BACC #62 - L. Roscius Fabatus 59 BC Rome RRC 412/1 symbols: curule chair / table

BACC #63 - Probus 277-281 AD Serdica RIC 878 variant bust

BACC #64 - Constantius II 348-350 AD Thessalonica RIC 119

http://www.bonannocoins.com/l_papius/l_papius_db.php

http://www.bonannocoins.com/l_papius/l_papi_coins.php?type_id=163

This coin is listed in CNR as 1/30 and the symbols are listed as seste / compasso retto which I think translates into English as pair of compasses / straight compass. Dick Schaefer suggests these symbols represent calipers. I agree, certainly for the obverse and also for the reverse since a compass can be used as a caliper.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calipers

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compass_%28drafting%29

I am also in the process of going through CNR and posting a concordance between Crawford symbol numbers and CNR.

BACC #61 - Valerian I 255-256 AD Rome RIC 87

BACC #59 - Trebonianus Gallus 253 AD Antioch RIC 82

BACC #60 - Constans 348-350 AD Thessalonica RIC 116. Ex Failmezger Collection

When the press reports on ancient coins, I find it a bit humorous and also kind of sad that such articles often contain inaccuracies. A reporter - even one not knowledgeable about this topic - should be able to do better.

The first sentence states that "Roman pottery and a coin from the Iron Age have been found on the site of the aquatics center planned for the London 2012 Olympics. " Subsequently the coin is described as being of Constantine II from the 4th century.

All definitions of the Iron Age that I can find indicate that the 4th century is much later than the end of the Iron Age.

Then there's the description of the coin: "One side of the coin features a picture of two soldiers and two standards, and the other has inscriptions representing Constantine II, Caesar and Illissimus."

Illissimus ???

This is most likely a Gloria Exercitus coin similar to this one in my collection (BACC #19)

The inscription is CONSTANTINVS IVN NOB C

NOB is short for nobillissimus (Latin word for noble) which is probably the source of this article's final word: "Illissimus"

BACC #57 - L. Papius 79 BC RRC 384/1 symbols 78 (pentagram / set square) Rome

BACC #58 - Seleucus I Nicator 312-281 BC SC 21.2b. Antioch.

BACC #55 - Probus 277 AD RIC 53 Lyon.

BACC #56 - Probus 281 AD RIC 74 Lyon.

BACC #53 - Victorinus 269-270 AD RIC 117 Trier. Braithwell 154

BACC #54 - Probus 282 AD RIC 129 Lyon. Braithwell 141