Provenance: Ex CNG e-329, lot 564, “From the Fairfield Collection.”
Constans AE Silvered Maiorina (27mm, 6.24g, 6h). Thessalonica, 348-350 CE.
Scarce issue for Constans. Even more so at this size.
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Roman Provincial. EGYPT, Alexandria. Maximinus I. AD 235-238. Potin Tetradrachm (22.5mm, 13.81 g, 12h). Dated RY 3 (AD 236/237).
Obverse: ΑΥΤΟ ΜΑΞΙΜΙΝΟϹ ƐΥ Ϲ ϹƐΒ. Laureate, draped, and cuirassed bust right.
Reverse: Trophy; at base to left and right, bound captive; L Γ (date) across field.
References: RPC Online VI Temp. 10711 (24 Ex., 9 ill.); Köln 2576 var. (obv. legend); Dattari (Savio) 4613; K&G 65.51; Emmett 3301.3 (R3).
Pedigree: From the Rocky Mountain Collection of Alexandrian; CNG Feature MBS 79 (17 Sep 2008), Lot 742 (Hammer, $242); CNG e-Auction 484 (27 January 2021), Lot 610.
Published (Online): Coin Project ID 79000742 = This Coin.
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* Note: Victor Clark’s photo, 2020 (to be updated).
From The “BCE” Collection (Barbarians, Captives & Enemies on Roman Coins) and Ex Giovanni Dattari (1858-1923) Collection of Late Roman Bronze Coins. A captive, hands bound in back, depicted with usual “barbarian” features: wild beard, baggy trousers, shirtless, and pointed Eastern cap (of Phrygian or Parthian style).
Licinius II AE Reduced Follis or Nummus (3.6g, 20 mm, 6h). Antioch mint, 317 – 320 CE.
Obverse: D N VAL LICIN LICINIVS NOB C. Laureate and draped bust to left, holding mappa, globus and sceptre.
Reverse: IOVI CONSERVATORI CAESS / H (right) / SMANT (exergue). Jupiter standing left holding Victory on globe and sceptre, bound captive to left.
References: RIC (VII) 29; Sear RCV 15415.
Provenance: Ex-Giovanni Dattari (1858-1923) Collection of Late Roman Bronze Coins; CNG e-Auction 470 (17 June 2020), Lot 641 (part of); purchased from Victor’s Imperial Coins (Victor Clark, 6 February 2021).
Numis. Notes: Struck a bit weakly around the legends at 1-3h/4-6h. The captive is well rendered, with considerable care given to details of his appearance on this die.
Hist. Notes: Licinius II (b. 315) was no more than 4 years old when this coin was struck, so we must look to his father Licinius I to understand its context. Licinius spent much of his rule in conflict with Constantine, though they held a temporary truce at this moment. This coin probably celebrates Licinius’ triumphs in the East against the Sarmatians, sanctioned by Jupiter. He had successfully campaigned nearly a decade earlier against Sarmatia, and was attacking again at the time this series was struck.
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From The “BCE” Collection (“Barbarians, Captives & Enemies” on Roman Coins) — see the introductory page here, including selected examples, from Julius Caesar to Justinian.
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Roman Imperial. Constantius Gallus (351-354) AE Maiorina (4.44g, 22mm, 6h). Antioch mint, circa 351-354 CE.
Obverse: DN CONSTANTIVS NOB CAES. Bareheaded, draped, and cuirassed bust right. To left: Δ.
Reverse:FEL TEMP REPARATIO / AN- (exergue). Roman soldier with crested helmet to spearing fallen horseman (Germanic), reaching upward (FH3), bareheaded (hair braided in rear?), wearing loose tunic and trousers.
References: RIC VIII 139 (FH3). (Incorrectly cited as 181 by Peus & de Vries.)
Provenance: Ex-Dr. Busso Peus Nachf. e-Auction, Lot #599 (Frankfurt, 28 Jan 2020), from the de Vries Collection; purchased from Frank Taylor (Taylor’s Coin Service, Brisbane, 1982).
Video available of this coin in hand (2nd coin shown, along with two others) & additional photographs.
Numis. Notes: A scarcer variant with field mark on obverse only. Transitional issue between the earliest, heaviest Maiorinae (usually with a Γ fieldmark on the Rev. & often the Obv. as well), and the AE3 types which began in the middle of Gallus’ reign. Consequently, Gallus’ Fallen Horseman coins come in all sizes, like Constantius II (and unlike Constans, who only has large ones, and Julian II, who only has small ones).
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From The “BCE” Collection (“Barbarians, Captives & Enemies” on Roman Coins).
Roman Imperial. Constantius II (337-361) AE Maiorina (5.70g). Antioch mint, circa 350 AD.
Obverse: DN CONSTANTIVS PF AVG. Pearl-diademed, draped, and cuirassed bust right.
Reverse:FEL TEMP REPARATIO / Г (left) / ANЄ (exergue). Roman soldier with crested helmet to spearing fallen horseman & holding shield (long oval-shaped with squared edges, bead border and central hub). Sassanid (?) light cavalryman, bearded and wearing head & neck armor, still astride his horse, turns back to face the soldier, extending his arm in a defensive posture, his shield (plain & circular) on the ground to right.
References: RIC (VIII) 132.
Pedigree: Ex-Dr. Busso Peus Nachf. e-Auction 10, Lot 593 (Frankfurt 18 Jan 2020).
Video available of this coin in hand (3rd coin shown, along with two others) & additional photographs.
Notes: Despite the flan flaws & absent patina, an example with valuable detail and good artistic merit, particularly regarding the combat scene. (Interesting Obv. portrait artistry, the eye depicted by a single spiral.)
On many Roman Imperial coins, the captive or soldier’s armament, clothing, and beard are key to recognizing his tribe/ethnicity. On balance, they would seem to indicate a Sassanid warrior here, probably light cavalry (or another Eastern/Persian warrior, such as Parthian).
The light armor consists of baggy trousers, a loose-fitting tunic, and cap with neck covering. The helmet/cap may have a central ridge and may or may not be of a single piece with the neck armor (perhaps scale armor or leather/goatskin), which covers only the back and has a slit (i.e., two tails). (Perhaps this is the leather/scale covering meant to be worn under a heavy steel helmet that has fallen off in battle?)
The shield – small and circular, perhaps wicker, perhaps wooden, without decoration – also appears consistent with Sassanid light infantry and (presumably) cavalry. The tunic and trousers, though, are portrayed in baggy, loose-fitting style that are also typical of Roman depictions of Germanic & Gothic clothing. The beard, likewise, fits portrayals of both European and Asian “barbarian” peoples on Roman coins (e.g., Persian, Parthian, Sassanian, Gothic, Gallic, Germanic). The style of neck armor may be determinative.
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From The “BCE” Collection (Barbarians, Captives & Enemies on Roman Coins): A scene depicting Constantius, triumphant with a standard bearing Christian symbolism standing over two defeated and bound captives of distinctively Eastern/Persian appearance (Sassanid or Parthian).
Constantius II AE Maiorina (4.79g). Antioch mint, 348-350 AD.
Obverse: DN CONSTANTIVS PF AVG. Pearl-diademed, draped, and cuirassed bust left, holding globe in right hand.
Reverse: FEL TEMP REPARATIO / Star (left) / ANЄ (exergue). Constantius II in military garb standing left, spurning a captive with foot while holding standard, a cross decorating its banner, and resting hand on shield set on ground. To left, two bearded captives kneeling vis-à-vis, wearing Phrygian caps, hands bound behind their backs.
References: RIC (VIII) 125; LRBC 2614.
Pedigree: Ex-Dr. Busso Peus Nachf. e-Auction 10, Lot 592 (Frankfurt 18 Jan 2020)
Video available of this coin in hand (1st coin shown, along with two others) & additional photographs.
Numis. Notes: Alt. term: Labarum or Vexillum.
Hist. Notes: A remarkable scene, apparently portraying not only the conquest of the Empire over its Eastern enemies — typical of the FEL TEMP REPARATIO series as well as the previous century and a half of Roman Imperial coinage — but also the triumph of the newly-favored Christian religion over non-Roman, non-Christian Pagans. Constantine was famously the first Christian Roman Emperor, but the popularity and political supremacy of the new religion were not yet achieved. In the long history of European Imperial propaganda using Christianity to justify attacking foreigners and political enemies, this coin is surely among the first.
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Caracalla AR Denarius. Rome, 201 CE.
Obv: ANTONINVS PIVS AVG. Laureate and draped bust right.
Rev: PART MAX PONT TR P IIII. Two Parthian captives seated on either side at the foot of a trophy of arms and arms.
Ref: RIC IV 54b; BMCRE 262; RSC 175.
Provenance: Purchased from Rudi Smits (d. 2014; Antwerp, Belgium), RCA (Roman Coin Auctions/Nathan Hochrein), Auction 1 (9 June 2013).
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Roman Republican/Imperatorial. Julius Caesar (Dictator, 49-44 BCE). AR Denarius (3.70g, 20mm, 12h). Military mint moving with Caesar in Spain, 46-45 BCE.
Obv: Head of Venus to right, wearing stephane; Cupid behind shoulder
Rev: Trophy of Gallic arms, composed of helmet and cuirass, oval shield and two carnyxes. Two Gallic captives seated at base, to left, a female (Gallia) in posture of mourning, head resting in r. hand; to right, a bearded male (Vercingetorix) with hands bound behind him, looking l. CAESAR in exergue.
Reference: Crawford 468/1; CRI 58; RSC 13; Sydenham 1014.
Provenance: Ex-Tauler y Fau Substastas Auction 70, Lot 79 (Madrid, 24 Nov 2020), with export license from Spain.
Video of this coin is available here.
Numismatic Notes: The figures on the reverse of this coin are traditionally identified as the same as those portrayed on the obverses of the pair of Hostilius Saserna AR Denarii, c. 48 BCE, depicting Gallia (left) and Vercingetorix (right).
This coin became the archetype for Roman numismatic depictions of captives for the next 400 years (gallery of selected Barbarians, Captives, Enemies). The trophy with two captives beneath was used frequently in the 3rd century (e.g., by Septimius Severus and Caracalla) and became a popular type on 4th century small bronze coinage (see, e.g., the Constantine AE3s). Even those depicting a single captive borrowed from this imagery; e.g., Judaea (under Vespasian et al.), Armenia (L. Verus et al.), and Dacia (Trajan et al.), among others, were depicted as female personifications in the same attitude of dejection/posture of mourning.
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Justinian I “The Great” (527 – 565 CE) AE Follis (23.8g, 39mm, 6h). Struck in Constantinople, 1 Aug 540 – 31 Jul 541 (Regnal Year 14).
Obv: D N IVSTINIANVS P P AVI. Diademed, helmeted & cuirassed bust facing, holding globus cruciger in r. hand & shield over l. shoulder decorated w/ equestrian motif; in field to r., cross.
Rev: Large M, ANNO – X/II/II to either side. Cross above. A below. CON in exergue.
References: SB 163; DOC 39a.
Provenance: Ex-Ancient & Medieval Coins Canada Auction 2, Lot 274 (9 Nov 2019); Ex-“TheRed” Collection; Ex-FORVM Ancient Coins, with tag.
Video w/ numismatic & Historical writepul here
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