@randygeki kindly gave way to me at a recent auction. I wanted it because I thought the portrait was good, certainly better than any I have. I tried without success to attribute it. In frustration I sent it to Dane. I am using her attribution here and I am also attaching her comments. She has added it to her RIC Lists and it is on Wildwinds. So sellers pic first: Constantius Gallus, AE2 of Constantinople. DN CONSTANTIVS NOB CAES, bare-headed, draped, cuirassed bust right. FEL TEMP RE-PARATIO, soldier standing left, knee raised, spearing fallen horseman who is wearing a Phrygian helmet, clutching horse's neck. Left field: Gamma. Centre: Dot. Mintmark: CONS Gamma. RIC VIII Constantinople 107 var (obv. legend). Dane's comments..... You're right - I can't find it either. The odd thing is that there is no break in the obverse legend and the engraving is very well done. Now, seeing as the FL CL is missing, I wonder whether this is a very late issue from Constantinople. Or the die was engraved by what I call an exchange engraver who was used to doing this legend (engravers from Trier were often swapped with those from Lyons, for example, so this may be a Rome engraver sent to help out at Constantinople). The only ones in my Fel Temp xls list with this obv. legend and without an obv. break are Lyons 188 Lyons 192 Rome 284 Rome 284 Thessalonica 191 var (officina) Thessalonica 191 Very odd. I will add it to my xls list and also to wildwinds.
Nice one!! Much nicer than this one from my collection. I only have one FEL TEMP from that emperor, from Antioch. It was from an uncleaned lot: Constantius Gallus, AD 351-354. Roman billon maiorina, 3.49 g, 22.4 mm, 11 h. Antioch, AD 353-353. Obv: D N CONSTANTI-VS NOB CAES, bare-headed, draped and cuirassed bust, right. Rev: FEL TEMP RE-PARATIO, soldier spearing horseman falling forward onto neck of horse; ANAI in exergue. Refs: RIC viii, p. 523, 141; RCV 18995; Cohen 17; LRBC II --; Voetter --.
That's a seriously good looking coin and interesting an interesting variety too. There are all sorts of minor variations in this series. This one has a reverse legend break that seems to be unusual in that they generally break R-EP or RE-P. Constantius Gallus - AE3 Obv:– DN FL CL CONSTANTIVS NOB CAES, Bare, bust draped and cuirassed right Rev:– FEL TEMP - REPARATIO, Soldier spearing fallen horseman, who is bare helmeted, reaching back towards emperor Minted in Constantinople (dot //CONSD), Reference:– RIC VIII Constantinople 122 var (reverse legend break unlisted) 18.29 mm. 2.37 gms, 0 degrees
At risk of confirming my position as the crazy old man of CT, I propose this die started out to be a Constantius II but was converted to a Gallus for a reason we will never know. There is a ridge in the hair not usual for Gallus that could have been recut from the start of a diadem. The lack of FLCL is appropriate but that would suggest the lettering was begun before the decision to change was made and there is no evidence of erasures on the NOB CAES. The placement of the letters does not suggest it was changed from a split Constantius II legend so I do not believe the lettering had been started before the change was made. The face structure could be either man. Can you show Gallus portraits with hair styled in three bands as on this coin? Could this have been the first Gallus die and the cutter did not know the Caesar was to be bare headed? Earlier Caesars under Constantine had head gear. Could the die have been started as a Constans but put aside when he died? How do you describe the soldier's shield? It is a fascinating coin which I would have snapped up in a heartbeat.
Thank you @dougsmit for being the braver man ( not crazy ) Every time I look at Pish's coin I am seeing the remnants of a Rosette. I thought it was just me being me but also could not figure out the band of hair it was at the end of. Fear of making a fool of myself prevented me asking. Then Martin posted his coin with a hairdo from an Empress
That's a cool coin pish! My CG ...... Constantius Gallus, 351-354 AD, AE3 O: D N FL CL CONSTANTIVS NOB CAES, Draped and cuirassed bust right, R: FEL TEMP-REPARATIO, Soldier spearing fallen horseman who is bare-headed, reaching backwards. Mintmark R(?), Rome mint. 20 mm, 2.6 g. RIC IX Rome 274 var
Actually when I was bidding, I didn't notice the legend until @Pishpash pointed out. Congrats on a neet coin! It looks like it has a shield pattern to it also. A little haha, but I don't want to be greedy. The thought crossed my mind too Thats why I search for just "Constantius," never "II" or "Gallus." Downside it I get to many results. A few more 107s:
It took me a day or so to find it, my little offering. Not sure if it is Heraclea or Nicomedia, the mintmark is a tough one to make out. 15-16mm - 1.75g
