FEL TEMO REPARATIO "hut"

It has been a long time since CT has had a thread on FEL TEMP REPARATIO "hut" types. This one came today:


21 mm.
SMKB for Cyzicus
Solider, with spear reversed, leading smaller figure (barbarian?) from hut with a tree behind and above it.
RIC VIII Cyzicus 72 "348-350"
Sear V 18699.
Failmezger 410. Roman Bronze Coins: From Paganism to Christianity, 294-364 A.D. The book (with excellent illustrations by @dougsmit ) pictures 17 examples from 13 different mints.

Most of the mints have distinguishable trees. This tree has more leaves than most and looks somewhat like Failmezger's from Nicomedia and Antioch. It is not much like his (worn) Cyzicus example which three branches with not more than one leaf each.

Our member @Gavin Richardson has written an article on this "hut" type and its interpretation in light of Vergil.

Show us your FTR huts. Let's see if mints can be identified by their trees.

 

Log in or Sign up to hide this ad.

CONSTANS
AE2
OBVERSE: D N CONSTANS P F AVG - Diademed, draped and cuirassed bust left, holding globe
REVERSE: FEL TEMP REPARATIO, soldier dragging young barbarian from hut beneath tree of one branch with millet-like head with a multi-leaved stalk on each side, SMNA in ex.
Struck at Nicomedia 348-351 AD
3.8g, 20.5mm
Nicomedia RIC VIII 72


CONSTANS
AE2
OBVERSE: D N CONSTA-NS P F AVG, Pearl-diademed, draped, cuirassed bust left, globe in right hand
REVERSE: FEL TEMP REPA-RATIO,
Helmeted soldier, spear in left hand, advancing right, head left; with his right hand he leads a small bare-headed figure from a hut beneath a tree. The spear points downwards, between the soldier's legs. ANGamma in ex
Struck at Antioch 348-350 AD
3.5g, 21mm
RIC VIII 126

 

I love these coins, obviously. The photo shows my mint set; I need to upgrade my Arles and Nicomedia.

Your Cyzicus tree is interesting; all those leaves look more like Antioch. Maybe an Antiochene die engraver decided to take a Turkish vacation.

I'm more interested in what the smaller figure is holding. That's been a mystery for collectors of this coin; some say the figure is just holding his hand in front of his face. I have argued that he's holding a pedum, or hunting stick, that was an attribute of Phrygian shepherds and aligns him with Ascanius, and more generically marks him as a rustic figure.

Alas, the only person I think I've convinced with my reading is me. If anyone is having trouble sleeping, my article can be downloaded at Victor's site: http://www.constantinethegreatcoins.com/articles/Richardson_Barbarian_Hut.pdf

 

nice one V... i have one of these


Constantius II AE2 Follis. Aquileia mint. 337-361 AD

CONSTANT-IVS PF AVG, pearl diademed, draped, cuirassed bust
left, holding globe
FEL TEMP REPAR-ATIO, soldier holding spear, point upwards,
leading small figure from a hut beneath a tree with pod-like leaves.
Mintmark AQS dot. rated common
22 mm, 3.8 g
RIC VIII 102, S

 

Nice


here's most of my huts:

 

Gavin Richardson, Wow ! Impressive display. It looks like you & randygeki have "cornered the market" on this coin type .

 

The OP coin is atypical of the trees of Cyzicus. The branches vary in number but are normally pointed in shape. Here are my Cyzicus examples with varying numbers and sizes of pointed leaves.

Are you sure you want more huts by mint? I have a FEW.

 

Trier has two tree styles. Clusters of three branches each with round leaves or single branches with round leaves.

Clusters:-


Single:-

 

Alexandria typically has two tree types though with some variety. The more usual type is multiple single branches with single oval or round leaves on the end or more unusually branches with clusters.

Clusters:-


Singles:-




No leaves at all?

 

Some great coins here guys. I still don't have one of this type. I guess I'm really missing out.

 

PM me your address and I'll send you this one from my discard pile, gratis. Not a beauty, but a recognizable example.

 

Antioch is typically quite leafy with pointy leaves

 

PM sent! Thanks Gavin. That would be really cool.

 

Aquileia typically has three branches, each with a single, large, poiny leaf.

 

Arles typically have hree branches with a large pointy leaf, clusters of small leaves or single round leaves

Pointy

Round

 

I only have a couple...


RI Centeniolis Rome 348-350 CE FEL TEMP REPA-RATIO soldier advancing right, spear downward captive tree R star T RIC VIII 140



RI Constans 337-350 Æ Follis 22mm 3.9g Heraclea AD348-351 holding globe - FEL TEMP REPARATIO soldier spear leads figurefrom hut

 

That Heraclea seems to have a single branch with a tight cluster of leaves.

This one is more tree-like

and this one has three branches with tight clusters of leaves.

 

Rome seems to have three of perhaps four (one small vertical and three larger horizontal) each with small clusters of leaves

 

Thanks Martin. I, admittedly, know little of this series... your and @randygeki ’s past postings got me interested in having a couple for my collection.



I have not seen what I felt was a single leaf, or as you call a “tight cluster”. Does that mean anything? Is it unusual? Or just a variation? Lazy die cutter. I just did not know if there was any significance. I thought it was cool.

 

Looking through Bill Welch's collection it would appear that a single branch is not uncommon for Heraclea. That's something I wasn't aware of until now. The leaves on yours seem particularly tightly clustered.