Constantine's fur

Discussion in 'Ancient Coins' started by Tejas, Jan 15, 2020.

  1. Tejas

    Tejas Well-Known Member

    German collectors call coins of the type below affectionately "Trierer Pelzchen", which means something like "little fur from Trier". The name refers to an iconographic specialty of Constantinian folles from Trier (Germany), which was the only mint that depicted the emperor in a fur or pelt-brimmed cloak. Below are two particularly nice examples from my collection. Common as they are, these are real pieces of art.

    Screenshot 2020-01-15 at 22.37.13.png Screenshot 2020-01-15 at 22.42.13.png
     
    Last edited: Jan 15, 2020
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  3. Tejas

    Tejas Well-Known Member

    While the two coins above are common, the example below shows a rarer bust type, with Constantine II's hand raised for the swear the Vota oath. The coin is also from my collection.

    Screenshot 2020-01-15 at 22.49.51.png
     
  4. Valentinian

    Valentinian Well-Known Member

    Wow! That one certainly is rare and in great condition. That's a highly desirable piece.

    The first three above are of Constantine II. Here is one of Constantius II.

    Cs2PROVIDENTIAECAESSleft.jpg
    Constantius II as Caesar. Struck 327-8 according to RIC.
    18 mm. 3.60 grams.
    RIC VIII Trier 506
    Schulten 31st emission, plate 8.11.
     
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  5. Orielensis

    Orielensis Well-Known Member

    Especially your third coin is simply magnificent, @Tejas . Wow!

    Here is a much more pedestrian Constantine II example featuring the Trier fur coat:
    Rom – Constantinus II Junior, AE 3, Lagertor, Trier.png
    Constantine II, Roman Empire, AE3, 326AD, Trier. Obv: CONSTANTINVS IVN NOB C, bust of Constantine II, laureate, draped, cuirassed, l. Rev: PROVIDENTIAE CAESS, globe on altar inscribed VOT/IS/XX; camp gate with two turrets, star above; in exergue, STR crescent. 19mm, 3.01g. Ref: RIC VII Treveri 479.
     
  6. Ryro

    Ryro Trying to remove supporter status

    upload_2020-1-15_18-4-39.gif

    I've got a fancy lad Constantius II!
    7BAE810F-680E-4012-BE31-5B7C5B9D2EDA.png
    Constantius II
    As Caesar, AD 324-337. Æ Follis, Treveri (Trier) mint. Struck AD 326. Laureate, draped, and cuirassed bust left / Camp-gate with two turrets and no door; star above; PTR(pellet-within-crescent). RIC VII 480; LRBC 29. Ex Severus Alexander
     
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  7. PlanoSteve

    PlanoSteve Well-Known Member

    :happy::happy::happy: Awesome, looks like an 8 yr old Cub Scout taking the oath! :p;)
     
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  8. Gavin Richardson

    Gavin Richardson Well-Known Member

    Were any “Trierer Pelzchen” struck for Constantine the Great, or were they only for the sons of Constantine?
     
  9. curtislclay

    curtislclay Well-Known Member

    Raising r. hand in greeting, I would have thought, and apparently holding globe in l. hand.
     
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  10. Alegandron

    Alegandron "ΤΩΙ ΚΡΑΤΙΣΤΩΙ..." ΜΕΓΑΣ ΑΛΕΞΑΝΔΡΟΣ, June 323 BCE

    Not Trier, but mine is Siscia...

    [​IMG]
    RI Constantine I CE 306-337 Æ Follis 19mm 3.2g Siscia CE 326-7 AVG Laureate R - PROVIDENTIAE AVGG Camp gate 2 turrets no door star RIC 200
     
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  11. gsimonel

    gsimonel Well-Known Member

    Not sure he's wearing furs, but here's another interesting obverse from Trier:
    [​IMG]
    Constantine I
    Treveri (Trier) mint, A.D. 322-323
    RIC 369
    Obv: CONSTAN-TINVS AVG
    Rev: BEATA TRAN-QVILLITAS - Globe on altar inscribed VO/TIS/XX; 3 stars above
    [dot]PTR[dot] in exergue
    20 mm, 4.2 g.
     
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  12. TypeCoin971793

    TypeCoin971793 Just a random guy on the internet

    I love Trier coins. They represent some of the finest style of the period.

    C71E353B-19E9-4F96-B5EB-B6E8170F1F31.jpeg
     
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  13. Tejas

    Tejas Well-Known Member

    I don't think that the fur-brimmed cloak appears on coins for Constantine I. On this pseudo-Argenteus, however, Constantine I may be wearing a lion's skin with one paw hanging down his shoulder. The mint is Trier again, so that would fit.
    Screenshot 2020-01-16 at 19.36.12.png
     
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  14. Tejas

    Tejas Well-Known Member

    Yes, possibly he is just raising his hand in greeting. I thought since he seems to raise only two fingers and since it is a Vota-piece, the gesture may indicate the swearing of the oath, but again, I may be wrong.
     
  15. Gavin Richardson

    Gavin Richardson Well-Known Member

    Really interesting details, @Tejas. I love the coins of Trier too. My favorite recent coin is this BEATA issue. The oversized head and the tiny T-Rex hand make the portrait look like a modern carnival caricature. The first photo is the seller's; the second is my own. I like the seller's better, but I like all my coins to have a uniform blue background. This chocolate patina is hard to photograph.

    CONSTANTINE RIC VII Trier 369 ALT.jpg
    CONSTANTINE RIC VII Trier 369.JPG
     
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  16. Tejas

    Tejas Well-Known Member

    @Valentinian, this one is nice, with these big pelt-ball-decoration on the cloak.
     
    Last edited: Jan 16, 2020
  17. Tejas

    Tejas Well-Known Member

    Great to see all these nice coins of the Trier mint. It looks like a particularly accomplished celator was working in Trier at the time. Note the decorations on the helmet, cuirass and the shield on this coin. He managed to squeeze a whole battle scene on the tiny shield.
    Screenshot 2020-01-16 at 20.49.53.png
     
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  18. Gavin Richardson

    Gavin Richardson Well-Known Member

    That shield battle scene seems the forerunner of those "fallen warrior" helmet plates from Valsgarde and Sutton Hoo. plate_1_l.jpg
     
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  19. seth77

    seth77 Well-Known Member

    Trier does have a nice style, which other mints might have saved for precious metal minting.

    Constantine I billon "argenteus" (Marc Walter, Vcoins):

    3JkzGe9p2TgwE6XnDb8mN5Cc4AqsSj.jpg

    Constantine II AE follis with an interesting half-length bust holding spear and globe (Victor Clark, Vcoins):

    col1_html_m20e7d22a.jpg

    Constantine II AE follis with orbiculus on trabea, victory on globe and scepter (UK find, 2014):

    col3_html_57e50cf7.jpg
     
    Last edited: Jan 16, 2020
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  20. Gavin Richardson

    Gavin Richardson Well-Known Member

    Man, these interesting Trier details seem infinite. SISCIA TAKE NOTE! :happy:
     
  21. Orielensis

    Orielensis Well-Known Member

    Nice to see so many LRBs from Trier! What I like about the mint is that the high quality of portraiture seems astonishingly consistent. Even the most unspectacular and crappiest types often show a comparably high level of artistic skill:

    Rom – Constans, AE 3, Zwei Victorien, Trier.png
    Constans, Roman Empire, AE3, 347–348 AD, Trier mint. Obv: CONSTANS P F AVG; bust of Constans, rosette-diademed, draped, cuirassed, r. Rev: VICTORIAE DD AVGGQ NN; two Victories, winged, draped, standing front, facing each other, each holding wreath in r. hand and palm in l. hand; between them, star; in exergue, TRS. 15.5mm, 1.38g. Ref: RIC VIII Treveri 188. Ex Warren Esty.

    Compare that to, for example, Siscia. The difference is immediately visible:

    Rom – Constans, AE4, Victorien, Siscia.png
    Constans, Roman Empire, AE3/4, 347–348 AD, Siscia mint. Obv: CONSTANS P F AVG; bust of Constans, rosette-diademed, draped, cuirassed, r. Rev: VICTORIAE DD AVGGQ NN; two Victories, winged, draped, standing front, facing each other, each holding wreath in r. hand and palm in l. hand; in exergue, •ΓSIS•. 17mm, 1.35g. Ref: RIC VIII Siscia 185.
     
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