Crispus Altar and Globe

[Heliodromus]

8 hours ago, Severus Alexander said:

The cross was not widely used as a Christian symbol until after the chi-rho.  So I find this coin to be quite intriguing!

By the time of the Fel Temp series the cross is used alongside the Chi-Rho and Tau-Rho presumably as a Christian symbol. I like to collect the Fel Temp captive type because of the variety of banner symbols we see, for example:

 

There's also one with a cruciform cross rather than an equilateral one, but I don't have one of those.

There are some earlier uses of the cross though, that I'd interpret as Christian, starting (most controversially, perhaps) as a pediment symbol on Maxentius' Conserv Vrb Svae type at Aquileia. Then we have the "star + cross" fieldmark combination used by Constantine at Ticinum c.316 on his Soli/Marti types, and similar parallel use of cross and star altar decorations on his VLPP series. There's also the interesting cross-like symbol (staurogram?) used a a sort-of issue mark on the Gloria Ex 2-standard type at Aquileia.

There were so many Christian-related symbols in use at the same time, it's hard to tease them apart or know to what extent they were regarded as the same by different segments of the population. I do find it interesting that Lyons chose to use the open Tau-Rho on that posthumous type for Constantine (only), but chose to use a Chi-Rho as an issue mark (on standard) on the Gloria Exerticus type.

 

[Heliodromus]

On 6/10/2022 at 12:19 AM, Severus Alexander said:

Facit ut iussus est et transversa X littera, summo capite circumflexo

On second thought, it seems "et transversa" is the appropriate translation unit, with transverse being used as a verb rather than adjective, giving a literal translation of "he transversed the letter X, ...", so the vertical line may be implied same as if it might have said "struck through the letter X, ...".

I found this drawing on pinterest a whlle ago, which perhaps gives a good idea of what any such modified Cornuti shield might have looked like. The Chi-Rho, or whatever form of Christogram it may have been, covers over a victory on globe which can be seen on the shield on the arch of Constantine.

The feathers on the helmet look a bit odd, but again copy detail from the arch of Constantine (different scene though), if that is being interpreted correctly.

 

Edited June 11, 2022 by Heliodromus

[Qcumbor]

Nothing like a Chi-Rho here, or even a shield, but a Lugdunum issue (did I ever tell you I live near Lugdunum 😄 ?)

 

Q