IMP XXXXII COS XVII P P (type II, B) (441 / 450)

Bust of Theodosius II facing, cuirassed, wearing a helmet with crest and a pearl diadem. Holding a spear passing behind his head with the right hand and a decorated shield with a horseman slaying an enemy, with the left hand. 

Constantinople seated left on a throne, holding a spear with the left hand and a globe surmounted by a cross with the right hand. A shield behind the throne and a star in the field to the left.

Photo of a coin sold on 18 May 2022 by Classical Numismatic Group, Electronic Auction 516, lot 542, link to the sale: https://www.acsearch.info/search.html?id=9481750, link to their website: https://www.cngcoins.com/. 

Coin with the spearhead re-engraved; this retouching is not the first I have seen, so I am assigning it a specific number. This kind of detail clearly demonstrates the difficulties of engraving and the limited experience of engravers of this period. See here fo example: https://www.all-your-coins.com/en/archives-anciennes/romaines-imperiales/imp-xxxxii-cos-xvii-p-p-type-i-a-441450-1176.

I note here another coin sharing the same obverse die and classifiable under this number AYC #32 spear, RIC 285. Coin sold on 13 December 2010 by Numismatic Lanz München, Auction 150, lot 459, link to the sale: https://www.acsearch.info/search.html?id=910997, resold on 30 June 2011 by this same auction house, Auction 151, lot 930, link to the sale: https://www.acsearch.info/search.html?id=1040930, then resold again by this same auction house on 07 December 2015, Auction 161, lot 514, link to the sale: https://www.acsearch.info/search.html?id=2799928. 

As proof that this re-engraving of the spear is not an exception, I am adding this example with a different obverse die:

Photo of a coin sold on 03 June 2004 by Heritage Auctions, Auction 351, lot 12082, link to the sale: https://www.acsearch.info/search.html?id=177073, link to the sale and their website: https://coins.ha.com/itm/ancients/roman/ancients-theodosius-ii-ad-408-450-av-solidus-21-mm-450-g-constantinople-ad-441-450-diademed-hel/a/351-12082.s?type=acsearch351. A coin sharing the same obverse die was sold on 09 February 2019 by Marciniak (formerly Gabinet Numizmatyczny D. Marciniak), Auction 7, lot 2124, link to the sale: https://www.acsearch.info/search.html?id=5663174. See here where this coin is classified as an INP variant instead of an IMP: https://www.all-your-coins.com/en/archives-anciennes/romaines-imperiales/imp-xxxxii-cos-xvii-p-p-type-ii-b-441450-1206. These are therefore four different reverse dies of the same type, associated with two obverse dies sharing the same re-engraving characteristics of the spear.

These are therefore four different reverse dies of the same type, associated with two obverse dies sharing the same re-engraving characteristics of the spear.

Type II: with the mark CONOB or COMOB (COMOB here) and the reverse legend generally ending at the level of the shield. No legend punctuation on the reverse. A square, upright throne, the right knee is rounded, natural drapery, and a vertical scepter. This corresponds to Type I of RIC X. Variant B is the same as RIC X: a smaller, rounder shield.