We have had a relatively active FTR horseman thread here recently and it gave me the incentive to process a couple of FTR Hut coins that I have had waiting to be processed since they arrived last month. The first coin is nothing of major note but is an unlisted diadem type for a Rome coin. I don't think it is anything particularly rare, which I will explain below. Constans Obv:- D N CONSTANS P F AVG, Laureate, rosette diademed, draped & cuirassed bust left holding globe, Rev:- FEL TEMP REPARATIO, 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 down and to the left Minted in Rome; (//R*E), A.D. 348-350 Reference:– RIC VIII Rome - (RIC 140 is pearl diademed, this bust type known for Constantius II from previous issue without stars) 4.69 g. 21.72 mm. 180 degrees Which can be compared to the regular pearl diadem type here. Obv:- D N CONSTANS P F AVG, Pearl diademed, draped & cuirassed bust left holding globe, Rev:- FEL TEMP REPARATIO, 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 up and to the right Minted in Rome; (//R*S) Reference:– RIC VIII Rome 140 If you search for RIC VIII Rome 140 in search engines, catalogs etc. you will find that the examples cited seem to come with both diadem types but with roughly twice and many being plain diademed to lthe laureate type, leading me to the conclusion that it isn't necessarily rare but something that most dealers and auction houses don't really care about. My second hut is a straight forward upgrade. The huts of Constantius II tend to be scarcer than those of Constans. My new coin (first) has more eye appeal than my previous example (second) Constantius II Obv:– D N CONSTANTIVS P F AVG, Pearl diademed, draped & cuirassed bust right, holding globe in right hand Rev:– FEL TEMP REPARATIO, 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 up and to the right Minted in Arles (//PARL). Reference:- RIC VIII Arles 108 (R2) 3.75 g. 22.19 mm. 180 degrees
Cool coins and fun thread idea. When starting on my ancient coin collecting journey I never came across the hut type in the uncleanned lots I used to buy. So my first of this type was just a couple months ago from @Curtisimo! I really like constans concentration right before walking to the line and letting the bowling ball glide down the lane. And of course who doesn't love the reverse where the manager is getting the lazy pos kid he hired to set pins out of the arcade hut? So, I found myself drawn to the type and picked up this snack a few auctions ago:
Some great coins, Marin. I've always preferred these over FH, not sure why. Owned many, but parted with several during a purge to pay for home repairs the past few years. Only kept 1, one of my favorite coins. Constans (337 - 350 A.D.) Æ3 O: D N CONSTANS P F AVG, pearl-diademed draped bust left holding globe. R: FEL TEMP REPARATIO, soldier walking right, spear downwards, leading captive from hut under a tree. Mintmark R star Q. Rome Mint, officina 4; 348-350 AD 4.08g 23mm RIC VIII Rome 140; LRBC 601 Published on Wildwinds
This series always interested me. I have heard various thoughts on the message. Very nice, @maridvnvm . It just astounds me the diversity and detail that the various coins have. Thanks for the education. It was your postings of the Huts, the Fallen Horsemen, etc. from your posts several years ago that got me to capture some examples of my own. Here is one of mine. Constans, AD 337-350 Æ Follis, 22mm, 3.9g, 6h; Heraclea, AD 348-351. Obv.: D N CONSTANS P F AVG; Diademed, draped and cuirassed bust left, holding globe. Rev.: FEL TEMP REPARATIO; 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 downward, beneath the soldier’s legs // SMHA Reference: RIC VIII 71, p.435 Comments: These hut types were minted during the same period as the Falling Horseman. The emperor leading a child from the woods is thought to symbolize the Roman Empire leading barbarians out of darkness into civilization. This is nicely-detailed example of the type from the Heraclea mint. From the Collection of Doug Smith #643 Ex: @John Anthony
Here is a Constantius II Hut Type. I can't clean it because the detail will come off with any attempt.
Here are a few more Rime mint examples to kick the thread along.... This Constantius II comes from the same issue as my OP coins... Obv:- D N CONSTANS P F AVG, Pearl diademed, draped & cuirassed bust left holding globe, Rev:- FEL TEMP REPARATIO, 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 up and to the right Minted in Rome; (//R*S) Reference:– RIC VIII Rome 139 (R) Weight 3.58g. 24.54mm. 180 degrees. as does this one. It suffers from a lateral double strike that makes it look a mess on both sides but it is from an officina not listed in RIC This one comes from a later issue Obv:– D N CONSTANTIVS P F AVG, Pearl diademed, draped and cuirassed bust left, holding globe (N in right field) Rev:– FEL TEMP REPARATIO, 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 down and to the left Minted in Rome (_ | N //RP). Reference:– RIC VIII Rome 156 (R) This one is from the same issue as the previous coin but with a different diadem type Obv:– D N CONSTANTIVS P F AVG, Laureate, rosette diademed, draped and cuirassed bust left, holding globe (N in right field) Rev:– FEL TEMP REPARATIO, 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 down and to the left Minted in Rome (_ | N //RT). Reference:– RIC VIII Rome 157 (C) And finally these two Constans come from the same issue as the last two Obv:- D N CONSTANS P F AVG, Rosette diademed, draped & cuirassed bust left holding globe, N behind bust Rev:- FEL TEMP REPARATIO, 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 up and to the right Minted in Rome; (_ | N //RT), Reference:– RIC VIII Rome 159 (C) RE in exe
@maridvnvm I really like the flowing diadem ties on that RIC VIII Rome 157 (C). Here's one from every mint city. I probably need to upgrade a few. So many coins, so little time/money.
CONSTANS - Hut RI Æ Centenionalis Rome CONSTANS CE 348-350 soldier advancing leading captive from hut RIC VIII 140
A selection of Alexandrians.... Constans RIC VIII Alexandria 60 RIC VIII Alexandria 61 RIC VIII Alexandria 67 An odd one Constantius II RIC VIII Alexandria 59 RIC VIII Alexandria 66 var (Not listed for this officina in RIC)
I really don't care about what dealers and auction houses care about since they tend to only be interested in what most of their customers care about and that is more likely grade than small details of design. What does bother me is that this thread has survived a dozen posts and no one here seems to care about what I consider the single neatest thing about the coins and one discussed on CT more than once in the decade I have been here. That is the tree types. Each mint use a different type tree. Some used more than one and there are die variations that make it hard to pin down exactly what tree is being shown but it is obvious that the definition of 'tree' was left up to each mint. We have discussed here the Bruck book on low grade coins which includes drawings so you can ID the mint of these coins even if your examples have no legend. At one time I was close to having the 'set' of twenty mints (13 for Constans and seven for Constantius II) but started selling off my lesser specimens regardless of mint and stopped chasing things that only interested me because I did not have them. I don't know today have many of the Constans mints I still have. Gavin Richardson showed all 13 Constans coins. Some others have shown some of the Constantius seven. Below is what I still have of that group lacking Trier and Siscia. Bruck lists the 13 and 7 in a chart with numbers underneath counting specimens in the Vienna collection The lowest Constantius numbers are the two I do not have. Who has that pair? Arles Aquileia Rome Rome with N Thessalonika Alexandria
How about Antioch? Constans Three examples, all from the same issue, different officinae G, D and S. All with the typical Antioch tree style though the third lacks the leaves further down the trunk that is evident on the other two. There are also subtleties in the cloak. On coin 1 and coin 3 the cloak is draped over the left shoulder but on coin 2 it hangs on his back and is visible behind the emperor. Obv:- D N CONSTA-NS P F AVG, Laureate and rosette-diademed, draped, cuirassed bust left, globe in right hand Rev:- 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 Minted in Antioch; (//AN*), A.D. 348-350 Reference:– RIC VIII Antioch 126 (C)
I love these FTR coins its mostly what I'm looking for at the moment. Herees one I sold last year which I now regret; Constans AE Centenionalis OBV: D N CONSTANS P F AVG REV: FEL TEMP REPARTIO Trier Mint mark 346 AD 21mm 4,28g RIC 224
Interesting variations in the depiction of the armor the soldier is wearing - some are full cuirass, another looks like scale armor where another looks like a mail shirt or hauberk. I suppose this varies by mint and die cutter. I keep going back to the Notitia Dignitatum which lists arms factories by city, or fabricae. One city produced lances, another swords, another armor, shields, and so forth. I believe the idea was to have an armory near each legionary command center. A couple of links: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/9781444338386.wbeah03085 and a bit earlier: https://www.academia.edu/572898/The_state_factories_fabricae_during_the_time_of_tetrarchy
I HAVE 0NE WITH THE EMPERER FACING RIGHT AND THE REVERSE WITH SOLDIER SPEAR IN LEFT HAND LEADING CAPTIVE WITHOUT A HUT OR TREE . IS IT A FAKE?
There are lots of “emperor leading captive” motifs on late imperial bronzes. So probably not. But still, it would be helpful to post a picture if you can.
