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- Barbarians, Captives & Enemies on Roman Coins (to this coin)
- Coin-in-hand video available here. Better photos from Bertolami (Auction 37, 699 and e-Auction 92, 1554).
“The Gran Constantinople.” Roman Imperial. Constantius II (337 – 360) AE Maiorina (7.67g, 25mm, 12h). Constantinople mint, 348-351.
Obverse: D N CONSTANTIVS P F AVG. Pearl-diademed, draped and cuirassed bust, surrounded by border of dots.
Reverse: FEL TEMP REPARATIO // Γ to left // CONSE* in exergue. Soldier standing left, holding long oval shield and spearing fallen horseman; bearded horseman still astride his fallen horse, turning and reaching back with left arm (FH3), wearing short-brimmed Scythian helmet and ornate tunic and trousers. “Centering dot” between soldier and horse. All within border of dots.
Reference: RIC 82.
See also: NBD 61536 (this coin illustrated on Nummus Bible Database); this reverse illustrated on thumbnail / “cover” for “Felix Temporum Reparatio” video from Classical Numismatics (YouTube, 20 May 2023), but coin not in video.
Provenance: Ex-Bertolami Fine Arts Auction 37 (Rome, 19 September 2017), Lot 699 (corr.; print catalog, page 124) & Auction e-92 (London, 2 October 2020), Lot 1554.
Notes: Unusually large example, in terms of diameter (unusual to see virtually the entire “pearl-ring diameter” struck within the flan), but especially in terms of weight.
A few larger examples of “Fallen Horseman” issues have been noted. Of approximately 405 (?) “Large AE2” (probably “Pecuniae Maiorinae”) examples from the Münzkabinett at Vienna measured by Kent (RIC VIII, p.65-71), one weighed approx. 7.7g and one 8.2g. However, this number included not only “Fallen Horsemen,” but also an unknown number of examples from the often-heavier issues such as the “Emperor Holding two Standards” type.
A few heavier Fallen Horsemen have been reported in private trade: Roma Numismatics (Auction 13, Lot 939) sold an 8.1g Constantius Gallus. St. James (Auction 107, Lot 19, part) reported a Constantius II from Antioch weighing 8.45g. Additionally, an exceptionally large 9.5g example from Cyzicus was reported by Doug Smith, circa 1997.
Finally, at a monstrous weight of 10.61g (!), there is “The Constantius II Piefort,” published in 1997 in a Frank Kovacs sale catalog (Kovacs FPL 29, No. 69). Lest one suspect he mistyped, he specifically commented that the weight was extraordinary (“normal weight is 5.20g”) and joked that it was a “Billon centenionalis piefort!” (See also comments on BCE Collection page including my photos of the catalog.)
