Walking Back In Time From 1600 To Antiquity By Decades (V2.0)

here's another FEL TEMP galley; but it is an unofficial issue from Freckenham Hoard of 1948





Constantius II
circa A.D. 348
21mm 5.0g
D N CONSTAN-TIVS P F AVG; pearl-diademed, draped & cuirassed bust right.
FEL TEMP REPARATIO; Emperor in military dress stg. l., holding phoenix on globe and standard with [Chi-Rho]; in stern sits Victory, steering ship.
In ex. SLG
cf. RIC VIII Lyons 69


RIC VIII mentions that this type might allude to a visit that Constans made to Britain. RIC gives the Konrad Kraft article "Die Taten der Kaiser Constans und Constantius II" as a reference. Though RIC usually gives the date of issue circa A.D. 348- 350, Kraft argues for an earlier issue probably around 344.

The reason that this issue seems to allude to a visit to Britain is because there are several ancient sources that reference this trip to Britain. The real significance, according to the sources, was that it was made in the winter...a very dangerous time to make this crossing. Libanius has more about the weather which I did not include. This probably happened A.D. 342- 343.


Firmicus Maternus, De errore profanum religionum On the Error of Pagan Religions Chapter 28:6


"You (Constans) have overthrown your enemies, enlarged the Empire, and, to add greater luster to your exploits, altering and scorning the fixed order of the seasons you have done in the winter what was never done before or will be again: you have trodden upon the swollen and raging waters of the Ocean. The wave of a sea already become almost unknown to us has trembled beneath your oars, and the Briton has quailed before the unexpected visage of the Emperor."



Libanius Oration LIX: Panegyric of Constantius and Constans

137 "It is not right to pass over in silence his voyage to the island of Britain, because many are ignorant about the island."

141 "If therefore after the island had rebelled, its inhabitants were holding an uprising, and the empire was being plundered, the news had arrived, and he had been seized with rage on hearing it and had thrown the die for the voyage, to report his act of daring would not have been to the credit of his resolve, but the crisis deriving from the rebels would have taken away the greater part of the glory."

Translation from From Constantine to Julian: Pagan and Byzantine Views A Source History.


Ammianus Marcellinus, Res Gestae Book XX.1

"But in Britain in the tenth consulship of Constantius and the third of Julian raids of the savage tribes of the Scots and the Picts, who had broken the peace that had been agreed upon, were laying waste the regions near the frontiers, so that fear seized the provincials, wearied as they were by a mass of past calamities. And Julian, who was passing the winter in Paris and was distracted amid many cares, was afraid to go to the aid of those across the sea, as Constans once did (as I have told)."

https://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thaye...ian/20*.html


The trip to Britain is even commemorated on a medallion (RIC VIII Rome 338), known from a single example with a reverse of BONONIA OCEANEN. The reverse legend is what the Romans called the city Boulogne-sur-Mer, often just called Boulogne; which was the place the expedition to Britain was launched from. There is even a law in the Theodosian Code issed by Constans from the city in January 343; which gives weight to A.D. 342- 343 for the date of the expedition, since there would be no other reason for Constans to be in Bononia Oceanen.

I can start things off today with this commemorative issue celebrating the transfer of the seat of the empire from Rome to Byzantium. This so-called Urbs Roma issue includes the she-wolf suckling Romulus and Remus on the rev and was minted between 330 and 335 AD:

unique example which copies a denarius of Trajan




Constantine I
circa A.D. 330
20mm 3.1g
CONSTANTI-NVS MAX AVG; Rosette-diademed head right, with slight drapery on left shoulder.
S P Q R OPTIMO PRINCIPI; Victory standing front, head to left, holding wreath in her right hand and palm frond in her left.
In ex. CONSA
RIC VII Constantinople -


The next two look familiar but they have different legends. After the death of Constantine on 22 May 337, there was an interregnum of some three months before his three sons were proclaimed Augusti on 9 Sept 337. It was during these three months that The Great Massacre occurred, when most of the other male members of Constantine's family and their supporters were killed. During this period all the mints continued producing the GLORIA EXERCITVS, but Rome issued some new types.

Burgess, R.W. THE SUMMER OF BLOOD. The "Great Massacre" of 337 and the Promotion of the Sons of Constantine.




Constantinopolis
A.D. 337
16mm 1.5g
CONSTANTINOPOLIS; laureate, helmeted, wearing imperial mantle, holding scepter.
VICTORIA AVG; Victory stg. on prow, holding wreath and palm frond.
in ex. R palm #1028;
RIC VIII Rome 42


The Constantinopolis coin is different from the normal type for two reasons-- because it has a reverse legend of VICTORIA AVG while the normal type is anepigraphic and it also depicts Victory with a wreath and palm branch instead of the regular sceptre and shield. I believe that the reverse legend coupled with the new attributes of Victory are meant to reassure the citizens of Rome- Constantine's son was victorious (the legend VICTORIA AVG and the wreath) but now the Empire is at peace (the palm branch)."








VRBS ROMA BEATA
A.D. 337
17mm 2.0g
Obv. VRBS ROMA BEATA; helmeted and mantled bust of Roma left.
Rev. She-wolf left with twins (Romulus and Remus); above, wreath between two stars.
In ex. branch R Q branch
RIC VIII Rome 55


adds BEATA to the normal VRBS ROMA legend

VRBS ROMA from Antioch...Not in RIC..."death" workshop





VRBS ROMA
A.D. 330- 333
Æ nummus 18mm 2.5g
VRBS-ROMA; Roma, helmeted, wearing imperial cloak.
Rev. She-wolf left with twins (Romulus and Remus); above, two stars.
In ex. SMANT delta epsilon
RIC VII Antioch 91


This coin is not in RIC for this combination of workshop letters. It has delta epsilon versus the normal theta for workshop 9. Sometimes delta epsilon was used for workshop 9, instead of theta, as some people at the time considered theta the symbol of death because it was the first letter of the Greek word for the personification of death- Thanatos (remember Thanos from Avengers)




Islamic fals overstruck on a Constantine I GLORIA EXERCITVS




Dependent Emirate. Conquest or Umayyad Emirate, A.D. 711- 756. Islamic Fals overstruck on Constantine I Æ Follis, Nicomedia mint (19mm, 2.4g,). Rosette-diademed, draped and cuirassed bust r. REV: Two soldiers flanking two standards; SMN#1028;. RIC VII 188. A.D. 330- 335



uniface Constantinopolis from Trier



Constantinopolis
A.D. 332- 333
18mm 2.5gm
Obv: uniface—striking error
Rev. Victory stg. on prow, holding long scepter in r. hand, and resting l. hand on shield.
in ex. TRP star
RIC VII Trier 548

Ex 1989 Nether Compton (Dorset) Hoard.



Constans as Junior GLORIA EXERCITVS from Heraclea



Constans
A.D. 333- 336
18mm 2.7g
CONSTANS IVN NOB C; laureate, draped and cuirassed bust right.
GLORIA EXERCITVS; Two soldiers helmeted, stg. facing one another, reversed spear in outer hands, inner hands on shields resting on the ground; between them two standards.
in ex. SMHB star
RIC VII Heraclea 139

This first issue for Constans from Heraclea mistakenly has IVN (Junior) in the obverse legend.

your coin is Constantius II





VRBS ROMA from Trier with decorated helmet




VRBS ROMA
A.D. 332- 333
17mm 2.5g
VRBS-ROMA; Roma, helmeted, wearing imperial cloak; helmet decorated with a palm branch (or feather) and a volute on the bowl.
Rev.- She-wolf left with twins (Romulus and Remus); above, two stars.
In ex. TR•S
RIC VII Trier 542


This appears to be the only known example of Roma with a decorated helmet for the entire series.



Constantine II GLORIA EXERCITVS from Cyzicus with spelling error




Constantine II
A.D. 332- 333
16x18mm 2.6gm
CONSTANTINS IVN NOB C; pearl-diademed, draped and cuirassed bust.
GLOR-IA EXERC-ITVS; Two soldiers helmeted, stg. facing one another, reversed spear in outer hands, inner hands on shields resting on the ground; between them two standards.
in ex. •SMKS
RIC VII Cyzicus 98

maybe a really good unofficial issue

spelling error on obverse-- CONSTANTINS

Wonderful examples!

Yes the 320s! Here is a Follis minted in Salonika Greece between 326 and 328 AD. It has a PROVIDENTIAE AUGG reverse and I have attributed it as RIC VII Thes 153 B:

Majestic coins @vic. They are all spectacular, but the one with Victory on the galley is simply stunning.