And yet another Fallen Horseman

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



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



Martin

 

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Fabulous detail and a Gallus to boot, well done.

 

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...

 

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

 

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

 

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).

 

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.

 

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

 

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)

 

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.

 

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 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

 

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...



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.

 

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).

 

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.

My fallen horseman..

 

Great coin John.

 

I'd buy it and that would get me more interested in ancients.

 

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)

 

Don't let 'em get ya down!

 

[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.

 

Somehow I just can't see you as a