And yet another Fallen Horseman

Discussion in 'Ancient Coins' started by maridvnvm, Aug 8, 2015.

  1. maridvnvm

    maridvnvm Well-Known Member

    I saw this one and couldn't walk past it. I just found the amount of detail very appealing.

    Constantius Gallus - AE3

    Obv:– DN CONSTANTIVS IVN NOB C, Bare, bust draped and cuirassed right
    Rev:– FEL TEMP REPARATIO, Soldier spearing fallen horseman, who is wearing Phrygian helmet, reading backwards
    Minted in Siscia (// GSIS), A.D. 351-355
    Reference:– RIC VIII Sisica 351

    [​IMG]

    Less appealing after I had some fun and photoshopped the reverse...

    [​IMG]

    Martin
     
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  3. Pishpash

    Pishpash Well-Known Member

    Fabulous detail and a Gallus to boot, well done.
     
  4. John Anthony

    John Anthony Ultracrepidarian

    It's a lovely coin. When it comes to FH's, sharp reverse detail and full legends are not common. I think your photoshop is quite festive - it would make a super avatar. Five FH's have seem to fallen into my collection this year, by mere happenstance. I wasn't hunting for them, but there they were...2 of CII, CG, JII, and a barb...

    fhallK.jpg
     
  5. Bing

    Bing Illegitimi non carborundum Supporter

    Excellent reverse detail for sure. Your photoshop makes the fallen horseman look like he's wearing his Christmas sweater.
     
  6. Ancientnoob

    Ancientnoob Money Changer

    OWW my eyes!!!! Nice details on the FH, Martin. You got a heck of a collection!
     
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  7. Mikey Zee

    Mikey Zee Delenda Est Carthago

    I LOVE all the detail on all those posted coins!!

    I grabbed a more modest and problem version of Martin's that I posted recently---I couldn't resist that reverse of a FH for just a few bucks...two of my Black and Mild cigars cost more LOL--(my ONLY vice:rolleyes:).

    DSCF0564.JPG DSCF0563.JPG
     
  8. Jwt708

    Jwt708 Well-Known Member

    I think I would have taken that one home too. I like the photoshop you did, helps illustrate the design. Sadly I have only one of the fallen horseman type and no photo to share, though it is a reverse type I want more of.
     
  9. Magnus Maximus

    Magnus Maximus Dulce et Decorum est....

    Wow! I would love to have that one in my collection.
    Cheers!
     
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  10. stevex6

    stevex6 Random Mayhem

    Congrats on buying yourself yet another fallen horseman ...

    I'm a bit embarrassed, for I never knew there was a Constantius Gallus (now atop of my need-to-get-one list)

    :oops:
     
  11. John Anthony

    John Anthony Ultracrepidarian

    In fact, it's the most common type for Gallus by a long shot. I know there are others - off the top of my head I can think of CONCORDIA MILITVM, emperor holding labarum - there are probably more. But man they're tough to find, and usually very crappy.
     
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  12. Bing

    Bing Illegitimi non carborundum Supporter

    I own two Constantius Gallus. One is so crappy I haven't even bother to re-image it. This is the best of mine and it too needs to be re-imaged:
    Constantius Gallus.jpg
    CONSTANTIUS GALLUS Centenionalis
    OBVERSE: D N FL CL CONSTANTIVS NOB CAES, Bare-headed, draped and cuirassed bust right
    REVERSE: FEL TEMP REPARATIO, Helmeted soldier to left, shield on left arm, spearing fallen horseman; shield on ground at right. Horseman turns to face soldier and raises right arm, dot SMKA in ex.
    Struck at Cyzicus 351-354 AD
    5.40 g, 23.9 mm
    RIC-VIII, 97
     
  13. John Anthony

    John Anthony Ultracrepidarian

    Something interesting since we got on the subject of Gallus - here is a lead seal with confronted busts of CII and CG. I know it's rough, but show me another one, anywhere. (Actually, there is one other known example, mentioned in the reference.) Sometimes we like to wonder how many hands our ancient coins passed through in commerce. In the case of this seal, we can legitimately wonder if it was actually used by one of the emperors...

    ccseal.jpg

    Roman lead imperial seal of Constantius II and Constantius Gallus AD 351-354
    Laureate bust of Constantius II to r., facing bare-headed bust of Constantius Gallus
    Cf. for parallel example Münzzentrum Rheinland 151 (21 April 2009), lot 875; 14mm, 2.29 gram. Very fine, rough.
     
  14. dougsmit

    dougsmit Member

    Perhaps we overlook the importance of Gallus in his day. Constantius II had no son to succeed him and carry on the house of Constantine. After everyone in the family who might be considered a threat had been killed, Rome was down to Gallus and the younger Julian to prevent a free for all to follow Constantius II. The number of Gallus coins suggests he was being promoted heavily as the savior of the future. He also made it unnecessary to start looking for a usurper to fill the slot when it opened. His failure was a major injury to Constantius II's gameplan.

    Steve hurts me by not knowing there were Gallus horsemen. Its not like we have posted dozens of them over the years including fistfulls on my FH page. Repeat after me: Falling Horsemen are not worth collecting especially the nice ones. Horses are not animals (although you might make a case that Gallus behaved like one).
     
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  15. Eng

    Eng Senior Eng

    Details are just awesome Martin, i like how you highlighted the fallen horseman, he looks like some peasant riding his donkey minding his own business and some big O'Roman stabs a spear into him. :eek:

    My fallen horseman..
    New Ancients 5 27 15 009_opt.jpg
     
  16. Bing

    Bing Illegitimi non carborundum Supporter

    Great coin John.
     
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  17. Collecting Nut

    Collecting Nut Borderline Hoarder

    I'd buy it and that would get me more interested in ancients.
     
    Mikey Zee likes this.
  18. stevex6

    stevex6 Random Mayhem

    Apparently you smug highbrows misunderstand the magnitude of my ignorance => I didn't even know that there was a dude named Constantius Gallus!! I thought it was merely another handle for Constantius II (kinda like Claudius Gothicus is another handle for Claudius II)

    ... whatev ...

    I'm merely gonna count today as another precious red-letter day when I learned something interesting (yup, it's another great day in Coin-Land for this lowbrow fella)

    :D
     
  19. Jwt708

    Jwt708 Well-Known Member

    Don't let 'em get ya down!;):D
     
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  20. dougsmit

    dougsmit Member

    [QUOTE="stevex6, post: 2210265, member: 44183"I thought it was merely another handle for Constantius II (kinda like Claudius Gothicus is another handle for Claudius II)
    [/QUOTE]
    I had not thought about it but we really have rather few emperors known by more than one name. We would be better off if we were consistent on all. Who have I missed?
    Octavian = Augustus
    Philip I = Philip the Arab
    Claudius II = Claudius Gothicus
    Maximinus II = Maximinus Daia
    Constantius I = Constantius Cholorus
    Constantine I = Constantine the Great
    Julian II = Julian the Apostate
    Romulus Augustus = Romulus Augustulus

    I did not include people we always call by a name not really theirs like Caligula who was Gaius Caesar. When we think of Gaius Caesar we mean the brother of Lucius Caesar not the emperor after Tiberius. Constantius Gallus never was an Augustus so never go a number. Sooo... Why do we have Valerian II and Licinius II? A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds. Do I think we all should memorize the emperor list like we do the alphabet? Well, Yes, it would probably be a good idea but I am known widely as unreasonable and have even been called a smug highbrow.
     
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  21. Bing

    Bing Illegitimi non carborundum Supporter

    Somehow I just can't see you as a
     
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