Gold on Bronze , glass stone - 6.94g, 34.41 mm L x 20.22 mm W x 2.09 mm T

ID'd by museum as Medieval

'These are both folles (sing.- follis, plural-folles) dating from approximately 300-305 A.D. Both from the Mint at London which eschewed exergual mintmarks during this era.
The first is Maximian, the second, Constantius I - father-in-law and father of Constantine the Great respectively. These both have the GENIO POPVLI ROMANI reverse portraying the "Genius" (spirit, roughly) of the Roman People as an allegorical personification of a nude man, drapery over left arm, holding a patera (shallow, saucer-like libation-offering dish) and cornucopia.

Maximian's obverse legend is: IMP C MAXIMIANVS PF AVG. He is laureate and cuirassed.

Constantius' obverse legend is FL IVL CONSTANTIVS NOB C, noting that his status was less than Imperial at this time - he would briefely be emperor before dying of illness in Britain in 307. He is also laureate and cuirassed.

I would assign Maximian to RIC VI, London 17, and Constantius to 22 of the same series.

Both these coins originally had a silvery wash over the copper to indicate that they were to be considered part of the silver series. The Maximian is rated "Common", Constantius "Scarce" in RIC, but both are in exceptional condition (as I'm sure you're aware) particularly for field-finds in England. I would limit any cleaning to a bare minimum on these, exposing only the highlights of legend and devices, leaving the fields encrusted for contrast - "earthen highlights" - common for mideast finds, this would be brilliantly unusual for native, British coins.

Nice pair of finds, guys!!

Mark

1596 Henri IV Huitieme D'Ecu

Obv Henricvs III

1199AD King John short cross hammered silver penny- face side is mint

Coin after straightening

Rarer early first issue 1559-60 (0.916) fine Elizabeth 1st hammered silver shilling in mint condition - fantastic find by Boston Bud

Druid's Head on Obverse of 1788 Anglesey Token Parys Mines

Roman bronze 1.14 g – 14.03mm

'I must assume to be some sort of "barbarous radiate" (dating roughly to the period 260-275 A.D.), although the very high relief is atypical for ANY sort of Roman coin and calls Greek more to mind, what little design characteristics can easily be discerned are most definitley not "Greek". I wish I could get some sort of clue what is happening on the reverse of this one - is that some sort of horse & rider? Again, a highly atypical depiction for a barbarous radiate, but lord only knows WHAT folks must have been thinking when they designed some of these things'.

Mark Lehman

Roman bronze 1.71g – 18.06mm

'a reduced-module follis of Constantine I (307-337 A.D.) I can't make out the mint, but perhaps some cleaning in the exergual area would clear this up.

The reverse reads "BEATA TRANQVILLITAS" and shows an altar inscribed: VOT / IS / XX surmounted by a globe with three stars above. This series generally dates to the early 320's A.D. and is peculiar to the western European mints. A reading of the exergual mint mark might give us an ability to date it to a specific year - and would allow us to assign it to London, Trier, Lyon, etc.'

Mark Lehman

La Sza Vergine Dolorosa

'Way of the Cross '

Early Medieval hammered silver half penny