Thank you for the link to your article, I find the Fel Temp series fascinating and enjoyed your analysis.
I don’t have much of value to add. I agree that the
Roman figure is most probably the emperor; as you note the figure in the captives/hut
types sometimes wears a diadem but it is hard to tell with the helmet on the falling horseman
type. The dress of the figure is pretty consistent across the
types though.
In my limited experience some of the most refined engraving
work along with heavy flans seem to be from the
Antioch mint, from the third series in your analysis. I’m not sure if a silver content analysis has been done on these issues, but clearly celators were given the time to create
quality dies. Do you have any thoughts on why
Antioch and to an extent
Alexandria and
Constantinople arguably produce their most beautiful
work in series three?
I have posted this elsewhere in relation to the ‘enemy horseman’, and will repeat it here. The two
statues below were found in Hatra,
Iraq and are dated to the 3rd century CE. The first with the peaked
cap is thought to be Sanatruq II,
king of Hatra circa 205 to 240 CE. The second is a statue of a 'noble'. Hatra was an important
border city with a cosmopolitan population. It was captured and sacked by Shapur I circa 241CE. The dress on both
statues, particularly the trousers, is remarkably similar to the depiction on detailed eastern
mint FH
types.