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Wreath With VOTIS Legend Inside

These coins almost always have a laurel wreath on the reverse with a legend inside. This is usually something like VOT V MVLT X or VOT X MVLT XX. The wreath types are very common and, like the altar with inscription types, were issued on the occasion of the emperor paying his vows every fifth anniversary of the beginning of his reign. The vows were a money sacrifice paid to the gods (later the Catholic Church) in thanks for the last five years and to ensure that the emperor would have a good reign during the next five years.

This is an excellent series for the Roman coin collector all by itself. With prices from dealers starting at as little as three dollars and many different combinations of reverse legend and emperor, collecting the wreath reverse type is easy in the beginning because so many different variations can be found. Such a collection would become more challenging to complete after the easier types have been obtained. In addition, nobody really knows which varieties are the real rarities, as hoards of these are being found all the time in the Middle East, Britain, Turkey, and North Africa. The collector who specializes in these will eventually need to obtain some of the standard reference works, including the British Museum Catalogue, Carson, Hill, and Kent, and the volumes of the Roman Imperial Coinage covering the sons of Constantine and all the later emperors.

Virtual Galleries
Wreath With Votis Reverse Legend Types, Constantine II to Arcadius


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Identifying Common Fourth Century Roman Bronze Coins
Reading the Emperor's Name and Titles
A Picture Gallery of Fourth Century Reverse Types
Camp Gate
Altar Inscribed VOTIS XX
Two Soldiers Standing With Two Standards
Two Soldiers Holding One Standard
Wreath With Legend Inside
Soldier Spearing a Fallen Horseman
VRBS ROMA Commemorative - Mother Wolf Suckling Twins Romulus and Remus
CONSTANTINOPOLIS Commemorative - Victory Standing on Prow of Ship
Two Victories Each Holding a Small Wreath
Two Victories Each Holding a Large Wreath on Centenionals of Decentius
Emperor Holding Labarum or Standard and Dragging Captive
Emperor Raising Kneeling Captive
Victory Advancing Left
A Key to Fourth Century Inscriptions
Some Scarcer Late Fourth Century and early Fifth Century Types

All New! More image galleries of late Roman bronze types.

Camp Gate
Altar with Votis, Victories with Wreath
FEL TEMP REPARATIO, Soldier Spearing Fallen Horseman
More FEL TEMP, including Barbarian and Hut tupes
Victory Advancing Left Holding Wreath
Emperor Holding Labarum and Dragging Captive