Pet Peeve/What Scroll?

[wandigeaux (1940 - 2010)]

Why are the A2 types of Aelia Flaccilla showing her standing on the reverse almost invariably described as "arms folded at the breast" (about 99% of the time)?  The dead hand of tradition (along the lines of "resting on a scepter" and "holding corn ears")?  She is clearly holding a scroll across her bosom.  Are there types with the hands actually folded at the breast without any scroll?  And what could this scroll be?  I've had this one for years and it always bothers me.  I also add one that is even more obvious (and described by the dealer, for once, as holding scroll).  Thanks, George Spradling

[curtislclay]

According to G. Bruck, Spätrömische Kupferprägung, p. 60, BOTH types occur.

Holding scroll as on the two coins above: Bruck has drawings of this type taken from coins of Heraclea and Antioch.

Clasping hands: two drawings in Bruck taken from coins of Alexandria and Nicomedia.

Here are a coin of Constantinople from CoinArchives where the empress apparently clasps her hands, and a silver miliarense of not Flaccilla but Eudoxia, lot 521 in last January's Gemini IV, where the seated empress apparently also clasps her hands.

[wandigeaux (1940 - 2010)]

An irritation soothed.  Thank you Curtis, as always.  Geo. S.