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Author Topic: RIC VII helmeted bust types  (Read 1633 times)

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Offline Heliodromus

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RIC VII helmeted bust types
« on: November 05, 2021, 09:27:12 pm »
RIC VII's helmeted-bust descriptions leave a lot to be desired, both in terms of understanding what they are actually referring to, and how to attribute in case of coins not matching the canonical bust descriptions (particularly an issue for Rome 318-319 AD, when there is a profusion of helmet varieties seen on the coins).

There are three types of helmet portrayed on RIC VII coins:

1) Up to c.318 AD there's a helmet with a protruding cap-like peak, same as we see in RIC VI. A RIC VII note on p.348 refers to this as an "archaic" or "Athene" helmet, but it doesn't seem to correspond to any real type of helmet I've been able to find photos of. It really seems to be a "pseudo-Corinthan" helmet, mirroring the appearance of Athena's pushed-back Corinthian helmet, while not actually being one.

2) From c.318-319 AD there are varieties of ridge helmet, as seen on the VLPP coin type. This is a period correct helmet type. It is bowl-shaped, constructed from two halves, or four quarters, joined together at the top with a ridge-like seam. There are a number of museum specimens of this helmet type, such as the ones from Berkasovo and Intercisa.

3) From c.319 AD onwards there's a helmet with what RIC calls a visor, but is probably a fixed upright browband. This is sometimes referred to as an Attic helmet (as seen on later depictions of Athena, such as on the new-style owls), or could be called a praetorian helmet based on it's depiction on the praetorian relief. This helmet type is also seen on the arch of Constantine.

There's a couple of exceptions to the above timeline, but it gives the big picture.

These helmets are usually depicted with some type of crest - either a tall feather crest, or more often a (typically lower-lying) horsehair one.

Now, RIC gives us three basic helmeted bust varieties (D2, D6 & D7), which you might expect (if you didn't know better) to correspond to the three types of helmet... but of course they don't. For some reason RIC lumps the unrelated helmet types 1) and 3) together as bust type D2, described just as "helmet", then uses bust types D6 and D7 to differentiate two varieties of ridge-helmeted bust.

The D6 and D7 busts are described as:

D6: laureate, helmet

D7: high-crested helmet (bowl-shaped)

As long as you have a coin that only matches one of these descriptions then this is at least clear enough to attribute by, but what if your coin matches both, or neither, or you're just not sure (is it a "high" crest or not ?). It turns out there's enough information in RIC (by way of attributed museum specimens - thanks Lech!) to see how RIC (Patrick Bruun) intended it, which is ultimately to ignore everything else and just look for presence of a laurel wreath on the helmet (=D6), or not (=D7).

If we assume the canonical D6 and D7 descriptions refer to the most frequently encountered coins, then it appears that "high-crested" really means feather-crested as opposed to horsehair-crested, but given the above you can in fact ignore crest type altogether and just attribute based on laureate or not. I'm not sure this is the most insightful way to distinguish the helmet varieties, but seeing as the outliers are mostly transitional it doesn't make much difference.

A picture is worth a thousand words, so since RIC doesn't give us one, here's how to attribute RIC VII helmet types. The quoted descriptions are RIC's bust descriptions, and the snarky comments are my own.

Offline Lech Stępniewski

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Re: RIC VII helmeted bust types
« Reply #1 on: November 06, 2021, 08:50:47 am »
Yes, Ben, now I completely agree: this is exactly Bruun's typology.

But don't be so mean to him. He really did a great job. I know - there are many vague descriptions, inconsistencies, errors, typos etc. but it is still "the Bible" of Constantinian coinage. (the real Bible is also not perfect; there are variants of text, interpolations, errors etc.)

And by the way: I don't have this nice PAX PERPETVA on my page. Would you be so kind to send me the best picture you have with the data? And of course it would be great if you add any other pictures of unlisted coins which are not attested on "Not in RIC".
Lech Stępniewski
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Offline Heliodromus

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Re: RIC VII helmeted bust types
« Reply #2 on: November 06, 2021, 10:41:53 am »
Here's my Pax - 19mm 3.1g. Of course this is the "archaic" (aka pseudo-Corinthian) variety of D2 bust, therefore RIC 143. RIC incorrectly lists this as a D6 bust, but the plate picture shows the Vienna coin which is an archaic helmet (D2) as expected.

I also recently acquired this Romae Aeternae, 18mm 3.64g, which appears to be an obverse die link to the Pax. Since RIC doesn't differentiate the helmet types, this would be considered as RIC 146 (D2), although perhaps better considered as unlisted given the sequencing. Bruun's lumping together of the earliest and latest helmet types as "D2" really hides the structure of the coinage. A "real" D2 with swirly decorations and browband/visor (as on my Eros coin, above, comes late in the sequence, while this "archaic" one comes from the beginning of the sequence, as can be seen by the die link.

Of course RIC VII is a tremendous work - hard to imagine doing it without computers or digital cameras, although nonetheless full of errors and omissions. I tend to think of Patrick Bruun as a bit like former British PM Margaret Thatcher (who was torpedoing the Belgrano when I was in college), or perhaps Colonel Kurtz from the movie "Apocalypse Now" ... both started out strong, then eventually went stark raving bonkers due to having been in power for too long. Incidentally, I'm a software developer, and one of the early things I worked on in the early 80's (a ROM-based version of Pascal for the BBC micro) was proudly shown to Margaret Thatcher by the British Standards Institute (BSI) as an example of British innovation!

Bruun's pinnacle of insanity, as far as I'm concerned, is his "The Heraclean Coinage of Maximinus Daza. A Drastic Proposal". Certainly drastic!


Offline Lech Stępniewski

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Re: RIC VII helmeted bust types
« Reply #3 on: November 06, 2021, 12:07:19 pm »
First of all, thanks for the pictures. Coins from your great collection are always welcome.

Bruun's lumping together of the earliest and latest helmet types as "D2" really hides the structure of the coinage.

I agree. I think that Bruun's greatest mistake are pages 88-91, i.e. "Tabulated Key". The solution adopted in the volume VI would be much better: separate descriptions of busts for group of connected issues. It would then be easier to take into account the specifics of each mint and its evolution.

Bruun's pinnacle of insanity, as far as I'm concerned, is his "The Heraclean Coinage of Maximinus Daza. A Drastic Proposal". Certainly drastic!

My opinion about Bruun's drastic proposal is not so drastic as yours. He at least pointed out that there is a problem with the status of Heraclea after Galerius' death, especially when compared to Siscia and Thessallonica. Maybe Licinius was not sure if he wanted to have a mint so close to the frontier?

I tend to think of Patrick Bruun as a bit like former British PM Margaret Thatcher (who was torpedoing the Belgrano when I was in college)

I am now fully aware that our perspectives are different but I can't help that comparing someone to Margaret Thatcher sounds to me like a greatest praise. In 80's many people in Poland (and so did I) constantly thought of Margaret Thatcher and Ronald Reagan as some kind of Obi-Wan Kenobi. You know: "Help us, Maggie and Ronnie, you are our only hope to crush the Empire".
Lech Stępniewski
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Offline Heliodromus

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Re: RIC VII helmeted bust types
« Reply #4 on: November 06, 2021, 12:27:13 pm »
Quote
I am now fully aware that our perspectives are different but I can't help that comparing someone to Margaret Thatcher sounds to me like a greatest praise. In 80's many people in Poland (and so did I) constantly thought of Margaret Thatcher and Ronald Reagan as some kind of Obi-Wan Kenobi. You know: "Help us, Maggie and Ronnie, you are our only hope to crush the Empire".

Well, she started out very strong for sure, although I'm thinking more of her domestic policies, but she was of course Reagan's closest ally. I was also fond of Reagan - I think he played the role of president (perhaps how he thought of it, being a movie star ?) to perfection - being more cheerleader than policy wonk. His "star wars" program, which everyone knew was really impossible, nonetheless deserves some credit for crippling the USSR by helping to bankrupt it.

I can understand how growing up in Poland this would have been rather more personal to you than to me in the UK. Of course your namesake, Lech Walesa, deserves a very large part of the credit for helping destroy the death star. I used to work with a Polish guy, in the US, who reported directly to Lech as a Solidarnosc leader.

I've visited Poland a few times, since my wife is from Belarus, and originally only had white "travel papers" since her soviet passport became invalid when the empire collapsed. We didn't dare go to Belarus initially, so would meet her family in Warsaw instead. We used to stay in a hotel opposite that great example of soviet architecture, "Stalin's Penis".  :)

Offline Lech Stępniewski

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Re: RIC VII helmeted bust types
« Reply #5 on: November 06, 2021, 01:10:21 pm »
Of course your namesake, Lech Walesa, deserves a very large part of the credit for helping destroy the death star.

Again, our perspectives are different :( He generally enjoys a much better opinion in the West than in Poland. He certainly had his merits, but not as great as he likes to talk about. But there are also dark matters in his biography, about which he has not told the truth to this day (and his lies are probably worse then his shameful deeds).

If someone who was such symbol of Solidarity gets 1% votes in the presidential election, it means something. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2000_Polish_presidential_election#Results)

But I think we have gone too far from Roman helmets and Patrick Bruun....
Lech Stępniewski
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Offline Heliodromus

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Re: RIC VII helmeted bust types
« Reply #6 on: November 06, 2021, 03:19:59 pm »
Quote
But I think we have gone too far from Roman helmets and Patrick Bruun....

Yes, but there is one more extremely interesting coin to bring the discussion back on track.

When I said "these helmets are usually depicted with some type of crest", I put the caveat "usually" in there because there is at least one coin (are there any more?) where this is not the case...

This is the Ticinum adlocutio solidus, RIC VII Ticinum 48, which Bruun attributes as having a D1 bust (i.e. draped D2). RIC cites the 1935 Trau sale, where happily the coin was illustrated. I'd love to see an actual photo! Does anyone know where this coin is today?

As you can see, this really isn't a D1 (draped D2) bust at all! It's actually a variety of ridge helmet with a rather interesting ridge decoration in lieu of a crest. What's great here, is that this unusual ridge decoration can in fact be seen on a real roman helmet, the famous Berkasovo one, so we can see what this actually looked like.

This coin is also interesting in that I believe an adlocutio scene is only seen twice on Constantine's coinage, once here, and once on the famous Chi-Rho helmet Ticinum Salvs Reip. medallion, and therefore suggests a similar issue date (as well as same mint).

A final point of interest is the wreath ties on the back of the bust. There doesn't appear to be a laurel wreath, but zoomed in it seems there *might* be a band-type diadem with an X-based decoration (same as later seen at Cyzicus). This would be highly unexpected at such an early presumed date of c.315AD, but an X-based Christian motif would be another tie-in to the Chi-Rho medallion.

Offline Lech Stępniewski

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Re: RIC VII helmeted bust types
« Reply #7 on: November 06, 2021, 04:49:00 pm »
As you can see, this really isn't a D1 (draped D2) bust at all!

Well, this helmet is slightly different than common D1-D2 helmet, with no real crest, but "Tabulated Key" says nothing about crest. There is only one word: "helmeted". And we know for sure only one thing: that there should be no laurel wreath. So D5-D6 is excluded.

However, Berkasovo type is for me much closer to D1-D2 than to D7. And because TICINUM 48 has paludamentum, the whole bust is D1. There is no other option. Except for new typology.

A final point of interest is the wreath ties on the back of the bust.

I am not sure that this tie is really a tie. It is too close to the "ridge decoration" and looks like extension of the ridge, integral part of it. But the coin is worn, the picture is poor, so again we are stuck in speculations.

But I am nearly sure that decoration with many crosses (X) could not be a Christian motif at that time. It would be rather seen as a degradation of the unique saint symbol (or insignificant decoration like dots, stars, gems, pearls etc.).
Lech Stępniewski
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Offline Heliodromus

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Re: RIC VII helmeted bust types
« Reply #8 on: November 07, 2021, 08:52:54 am »
Quote
However, Berkasovo type is for me much closer to D1-D2 than to D7. And because TICINUM 48 has paludamentum, the whole bust is D1. There is no other option. Except for new typology.

Who knows Bruun's rationale for throwing it in the D1 bucket  ::). It's lucky that it even made it into RIC at all, since he missed at least one other type from the same sale.


Offline SC

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Re: RIC VII helmeted bust types
« Reply #9 on: November 07, 2021, 09:22:17 am »
Ah, this is the start of the sort of discussion I was hoping for via my comments on the other thread.

They do look like ties to me - two parallel objects, both with the same bends/kinks, widening slightly at the end.

The Berkasovo helmet has a neck guard but this doesn't look anything like it.  It could be a poor job at portraying a neck guard but considering how carefully the ornate metal crest was portrayed I doubt that.

I would suspect that the crosses are the "crossed pearl jewels" that are found on some later rosette diadems and nothing to do with chi-rhos.  My guess would be that Constantine wore a purple cloth diadem - likely silk sewed onto a stronger backing - which had a some precious stones on it.

The presence of this diadem would be consistent with a formal and special occasion like the allocation or other haranguing scene shown on the reverse.

SC

PS I have recently read Michel Dürr's interesting Le diadème marque de l'Auctoritas ou de l'Imperium - though it focusses on the rosette vs. pearl diadems of the Valentinianic and Theodosian periods - and I am trying to track down a copy of Bastein's Le bust monétaire des empereurs romain so I find this discussion very timely and interesting.

SC
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Offline Lech Stępniewski

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Re: RIC VII helmeted bust types
« Reply #10 on: November 07, 2021, 09:28:07 am »
he missed at least one other type from the same sale.

Trau Collection? Please, be more specific, give the number.
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Offline Heliodromus

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Re: RIC VII helmeted bust types
« Reply #11 on: November 07, 2021, 09:50:36 am »
Quote
Trau Collection? Please, be more specific, give the number.

This one, Trau # 3440 (GENIO AVGG ET CAESARVM NN from Nicomedia).

RIC only lists the type from Cyzicus, where it was only struck for the caesars, but Nicomedia issued it for all four tetrarchs.

I had a really nice one myself, but recently traded it.

Offline Heliodromus

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Re: RIC VII helmeted bust types
« Reply #12 on: November 07, 2021, 10:02:29 am »
Quote
I would suspect that the crosses are the "crossed pearl jewels" that are found on some later rosette diadems and nothing to do with chi-rhos.

Agreed - they certainly don't look like Chi-Rhos. What they remind me of is this diadem type from Cyzicus.

The real surprising thing here is if there's a diadem at all, of any type, since otherwise it doesn't seem to have appeared until c.326 AD. Of course the dating of the coin could be wrong. Noel Lenski "The Date of the Ticinum medallion" questions the dating of the Chi-Rho medallion and assigns it later. This coin certainly seems related (Lenski appears to have missed it), and the helmet & perhaps diadem might help with dating, although I tend to think the 315 AD medallion date is probably correct.

It's too bad the "diadem" portion of the Trau plaster cast is so feint ... the coin itself may be clearer, but where is it ?!

Offline Lech Stępniewski

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Re: RIC VII helmeted bust types
« Reply #13 on: November 07, 2021, 10:14:22 am »
Quote
Trau Collection? Please, be more specific, give the number.

This one, Trau # 3440 (GENIO AVGG ET CAESARVM NN from Nicomedia).

Well, this is RIC VI, so rather Sutherland's fault...

I have all four types from this issue on Not in RIC and three better examples of Herculius, but thanks for the fourth.

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Offline Laurentius

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Re: RIC VII helmeted bust types
« Reply #14 on: November 07, 2021, 11:20:15 am »
Who doesn’t know the site yet: Everything about the legions and their equipment.
Possibly fits very well in this thread.
This way to the helmets. With many original artifacts and illustrations.

https://www.roma-victrix.com/summa-divisio/armamentarium/cassideae-et-galeae.html

Possibly I also have one or the other relevant variant in my Constantine collection.

br Ralph


Offline Heliodromus

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Re: RIC VII helmeted bust types
« Reply #15 on: November 07, 2021, 11:36:14 am »
Nice site - thanks!

The relevant helmets here are of course mostly the 3rd-5thC ones at bottom of the right hand list (Intercisa, Berkasovo).

On the Intercisa helmets the placement of a Chi-Rho, when done, would be on an applique attached to the iron crest, as shown in those photos.

On helmets with a nasal (nose protector), such as the Berkasovo one, here's an example of a Chi-Rho being inscribed on the nasal.

Offline Laurentius

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Re: RIC VII helmeted bust types
« Reply #16 on: November 07, 2021, 01:00:41 pm »
I can add two not so common variants.
Otherwise I still have different ones of the "D2" type. If of interest.



Offline Heliodromus

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Re: RIC VII helmeted bust types
« Reply #17 on: November 07, 2021, 01:51:44 pm »
That second one is depicting a two-part (bipartite) ridge helmet (aka Intercisa type), vs the more commnly shown four-part (quadripartite) type (aka Berkasovo type).

Sometimes these are shown decorated too.

Offline SC

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Re: RIC VII helmeted bust types
« Reply #18 on: November 07, 2021, 04:00:59 pm »
It seems clear that the artists didn't have clear grasp of what exactly they were engraving when it came to the ears. Perhaps their model did not have sufficient details.

If you try to interpret the lower band of the helmets, the ears and the downward vertical extension you can see a large variety of approaches. 

Are they showing real ears or ears embossed on ear flaps (for which I don't think there is any precedent on known helmets from this era)??

Is the lower extension an ear flap, or just a pair of chin ties??  Two lines on either side of an ear imply ties but others with rivets below the ears imply a solid ear flap.  Sam can be said for the VIRTVS AVGG RP Campmate post earlier.

SC



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Offline Laurentius

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Re: RIC VII helmeted bust types
« Reply #19 on: November 08, 2021, 07:21:52 am »
@ Heliodromus

Thank you for your assignment and the comparison pieces. Yes, because
the pieces I have from Trier also have different decorations. But unfortunately
there is no helmet with Chi-Rho on it. As I saw it on a one from Arelate.


@ otlichnik

Quote
Are they showing real ears or ears embossed on ear flaps (for which I don't think there is any precedent on known helmets from this era)??

A good question. I have now seen some helmets, that had a recess at the place
of the ears, so that they were free. Other ear flaps were closed throughout.
But I could also imagine, that there could have been a custom-made for the
emperiors helmet. Of course, one does not exclude the other.








Offline Heliodromus

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Re: RIC VII helmeted bust types
« Reply #20 on: November 08, 2021, 11:07:01 am »
Quote
Are they showing real ears or ears embossed on ear flaps (for which I don't think there is any precedent on known helmets from this era)??

I'd suppose ears shown through an ear hole in the cheek plates, which was certainly one period correct type, as on the Intercisa helmet. I would imagine being able to hear well would be pretty important in battle. I'm also not sure what period the cheek plates with embossed ears belong to, but they seem to typically be highly decorated. The face-covering parade helmets normally have embossed ears too, but obviously that's not what we're looking at here.

Quote
Is the lower extension an ear flap, or just a pair of chin ties??  Two lines on either side of an ear imply ties but others with rivets below the ears imply a solid ear flap.

I'm guessing it's meant to be the outline of the cheek plates (or ear flaps - whatever the correct term is), engraved with varying degrees of realism.

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Re: RIC VII helmeted bust types
« Reply #21 on: November 08, 2021, 05:05:23 pm »
Yes, the Intercisa type appears to generally have ear-holes.

In addition, it appears that all/most of the earlier (1st-2nd c AD) Weiler type have embossed ears on the upper rear part of the ear-flap - but only the Weiler type, and perhaps (?) a few of the rare and highly decorated Heddernheim type (which is a parade type).

SC
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Offline Frans Diederik

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Re: RIC VII helmeted bust types
« Reply #22 on: November 30, 2021, 09:19:18 am »
Just some helmets from Arles, both normal with crest and high-crested. The tassels noticed hanging at the back of the helmet need certainly not be of a laureate crown as is shown by the last coin from rome, where the crest itself ends in two strands of cloth(?)

Frans

Offline Heliodromus

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Re: RIC VII helmeted bust types
« Reply #23 on: November 30, 2021, 09:25:06 am »
Quote
The tassels noticed hanging at the back of the helmet need certainly not be of a laureate crown as is shown by the last coin from rome, where the crest itself ends in two strands of cloth(?)

Yes, although obviously tassels can't be explained as being part of a crest unless there is a crest.

 

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