While browsing for my coin of Constantius Gallus, I found first that it was struck in Alexandria and listed under RIC VIII- 77. It belongs to the Fallen Horseman series. The text by Wildwinds stressed the point that the headwear of the horseman is "unlisted". Please express your comments. Thanks..
If you hit "return" (or "enter") on your computer before attaching the images, moving the cursor below the end of your typed message, the pictures won't appear staggered and separate as is usually the case in your posts. It would make them easier to view. Also, I encourage you to get a camera and take better pictures (and crop/rotate them) so we can better enjoy your many coins-- and so we can better see the details you question.
I certainly echo TIF's suggestion for better, larger and (I'll add) joined pair photos. Your coin is not RIC 77 but 81 as I see it. To be more certain it would help to have a weight and diameter. I am disappointed in Wildwinds here since the coins shown as 77 and 81 are, IMO, both 77. This is my 81. It has no delta behind the portrait. My horseman does wear the pointed cap. Since RIC came out there has been a lot of interes in the attire and hair styles of the horsemen with many students identifying them with specific barbarian tribes. Dane is into that more deeply than I. My Constantius II RIC 78 shows the pointless hat or is it bare head??? Such things would be more clear on mint state coins.
The coin weighs 2.43 g. Diameter is 17 mm. I managed to crop the head of the Fallen Horseman a little bit. There seems to be a headwear of some kind on his head, it looks somewhat round and not a Phyrgian cap. BTW. I'll be posting another interesting Gallus on this same thread in a while. Here's the headwear first..
Here's another Gallus Which is originally very dark.The fallen horseman is holding out his hand and asking for mercy without any response from the ruthless soldier. In naked eye and a magnifier, I could detect the fingers of the FH. They almost touch the soldier's belly. There's a letter Gamma to left of reverse. I can also detect six letters before the word Constantius on obverse. The coin weighs 4.45 g. - 20 mm
dn fl cl constantivs nob caes Seriously, can't you make a larger image? I can't read the mintmark. The gamma tells it was a larger series weighing what this one weighs. Cropping to get rid of edges does not make what is left sharper. How are you making these images?
just a few seconds ago, I was going to type this before I read your reply brother DS. It seems the second coin is a centenionalis struck in Nicomedia. RIC VIII- 85. Would that be O.K. ? In case the matter is so important I might resort to my son's phone.
85 is possible but it depends on the location of a dot before, after on no dot at the mintmark. Mine is RIC 87 with dot before. Posting tiny, unclear photos helps nothing. Scanners and all cameras will produce larger images if set properly.
I must admit that I lack some computer skills. Still I'm going to learn fast how to use the basic tools of " Crop" and "Rotate" on my HP Deskjet 1510 series. BTW. It's by luck that I've just found this Gallus coin in my box. It weighs 2.8 g. and was also struck in Alexandria. The officina is Gamma, and it seems the headwear of the Fallen horseman is much clearer here. It's not Phyrgian or bare or other, It's what Wildwinds described as " Unlisted ". Please watch..
Unlisted is simply a recognition that RIC lists the type as having the pointed cap and this one does not. From the ones I see online, about half are like this. This last one is a nice sharp scan but it is so small. Does the scanner software allow changing the dpi resolution? Try scanning at 600, 1200 or higher and crop down to just the coin.
Thank you . Here are scans of both coins'reverses.I managed to raise the resolution, the contrast and the brightness. Still need to crop properly. I noticed in the new scans that the head of the horse in Gamma coin does not touch the ground like in Delta coin.
Very greatly improved now to the point that we might be able to help ID coins and enjoy seeing them. Yes, I do prefer images joined and rotated to match conventional definitions of 'up' but these are so much better. Thanks for the work you put into it.
