IMP XXXXII COS XVII P P (type III / II, B, 2 dots on reverse) (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.

IMPXXXXII COS – XVIIP P

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.

One coin sold on 10 March 2009 by Gorny & Mosch Giessener Münzhandlung, Auction 176, lot 2653, link to the sale: https://www.acsearch.info/search.html?id=589533. I noted the weight of this sale; this coin has already been sold on 25 May 2008 by Ira & Larry Goldberg Coins & Collectibles, Auction 47, lot 1301, link to the sale: https://www.acsearch.info/search.html?id=476702. This past sale listed a weight of 4.41 grams.

Variant without a dot on the obverse and two dots on the reverse located after the P of IMP and XVII. COMOB mark. Reverse of type III (legend with dots) and design of type II, shield of type B (almost large enough to be type A). 

The ranking follows the positional order of the dots on the reverse (before the first or second... abbreviation or date), This is the reason why this coin, bearing the officina letter Delta, is classified first ahead of coins without officina letters, which are themselves grouped among other coins with officina letters. This AYC #39 is therefore the starting reference which will then give the ''var'' and ''a, b..'' of the other coins, for which the dots will be positioned later in the legend. Each difference in the position of the dots is classified as "var" if the same "var" exists with two different officina letters, So the first one will be classified as "var" and the second coin as "var, a" with the small "a" indicating the next officina letter. Thus we have, for example, the AYC #39 var with the officina  and the AYC #39 var, a with the officina S, the two numbers having exactly the same dots positions in the legend.

The coin appears to have come from a mount, and the number of dots on the reverse can only be estimated; this is due to the significant wear caused by the mount, compounded by the fact that the dots are often too small to be clearly distinguished. The dot between the letters P and P is most likely a spot or a micro-wear, especially given that it is right up against the last P, whereas the genuine unmistakable dots found on all the coins... (from 1 to 7 dots) are very often well-positioned between the letters.

On many coins (regardless of the number of dots), there is a sort of dark dot located between the two Ps or after the last one (like on this coin referenced here). If one of the dots is unmistakably present after one of the Ps, the other letter often shows another dark dot. Is it a case of a clogged die revealing a tiny remnant that looks like a sort of smudge due to the lighting in the photo? This also applies to other spots in front of other letters (though this is less common). It could just as well be a matter of micro-cracks in the die like those seen on the obverse but the location of these small details on the reverse is peculiar, as they are situated between the letters.

Type III: with the mark CONOB or COMOB (CONOB here). Legend punctuation on the reverse. This corresponds to type II of RIC X. Variant A and B are the same as RIC X: A = large, B = smaller, rounder shield. This type blends characteristics of types I and II in terms of design and the position of the legend relative to the shield: Constantinople large or small, helmet flat or not, drapery tight or not natural, legend ending before or at the level of the shield. The likely reuse of old reverse dies (there are already links between obverse dies and coins without reverse dots) consequently mixes the first two types. This mixing of the two types may also demonstrate the high probability that this series with dots on reverse is the last. For each Type III coin, I add the reverse design type after ''/'', thus giving either: ''III / I'' or ''III / II'', designating a Type III reverse with a Type I or II design followed by shield type A or B.