The orginal question was what is the difference between decorated and non-decorated wreaths in RIC-VII-Rome 232 and RIC-VII-237.
As you noted Bruun did not clearly state in Constantinian
Mint Policy what wreaths were decorated and what were not. He also does not provide any further clarity on the
wreath decorations in RIC-VII either.
So I simply noted that in my opinion anything other than the
standard type of
wreath (dot in
circle at 12 o'clock and nothing at 3 and 6 o'clock) should be considered a decorated
wreath.
I think that Bruun meant the same thing but I can't prove it hence I said "regardless of the Bruun article". (I also don't seem to have my copy of that Bruun article anymore, at least not where I can find it.)
However, I am pretty sure that the chart you provided a copy of was Bruun's listing of
decorated wreaths not of
all wreaths. I think this is clear from the fact that he does not include the
standard type of
wreath (dot in
circle at 12 o'clock and nothing at 3 and 6 o'clock) which we know makes up the
bulk of the RP issue of Votas.
So I guess I would disagree with you in that I would say that the chart you provided shows
decorated wreath types a) to g). Thus both of Arminius' coins have decorated wreaths - Bruun's a) in the first case and Bruun's e) in the second.
To
help clarify I am attaching a picture of one of my coins - it is a RP issue but from the secund
officina (RS) which
RIC notes is never found decorated - but it shows what I am calling the non-decorated
wreath.
As for sorting out wreaths and this issue Bruun wrote Constantinian
Mint Policy in the mid 50s and
RIC VII in the mid 60s.
His work is important but not the final word. Brenot's study of the
Bikic-Do hoard was published in the late 70s. It provides some more examination of the
wreath types and their origin. There may even be stuff written on these
wreath since that I am not aware of.
Shawn
