X in wreath in an underpublished heavy-miliarensis type of Constantius II

[curtislclay]

Only one such coin has been published, RIC VIII Constantinople 132, and that without mention of the most interesting detail, the X within wreath held by Victory. A search in CoinArchives Pro shows that a number of new specimens and new varieties have turned up since about 2000.

Obv: Always D N CONSTAN - TIVS MAX AVG, pearl-diademed, cuirassed bust r., seen from front. MAX is an unusual title for Constantius II on coins.

Rev: Three main varieties.

1. VICTORIA - AVGVSTI, in exergue C and pellet followed by the officina letter. Victory stands l., with her weight on her r. leg, holding in her r. hand a wreath encircling X, while her l. hand grasps a pole which supports a shield inscribed VOT / XXXV / MVLT / XXXX. At her feet two captives; the one on the r. has his hands tied behind his back and sits r., but looks back l. at Victory.

Officina Γ=3, two specimens from the same pair of dies, 5.32 and 5.04 gr., both illustrated below.

Officina I=10, my collection, with two small ancient holes that were not drilled but punched through with minimal metal loss, 4.71 gr., not illustrated.

[curtislclay]

2. Same type and legend, still with XXXV-XXXX legend on shield, but Victory's lower body is turned r., with her weight on her l. leg, and the captive on r. sits l., unbound, grasping his raised r. knee with both hands.

Officina B=2, 5.13 gr., illustrated below.

3. As 2, with the changes in Victory's lower body and the captive on r., but with the legend on shield contracted to VOT / XXXX only.

Officina Z=7, 4.46 gr., illustrated below.

Officina H=8, 5.24 gr., illustrated below.

Officina IA=11 (?), 5.16 gr, in Paris, illustrated by Gnecchi in his Medaglioni Romani, pl. 32.15. The officina letter is unclear in the photo: Cohen 220 read H, but Kent in RIC reads IA. This was the only coin of the type known to Kent when he published RIC VIII in 1981. Neither he nor Cohen nor Gnecchi mentioned that the wreath held up by Victory encloses an X.

[Victor C]

it looks more like a cross in the wreath

[curtislclay]

What could be the meaning of that X in wreath? I have no real explanation, perhaps because of my unfamiliarity with later Roman coinage.

I don't think the X can refer to decennalian vows, since those seem to be fully covered by the more explicit legends on the shield, VOT / XXXV / MVLT / XXXX or merely VOT / XXXX.

It seems unlikely that the X could refer to Constantius' tenth consulship, which he assumed in 360 AD, approximately the time when the type was probably issued. If the reference was to that consulship, why not write explicitly COS X?

Victory holds up the wreath enclosing X to a position directly above the word VICTORIA of the legend. Could the type commemorate Constantius' tenth major victory, allowing him to survive and reach the 35th anniversary of his accession? Kienast lists 7 victories of Constantius over foreign enemies, commemorated by his assumption of victory titles such as Germanicus and Gothicus, all apparently won between 323 and 338. Kienast lists several articles dealing with these victories of Constantius, which I have not read.

Or could the X in wreath actually be a cross, referring to Christ's presumed sponsorship of Constantius, as suggested in the catalogue text to the third coin illustrated above, which is NAC 84, 20 May 2015 (upcoming), lot 1237?

[Carausius]

I think a cross. Particularly suggestive in the last example as the cross bar is not central, but across the upper third of the upright, as on a Christian cross.  Also in the third example, where the wreathed cross looks quite different from the "X"s on the banner.

[okidoki]

Hello Curtis,

I agree with Michael, looks more like a cross ( templar)
On a coin here on sale i read.
" Constantius II, unlike his father, allowed Christians to persecute pagans and Jews"

Maybe its a sign of support?

Just a simple idea
 

[Gert]

Did you notice the headdress of the r. figure on the NAC specimen? That's not a Phrygian hat he is wearing, it looks like a tiara.
Regards
Gert

[SC]

I would have to vote for cross too.

On the final (?) version with VOT / XXXX it is clearly portrayed (as carasius noted) as a Latin Cross with the lower arm longer than the other three - this is the case on both examples despite being different officinae and different dies.  On the earlier versions it is more of a Greek Cross with equal length arms though they all appear to have slightly longer lower arms to me.  Perhaps if the VOT / XXXX one really is the latest then the cross design was made more explicit on purpose.

The second interesting feature is the alignment of the cross.  It appears to be an X on most versions though that is also the way it would look if it was a cross being held straight up in the hand - as Victory's arms is raised at roughly 45 degrees the cross then appears as an X.   However, on the example from officina beta it is portrayed upright (incidentally in a nicer wreath). 

Taken together I think this means that a cross was intended.  This argument is consistent with all versions posted.  It is meant to be a cross held upright and at least one engraver decides to make that explicit (off. B).  It is eventually lengthened to a Latin form to remove confusion from an X.   If it was meant to be a numeral X then we have to postulate several errors in engraving.  The off.B upright cross and the two Latin form crosses.

As for what it meant?  Not sure but it was a fun time for Christianity.  Celebrations of Constantius' 35th started in 357 and appear to have coincided with his visit to Rome.  While in Rome in 357 the Arian Constantius issued laws (found as de episcopis ecclesiis et clericis in the Theodosian Code) confirming all privileges of the Christian Church in Rome.  Interestingly during Constantius' visit he also bowed to public pressure and re-called the Catholic Pope Liberius, whom he had replaced in 355 with his own pro-Arian nominee, the "antipope" Felix II.  It is not clear exactly what position Constantius saw Liberius as having but in any event Felix was pushed out of Rome and relegated to obscurity.  So there were enough high-level Christian politics going on to mean that cross could have had some significance.  An avowal that Constantius is in charge of religious matters and has the Christian flock's best interests in mind?

Shawn