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Author Topic: ? Irregular / unofficial issue by Constantius GALLUS ?  (Read 1107 times)

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Offline C.Gallvs

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? Irregular / unofficial issue by Constantius GALLUS ?
« on: April 15, 2015, 06:44:40 pm »
? Irregular / unofficial issue by Constantius GALLUS ?

diameter = ~19 mm
weight = 2.4 g
material: AR billon-silver

Obv: CONSTANTIVS P F AVG
Rev: AEQVITAS AVG (?)

Any idea?
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Offline Pekka K

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Re: ? Irregular / unofficial issue by Constantius GALLUS ?
« Reply #1 on: April 16, 2015, 02:23:27 am »

Gallus never had the title Augustus, thus the legend points to Constantius II.
On the other hand there is no diadem and this points to a Caesar.
The reverse type is of no help in this case, as it is copied from much earlier coin.

Pekka K

Offline C.Gallvs

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Re: ? Irregular / unofficial issue by Constantius GALLUS ?
« Reply #2 on: April 16, 2015, 03:41:54 am »
Dear Pekka,
Thank you for your opinion.

I think the coin is much more sophisticated.

I'm a collector for more than 25 years (I'm living in the former Noricum/Pannonia and I took into my hands nearly 100,000 roman coins) and I know very well the books of RIC, Cohen, BMRC, Sear, Fitz, Vagi, Van Meter  (I've got all), eRIC, wildwinds, romancoinsinfo etc. etc. etc.

- this coin genuine
- many emperor use AVG in obverse without laurel (by Constantius II is unknown as Augustus but I wrote C. Gallus)

Could give the historical context rise to the issue of this coin?

"...Constantius was informed of the trials in Antioch during a campaign against the Alamanni. Having signed a peace with the Germanic tribe, Constantius decided to settle the matter with his cousin. First he summoned Ursicinus to the West, whom he suspected to have been inciting Gallus in order to create the occasion for a revolt and the usurpation of his own son.

Next, Constantius summoned Gallus and Constantina to Milan. Constantina left first, in order to gain some of her brother's trust, but died at Caeni Gallicani in Bithynia. Gallus, whose bonds to Constantius had been weakened, stayed in Antioch. Constantius tried to lure Gallus, sending the tribunus scutariorum Scudilo to tell Gallus that Constantius wanted to raise him to Augustus. Gallus desiring to finally obtain the rank of Augustus, took Constantius's bait and left Antioch to meet him. Gallus in an exhibition of his presumed soon to be Augustus powers, staged a chariot race in Constantinople's Hippodrome and crowned the victor, an honor reserved only for those that are Augustus. This insolence of Gallus enraged Constantius, further adding to his dislike for the upstart Caesar. In an attempt to further isolate Gallus from any form of military protection, Constantius had the garrisons removed from the towns in Gallus's path."
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Offline PeterD

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Re: ? Irregular / unofficial issue by Constantius GALLUS ?
« Reply #3 on: April 16, 2015, 07:16:48 am »
The coin is genuine and and ancient but as you say in the title it is irregular/unofficial. That means it was probably made in some back street by a criminal element. The die maker was insufficiently skilled or simply didn't care whether his die matched the image of a specific emperor. He only needed to make it so that the coins would pass a casual glance in circulation. This sort of ambiguity is quite normal in unofficial coins of the period.
Peter, London

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Offline Lee S

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Re: ? Irregular / unofficial issue by Constantius GALLUS ?
« Reply #4 on: April 16, 2015, 09:12:57 am »
I am inclined to agree with Peter,
   When it comes to unofficial issues it does not pay to overthink, or to read too much into the designs, sometimes they are an obvious careful copy of an official type, but very often they are would be better described as "inspired by" rather than "a copy of". I have many imitations which bare very little or no resemblance to any official issue.
  All that said, its a very nice coin which I would be pleased to have in my collection!!  +++ ;D +++   

Offline C.Gallvs

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Re: ? Irregular / unofficial issue by Constantius GALLUS ?
« Reply #5 on: April 18, 2015, 12:45:35 pm »
an unknown issue as well:
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Online Victor C

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Re: ? Irregular / unofficial issue by Constantius GALLUS ?
« Reply #6 on: April 18, 2015, 12:56:57 pm »
Victor Clark

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