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Author Topic: Constantius II - FTR - Horseman - bent arm!  (Read 1268 times)

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Offline maridvnvm

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Constantius II - FTR - Horseman - bent arm!
« on: October 06, 2017, 05:49:46 am »
I have developed an interest in the FEL TEMP REPARATIO series of LRBs. Every now and then I see something unusual that grabs my attention. This is one such minor detail that I thought noteworthy enough to bring to the attention of the wider community.

There are various sub-types of horseman that are well documented such as reaching, clutching, sitting etc. There are sub-types within these sub-types such as helmeted, bare headed etc. The following seems to be a variation within the reaching sub-type. I am not claiming it to be a new sub-type just thought it interesting enough to mention.

The coin in question is a Constantius II issue from the early, large sized Gamma issue from Antioch with a reaching horseman.

Here is an example of the more usual portrayal of the horseman. Look at the arm reaching towards the emperor. The are is almost straight and the palm is turned towards the emperor (the fingers curve away from the horseman) in what I think of as a somewhat plaintive way as the emperor is about to drive his spear downwards.

Constantius II - AE2

Obv:– D N CONSTANTIVS P F AVG, Pearl diademed, draped, cuirassed, bust right
Rev:– FEL TEMP REPARATIO, Helmeted soldier to left, shield on left arm, spearing falling horseman; shield on ground at right. Horseman is bearded and falls forward reaching towards emperor (type FH3)
Minted in Antioch (Gamma _ //ANS). A.D. 350-355
Reference:- RIC VIII, Antioch 132. 



Mere is my new coin. Here the arm is different. The elbow is bent to about 90 degrees and the palm is turned back towards the horseman (curvature of the fingers) giving quite a different look. I haven't noted this bent arm on any of my other examples.

Constantius II - AE2

Obv:– D N CONSTANTIVS P F AVG, Pearl diademed, draped, cuirassed, bust right
Rev:– FEL TEMP REPARATIO, Helmeted soldier to left, shield on left arm, spearing falling horseman; shield on ground at right. Horseman is bearded and falls forward reaching towards emperor (type FH3)
Minted in Antioch (Gamma _ //ANH). A.D. 350-355
Reference:- RIC VIII, Antioch 132.



Nothing of real interest but just a small detail that caught my eye and drew me to this coin.

Regards,
Martin

Offline stevex6

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Re: Constantius II - FTR - Horseman - bent arm!
« Reply #1 on: October 06, 2017, 07:16:29 am »
That's pretty interesting, Martin ... those FHM are always up to something, eh?

Cool subset

 

Offline curtislclay

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Re: Constantius II - FTR - Horseman - bent arm!
« Reply #2 on: October 06, 2017, 11:23:39 am »
I note randomly that bending the arm prevents it from having to overlap with the soldier's spear.

Is that the scabbard of the soldier's parazonium below his flying cloak behind him?

What are the decorations on the horse's rump?

However, are you sure the first coin isn't an ANS replica (see exergue)?

Curtis Clay

Offline maridvnvm

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Re: Constantius II - FTR - Horseman - bent arm!
« Reply #3 on: October 06, 2017, 11:38:05 am »
Curtis.,
Yes it does. It is just that almost every other depicts that arm traversing the spear.

That is what I suppose it to be. Which is in interesting detail lost on many of the later, smaller examples.

The decoartion on the rump is consistent with straps and decorations that are thought to have been used by the Romans. I found this as a supposed illustration.



Lol. Some other ANS produced examples....



Offline dougsmit

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Re: Constantius II - FTR - Horseman - bent arm!
« Reply #4 on: October 06, 2017, 06:56:57 pm »
"What are the decorations on the horse's rump?"
The best variation on the horse's rump is what we call the Christmas balls from Arles.

With 15 mints and nearly as many years, we get a lot of varieties.  Boots, shields, hats, beards, tails, horse poses etc. etc. etc.  It is hard to restrict ourselves to four FH numbers.  :laugh:

Offline Randygeki(h2)

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Re: Constantius II - FTR - Horseman - bent arm!
« Reply #5 on: October 07, 2017, 03:36:43 am »
The few FH with the bent elbow I mentioned elsewhere all  we different dies but all were ANH. Dane has an earlier issue, ANA (below). The spear spear appears to overlap on the arm with that example.

I love that not only are we talking about horse butts, but also that it's not the first time... at least for Doug and I  ;D

Offline stevex6

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Re: Constantius II - FTR - Horseman - bent arm!
« Reply #6 on: October 07, 2017, 07:57:02 am »
ahaha => that's awesome, geki

cheers

 +++

Happy Canadian Thanksgiving, my ol' coin-friend!

Oh ... this is my only FHM example

No bent arms => this lil' dude is hanging-on for his life!! (short life)

Offline SC

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Re: Constantius II - FTR - Horseman - bent arm!
« Reply #7 on: October 08, 2017, 03:30:34 pm »
Hard to tell when coins like this were representing a contemporary item versus something frozen in iconographic tradition. 

The picture maridunum posts shows horse gear from a Roman auxiliary horseman in the style of large round phalerae which were silvered with niello vegetal decoration.  This type flourished in the Tibero-Claudian era but was in use till the end of the 1st century.  Later Roman horse gear consisted more of hanging leaf-form or lunular pendants.  And of course the horseman on the FTR is a "barbarian" hence entirely different style may have been intended, including bells.

I believe that by the late 340s the parazonium had long been abandoned as an actual item, though it still appeared in imperial iconography.  Roman soldiers of the time would have had a simple knife (not a parazonium or pugio) and a fairly long sword - a spatha and not a gladius.

Despite the desire by many artists for realism in the items they portray, the items chosen are often more based on tradition than a snapshot of what was used it their day.

SC

SC
(Shawn Caza, Ottawa)

 

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