I just picked this up in @John Anthony 's auction number 104. I have wanted a large Julian for a long time so I am fortunate to have picked one up for a low price. On vcoins some of these are going for $1200, but appear to me to have been tooled. This is indeed a fine coin of the Apostate. I read Gore Vidal's Julian some time ago and thoroughly enjoyed the book, so it comes highly recommended. AE 30, 8.1 grams, Nicomedia mint, A.D. 361-363 Obverse: DN FL CL IVLIANVS PF AVG Diademed, draped, cuirassed bust right Reverse: SECVRITAS REIPVB Bull standing right, two stars above//palm Mintmark: SMNB Reference: RIC VIII 119, page 483 (SMNA, no SMNB examples recorded Feel free to post your Julian's here!
Nice score ACH ! I saw it at JA's auction, "unfortunately" I already have one You did very well, at a very fair price, and your picture shows the details better (no offense intended JA) Julian II, AE 1 Double Maiorina struck in Antioch, 3 rd officina D N FL CL IVLI ANVS P F AVG, Diademed, draped and cuirassed bust of Julianus right SECURITAS REIPUB, Bull to right, two stars above. ANT gamma between two branches at exergue 8.73 gr Ref : Cohen #38, RC #4072, LRBC #2641 Q
These are popular coins because of their size for one thing - they're the largest bronzes of the late 4th century. When they were issued, the Romans themselves hadn't seen such large bronzes in several generations - since the time of the tetrarchical coinage. The bull also makes them very popular - it's an allusion to traditional Roman religion. Julian was called "The Apostate" because of his insistence that Romans disavow Christianity and return to their ancestral gods. I've seen a few tooled examples myself, because the dies for these types were typically very shallow intaglios, and only a little circulation wear would blur the features. The trick is to find coins that are "minimally processed," ie., lightly cleaned and not "improved!"
Nice example. JULIAN II, The Apostate (355 - 363 A.D.) Æ3 O: D N CL IVLIANVS NOB CAES, Bare head, draped and cuirassed right. R: FEL TEMP REPARATIO, Helmeted soldier to l., shield on l. arm, spearing falling horseman; shield on ground r. Horseman turns head to soldier and extends l. arm. M in l. field, BSIRM star in exergue. Sirmium Mint, 355-61 A.D. 19mm 2.24g RIC 78
I think you have helped me closer to attributing a coin I have partially cleaned. I couldn't figure out the legend on the obverse and noticed there was no head gear and with fallen horseman on the reverse. Oh! I'm excited that it might be a Julian since I don't have one yet. Thank you for posting this.
I love a good Julian thread! I have no new additions except the two that I always show... ulian II, AD 355-363 Æ28, 7.4g, 6h; Arles mint, AD 360-363 Obv.: DN FL CL IVLIANVS PF AVG; Diademed, draped, cuirassed bust right. Rev.: SECVRITAS REIPVB; Bull standing right, two stars above, eagle to right, standing right on wreath, holding another wreath in its beak In Ex.: SCONST Julian II, AD 360-363 AE3, 21mm, 2.6g, 12h; Heraclea mint: 361-363 Obv.: D N FL CL IVLIANVS P F AVG; helmeted, cuirassed bust left holding spear and shield. Rev.: VOT / X / MVLT / XX - Legend within wreath // HERACLA
JULIAN II (too): Julian II, AD 361-363 AE3, 17mm, 2.7g, 6h; Thessalonica mint, AD 361. Obv.: DN CL IVLIANVS NOB CAES; Draped and cuirassed bust right. Rev.: FEL TEMP REPARATIO; Helmeted soldier to left, shield on left arm, spearing falling horseman; shield on ground right. Horseman turns to face soldier and extends left arm (F3), M in left field // SMTS epsilon. Reference: RIC VIII Thessalonica 210, Scarce, p. 421. Ex: @John Anthony the Great...
RIC lists only one example of the Fallen Horseman coins which were struck in Antioch under Julianus II . That's RIC VIII- ANT-189 with mint mark as ANEI. The following coin was also struck in Antioch but it has ANTSE in exergue. Moreover the letter L of Julianus on obverse was written in Greek ( lambda ) instead of the Latin letter L. I don't know either what's there on left field of reverse. The coin weighs 2.05 g. I'll post a digital photo after a close shot at day light tomorrow. Here are 3 scans now.
A solid example of the type ACH! Julian II 355-360 AD O: DN IVLIANV-S NOB CAES, R: Fallen horseman, AN (gamma) in ex, Antioch mint. (Antioch 189), 16 mm, 2.9 g
