Romano British artefacts

Roman drop pendant

admin — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 08:41:21 GMT

Roman drop pendant

Roman hanging pendant

Roman bronze coin

admin — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 10:06:47 GMT

Roman bronze coin

I believe you have a local, unofficial copy here. The type is the ubiquitous "FEL TEMP REPARATIO" ("to the return of happy times" or more broadly: "Happy Days are Here Again!") showing a Roman foot-soldier spearing an unfortunate, un-horsed "barbarian" or Persian cavalryman - wishful thinking at best that a Roman infantryman could unhorse and kill a Persian armored cataphract or German cavalryman - but it was a powerful bit of propaganda well suited to its times in which the Roman army was increasingly being shown not to be invulnerable to the "barbarians" on the borders or to the omnipresent antagonist in the East - the Persian Empire.

The size - 16mm - is typical of the enormous later emissions of this type under Constantius II (and to a lesser extent, Julian II as Caesar) in the 350's AD, but the obverse legend is a badly blundered attempt to spell "CONSTANS" - who had died in 350 - and although he is associated with this type, it's only with the large-module, "AE2" Centenionales of the period 348-352. (or 348-350 in his case), not the small AE 3's & 4's of the later years of the issue.

The official coins were produced in such astronomical quantities that it is probably a reasonable guess that after the Chinese square-holed cast brass cash coins, the FEL TEMP-fallen horseman type is the single most common coin of all antiquity - although they're probably a bit scarce for you and your digs since the Roman presence was already on the wane by the time of the inflation - which must have been on the scale of that seen in post WWI Germany - which produced the mind-numbing quantities of FEL TEMP's at the official mints throughout the Roman Empire. They additionally were copied extensively at unofficial mints across the Empire, but particularly in the more rmaginal fringe-areas like Britannia. You can date this piece to the general period 350-365 AD.

Mark

Roman bronze coin

admin — Sat, 25 Oct 2008 07:34:50 GMT

Roman bronze coin

That is a very important coin you've got there. That is just about the very first coin with a purely Christian reverse type - the "Chi-Rho" or Christogram had appeared on banners & shields on coins before this, but this is the first reverse completely dominated by a purely Christian symbol. These are typically associated with Magnentius (and his younger brother Decentius, to a lesser extent) and are also known for Constantius II. They were only minted for a short period of time - 352-353 AD.

This reverse type was issued in 3 different denominations, a "double centenionalis" (28-30mm) - which was a very short-lived denomination, only this type was ever made in that size - and also the more usual centenionalis (~22mm) and half-centenionalis (~18mm) sizes from the era after the reforms of 348.

I don't think it's going to be possible to tell which of the 3 it was who issued this one, nor the mint at which it was struck. I don't see diadem ties behind the neck, so I'm going to guess it's Magnentius or Decentius - both of them were portrayed bare-headed (and with a rather embarrassing-looking mullet-cut).

Mark

Roman enamelled fibula brooch

admin — Sat, 18 Oct 2008 10:01:13 GMT

Roman enamelled fibula brooch

2nd C Roman red and yellow enameled 'Headstud' type fibula brooch Ref 944 p332 Hattatt's

20.72mm W x 28.82mm L 10.83g

Celtic wode grinder

admin — Sat, 18 Oct 2008 09:59:33 GMT

Celtic wode grinder

1stC BC Celtic bronze wode grinder - suspension loop type worn around the neck

51.56mm L x 10.13mm W , 12.27g

Romano/British bronze bead

admin — Sat, 18 Oct 2008 09:58:05 GMT

Romano/British bronze bead

Roman bronze bead

Roman dolphin knife handle

admin — Sat, 18 Oct 2008 09:56:29 GMT

Roman dolphin knife handle

1st C Roman dolphin headed knife handle with suspension loop

Roman gold pendant

admin — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 18:00:26 GMT

Roman gold pendant

Roman solid gold hanging pendant ? - 2.65g, 11.95mm H x 10.68mm dia x 11.68mm W

Celtic wode grinder

admin — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 19:02:20 GMT

Celtic wode grinder

1st C Celtic wode grinder - 'bull head' type with broken suspension loop 44.34mm L ,7.40g

Roman bronze coin

admin — Sat, 27 Sep 2008 10:20:14 GMT

Roman bronze coin

I know this one on sight - and it's actually fairly scarce. This is the short-lived emperor Magnentius. You can easily recognize him and his brother by their distinctive and somewhat silly-looking mullet hair-do's. An interesting footnote to the period of Constantius II's reign, Magnentius had been a general of Constans'. Around the time Constans died in 350 AD, Magnentius had recently been proclaimed emperor by his legions and his authority was widely accepted in Gaul and other Western Provinces, particularly in the power-vacuum caused by Constans' demise. He named his younger brother Decentius Caesar in the spring of the next year - 351. Their rule was meteoric and brief, with both of them commiting suicide after a string of lost battles in 353.

If, as you say, it's "like a typical 3rd c size" (and I'll assume you really meant 4th century here) this would be a somewhat lightweight Centenionalis, or possibly a half - RIC says "20-21mm & 5.07gm for average size & weight and doesn't list a normal half-piece, but it's not unusual for them to be found a bit on the smallish side. This reverse, GLORIA ROMANORVM, with the ruler spearing an unfortunate "barbarian" enemy from horseback, was struck only for Magnentius and not for his younger brother - and only for a short time.

This piece is from the mint at Lugdunum - modern-day Lyon in France - and dates to the period before the elevation of Decentius, so it's pretty solidly dateable to January 350 - Spring 351.

RIC Lugdunum 115, LRBC 214, SR 4021.

Mark

Crispus Roman coin

admin — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 10:27:36 GMT

Crispus Roman coin

ID and comments from Mark Lehman the Roman coin expert

No gold in this issue - the Romans may have used copper to debase gold (although, interestingly, unlike with the silver, they tended not to do this very much and instead struck smaller rather than debased gold coins in times of economic emergency) It certainly would have been "silvered", however - when new it would have had a wash of shiny white metal over the surface - this coating didn't last long and finding specimens of this era with any more than a trace of their silvering intact is very unusual.

This is "The Unfortunate Crispus", as history tends to style him. This eldest son of Constantine the Great by his 1st wife (before he was forced, for political reasons, to divorce her and marry Maximian's daughter) Crispus was having a brilliant career as a soldier and was extremely popular with the people. Constantine's 2nd wife (as the story goes) mother of the future emperors Constantine II, Constans and Constantius II, plotted to get rid of Crispus to clear the way for one or more of her sons to succeed Constantine. After she connived in concocting a story of rape and treason against Crispus, Constantine had him excecuted (there's some question here whether Crispus' popularity and military successes might not have been at least part of the great pragmatist, Constantine's, decision to do away with his own son).

Later, when Fausta's complicity in the plot was exposed, he had her sealed in a bath with a hypocaust beneath it, then had the fire stoked until she was boiled to death like a lobster.

This piece, from the Vota series, was struck at Siscia in 320 AD. The legends are thus:

Obv: IVL CRISPVS NOB CAES Laureate head right

Rx: CAESARVM NOSTRORVM around wreath, VOT / V within; GSIS (Siscia, 3rd officina) in exergue. RIC VII 151.

The "VOT V" is in proclamation of Crispus' undertaking the vows of his 5th year as a Caesar. The Emperor as Pontifex Maximus and "heirs apparent" Caesars as high priests of the State religion (despite Constantine and his family's official recognition of Christianity) undertook vows to perform certain ceremonies and sacrifices at various intervals (usually every 5 and/or 10 years) as sort of a bargain with the gods - "I'll faithfuly attend to doing these sacrifices for you if you'll keep me alive and in power for another 5 (or 10) years." Often appearing on reverses as merely VOT / V / MVLT / X (or X & XX, or XX & XXX, etc) within a wreath, this one honors the 3 Caesars created simultaneously 5 yrs before, Crispus, Constantine II, and Licinius II.

Mark

Roman dagger quillion

admin — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 21:38:08 GMT

Roman dagger quillion

Roman bronze dagger guard or quillion 24.27g, 36.91mm L x 13.41mm W x 12.72 H

Roman military suspension loop

admin — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 21:30:17 GMT

Roman military suspension loop

Roman military suspension loop with 2 rivet fixing

Romano/British strap end

admin — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 17:37:44 GMT

Romano/British strap end

Romano British hooked strap end - serpend head with 2 rivet fixings

Celtic bronze coin

admin — Sun, 31 Aug 2008 21:39:21 GMT

Celtic bronze coin

Cunobelin bronze unit VA 2101,Celtic Coin Index 04.2645'

bucklepin.jpg

admin — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 17:03:38 GMT

bucklepin.jpg

Roman - Cast copper alloy buckle tongue with half of it's loop broken. File marks are evident on the sides and underside. Three incised lines decorate a raised rectangle at the base of the loop - Ref Bishop 186

Roman fibular brooch

admin — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 16:49:38 GMT

Roman fibular brooch

1stC decorated Roman brooch, bow and foot only

Roman dolphin brooch

admin — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 16:42:08 GMT

Roman dolphin brooch

1st C Roman dolphin brooch

Roman lead dice

admin — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 16:30:48 GMT

Roman lead dice

Roman silver ear scraper

admin — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 19:43:06 GMT

Roman silver ear scraper

Roman Silver Ear wax scraper - donated to Colchester museum by Randy Garcia