Long shot with a Fel Temp Reparatio, horseman

[ambr0zie]

Hello ladies and gentlemen.
Not very optimistic but could you try to rule down the mintmark and ruler for this worn FTR?

20 mm 3.13 g
On the obverse I can see CONSTANTIVS (this doesn't help much) and the mintmark - can't distinguish clearly, appears like CAI but this doesn't make any sense.
Many thanks in advance. 

[Blayne W]

To me it looks like the obverse legend is unbroken so something along the lines of Constantius Gallus

DN CONSTANTIVS IVN NOB C or DN FL CL CONSTANTIVS NOB CAES


Does look like something behind the bust as well, also looks like something in left field on the reverse. Also looks like the horseman is clutching (might just be worn)  Also looks like the exergue has an A or Delta in it.  Just doing elimination really

So if I had to be a betting man I'd go get a couple beers and relook at it later and see if i saw the same

Seriously id probably be Constantinople 110 or (113)
DN FL CL CONSTANTIVS NOB CAES
delta behind bust
FEL TEMP R-EPARATIO
gamma in left field  (B in left field )
CONS delta    (CONSA)

Not sure if anyone follows my logic there .....

[Blayne W]

Im not convinced I'm right.  The exergue just doesnt seem to reflect CONS to me.  I do think it could be AI, which could be then ANAI
but Helvetica's list dont show one with an unbroken obverse legend.  hmmmm I'm not much help.

[ambr0zie]

Hello Blayne,

You are helpful.
I can't see what is behind the head, noticed it before posting but I know this doesn't narrow the possibilities too much.
If there is a letter behind the head (and it appears it is), does this eliminate the other rulers?

[ambr0zie]

I think the letter behind the head looks more like a B so Rome mint, RIC 258.
Poor conservation, but nevertheless an addition to my collection.

[Blayne W]

What eliminated the other rulers for me is what looks like a continuous legend on the obverse without a break visible in the STANTIVS portion.  Basically eliminates all the other rulers using Helvetica's list  except one example of Constantius II, which shows as being pretty rare.  I know break arn't always definitive but you

The location of the readable part on the coin made me believe that the legend is longer than the other legend option DN CONSTANTIVS IVN NOB C

If it does look like a B behind the bust then I think you are right.  Though not convinced on the exergue being one of the Rome types, but maybe in hand you get a better read.

Its a blast tracking down an attribution at times, but also can be highly frustrating too.

[SC]

Your coin is definitely Constantius Gallus.

With that size and a bare-head bust, as well as the unbroken legend it can only be Gallus or Julian and you can see enough legend to know which.

Given the size a gamma in the left field is unlikely (though possible for Thessalonica).  It is almost certainly an M, the common indicator of the 6th, and last, series.

The other clue is the position of the horseman, meaning forward.  This variation is not common for the late, small diameter coins.

One place it was used in the 6th (M) series is Alexandria.

The mint mark, though somewhat unclear, matches Alexandria's A EA.

SC

[ambr0zie]

Thanks for your time and help, Shawn.
I have issues in photographing this coin, I usually can't take decent pics, but this one has been a disaster.
I don't distinguish the letter behind the emperor (good thing is that I know who he is).

[SC]

Those photos are much clearer.

Still obviously Constantius Gallus and the horseman leaning forward variant and he appears to be wearing the Phrygian cap (this helps narrow it down as it is scarce).

But it is now clearly a  next to the spear shaft - not an M as I thought from the first image.

It also appears there are three characters in the emerge not four.

Very few options for that combination on that size coin.

There were coin struck at Rome that fit, and the bust matches Rome's style.  All have  in the reverse left field.  All also have marks in the left obverse field behind the head.  i see something in your picture that might be a faint letter.  Options are a B or a  .

The B is found with mint mark R  S and the  with R  S or R F S.

SC

[Blayne W]

Shawn

When you refer to the horseman leaning forward , it that similar to the clutching that Helvetica uses on her lists?  Or something completely different.

I am still learning and all these nuggets of information are invaluable.

[ambr0zie]

Hello gentlemen,
First, I really appreciate your time for this coin.
I know I'm a pain because my skills as a photographer are poor and in a situation like this it causes confusion.

This coin was in a lot I bought, one of the few coins that caused me issues, one of the others being the Campania coin I also posted here.

The letter behind the head can only be a B because it doesn't resemble anyhing else. Due to the heavy wear of the coin, it looks more like an S in hand, but this makes no sense.

I was helped by another expert who provided some photos of RIC 258, Rome, and it is the most likely option.
I don't know if I am allowed to post links to different boards.

[SC]

The names and typological break-down of the position of the horseman varies in different sources.  Below is a (poorly formatted) excerpt from my 2019 article in KOINON volume II, "Back in the saddle again: a re-examination of the FEL TEMP REPARATIO falling horseman type." 

Sub-types Based on the Position of the Horseman

[/b]

The position of the horseman is traditionally used to divide the FTR-FH type into sub-types. In LRBC, Carson and Kent identified four sub-types based on the position of the horseman vis-à-vis the horse. Their four sub-types are: (footnote 56)

FH1 Horseman in kneeling position beside horse
FH2 Horseman sitting on ground beside horse
FH3 Horseman falling from horse and raising arm behind
FH4 Horseman falling and clutching horse’s neck

However, in 1981 in RIC-VIII, Kent reduced the number of sub-types to three as he believed that the previous FH1 variation was simply a different form of FH4 wherein the horseman’s knees were bent. Kent’s three sub-types are: (footnote 57)

FH1 Horseman sitting beside fallen horse, facing his attacker, to whom he lifts his arms
FH2 Horseman lying along the back of fallen horse, arms apparently clutching its neck
FH3 Horseman clutching horse’s neck with right hand, head turned back towards attacker, to whom he raises his left arm

In his 2002 book on Roman bronze coins, Failmezger used LRBC’s four sub-types instead of adopting Kent’s more recent three. He noted that LRBC’s FH1 and FH4 can be distinguished by the direction that the horse’s head faces. Despite this difference, I believe that Kent was correct in grouping LRBC’s FH1 and FH4 together into one sub-type. As is discussed below, the main diagnostic feature for these two variations is the fact that the horseman leans forwards, away from the Emperor and towards the left side of the coin.

While I believe that Kent’s breakdown into three sub-types is best, I will use capital letters instead of numbers to avoid confusion between the different systems.

Sub-Type   Horseman Design            LRBC   RIC-VIII
A           Horseman facing Emperor   2           1
B           Horseman leaning forward   1 and 4   2
C           Horseman reaching back   3           3


56. Hill, Kent and Carson (1978), 108.
57. Kent (1981), 38.



SC