Bust Types 101

The alpha-numeric designations below are from RIC VII.

(i) Plain busts

(A) bare headed busts

A1 bare headed, draped	A2 bare headed, draped, and cuirassed seen from back (from behind)	A3 bare headed, draped, and cuirassed facing	A4 bare headed, draped, and cuirassed (from the front)

A5 bare headed, cuirassed	A6 mantled, waved hair

(B) laureate busts

B1 laureate head	B2 laureate looking upwards	B3 laureate, draped, and cuirassed seen from behind	B4 laureate, draped, and cuirassed (from the front)

B5 cuirassed	B6 wearing trabea

(C) radiate busts

C1 radiate head	C2 radiate, draped and cuirassed seen from behind	C3 radiate, draped, and cuirassed (from the front)	C4 radiate and cuirassed

(D) helmeted busts

D1 helmeted, draped, and cuirassed	D2 helmeted and cuirassed	D3 VRBS ROMA, imperial cloak	D4 VRBS ROMA, helmet with plume

D5 helmeted, laureate, draped, and cuirassed	D6 helmeted, laureate, and cuirassed	D7 wearing high crested helmet and cuirassed

(E) diademed busts

E1 plain diademed	E2 rosette diademed	E3 pearl diademed	E4 plain diademed looking upwards

E5 rosette diademed, looking upwards	E6 pearl diademed, looking upwards	E7 plain diademed, draped, and cuirassed	E8 rosette diademed, draped, and cuirassed

E9 pearl diademed, draped, and cuirassed

(F) veiled busts

F1 veiled

Links

RIC VII Bust types on Constantine the Great coins.com - http://www.constantinethegreatcoins.com/busts/

Dictionary of Roman Coins

Please add updates or make corrections to the NumisWiki text version as appropriate.

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Bust. - This term is derived from the Italian Busto and the French Buste. It is applied to representations of people that do not extend below the waist.

One of the most ancient ways of representing gods and heroes, under human features, was that of showing only their heads.

The invention of busts is one that dates from a much later epoch. These show the head and shoulders, and a small part of the chest; at other times the head with the whole chest; a rarely, the full upper half of the body.

The Romans had a custom of placing busts of emperors and other great people on their coins, which helps us attribute the coins much more easily today.

- 101