dark greenish gray patina with small copper highlights on a few protruding spots on the obverse. Size AE3 19.5mm, weight 3.11g.  Minted in Treveri (Trier) year 321/323 AD, officina S, RIC unlisted.This is Cr190 of Alten & Zschucke 2004 ("Die römische Münzserie BEATA TRANQUILLITAS in der Prägestätte Trier 321-323"; an amazing book of 148 pages only on this series! Over 650 different types, equal to RIC numbers - but only some of these are in RIC, are described and photographically illustrated, among them 48 different shield designs, of which this is S30.) Alten & Zschucke knew of a single specimen of this coin, from the Voetter collection in Vienna (Inv.-Nr. 83.270).This is the second known specimen and the only one not in a museum!SCENE ON SHIELD: This coin shows, in very high relief, a scene of four soldiers facing right, with five circular shields. Behind the soldiers are three standards.This is one of a group of 23 AE3 coins of Constantine the Great and family from Siscia, Trier, and London now being listed by me. All of these coins have an obverse bust with a shield showing various motives.Obverse: IVL CRISPVS NOB C. Bust type absent in RIC VII: may be termed I(11-new)left: Helmeted., cuir., Victory on globe in r. hand, spear across l., shoulder, shield on l. arm.Reverse: BEATA TRANQVILLITAS. Globe on altar inscribed VO/TIS/XX in three lines; above, three stars.Mintmark: STR crescentTreveri: This is the city Trier in Germany. Colonia Augusta Treverorum (Trier) became a Roman colony in 16 BCE, and the capital of the province Belgica. It was the frequent residence of a number of emperors. The city was the capital of the Gallic Empire under the emperors Tetricus I and II from 271 to 274 AD. By the mid 4th Century, the city was counted as one of the four capitals of the world, alongside Rome, Alexandria, and Constantinople. Today Trier is a charming city full of reminders of its Roman heritage.PROVENANCE: Ebay Germany 2006.GUARANTEE: Guaranteed authentic as described. If any of my coins is ever proven to be non-authentic I guarantee your money back, anytime in my lifetime.SHIPPING: S&h is US$ 4 anywhere for 1-2 coins. I am happy to combine shipping if notified by the buyer. For 3 or more coins the buyer will be charged actual postage.Coins are sent well protected in Jiffylite / Mail Lite. Insurance is expensive from Sweden and nothing I recommend, but I will insure coins on request, at cost. Registered mail is $12 extra (that's the actual fee in this high-cost country).PAYMENT: Payment is through PayPal or bank transfer, in US$, Euros or Swedish Kronor (SEK). I will send my IBAN and BIC on request. No cash, no checks, no money orders.ABOUT ME: I am a private collector and numismatist, not a dealer. I am now selling off coins that no longer fit in my collection in order to concentrate on the Mint of Rome under Constantine I. Most of the coins I sell were bought from dealers and auction houses during the last 30 years.Thanks for viewing my listingDeutsch wird gesprochen (aber vielleicht nicht so gut).Je parle français, pas bien, mais ça va. Place a Bid!