Constantius II - Half maiorina

[Tejas]

I bought these three half-maiorinas of Constantius II of the mint of Trier. These coins are quite cheap, but scarcer than the full maiorinas. The first two are from Ebay, the third one is from CGB.

I wonder what the Phoenix symbolizes?

Edited December 2, 2023 by Tejas

[Heliodromus]

Nice!

I'm also partial to these phoenix types.

Apparently the western phoenix is a different species than the eastern one, more related to a pheasant than the stork-family eastern one! 😀

 

[Tejas]

Very nice. I think this type was only minted for a short period of time in around 347-350. I wonder if the Phoenix has anything to do with the Arian creed to which Constantius adhered. 

Edited December 2, 2023 by Tejas

[Heliodromus]

Yes, I'm not sure if we know how long they were issued for, but the date is certainly c.348.

I suspect the type - with phoenix as a symbol for cyclic rebirth - may have been chosen for the 100 yr AUC founding-of-rome anniversary in 348 AD, which earlier was also treated as an occasion for saecular games : Claudius in 47 AD, Antonius Pius in 147 AD, and Philip I in 248 AD.

 

Edited December 2, 2023 by Heliodromus

[seth77]

These are so interesting and rather unique as far as Roman coinage designs go. But what I find most appealing is the tight connection with the large AE denomination. What these small AEs show us is a close-up image of the device that the emperor is holding on the large AEs.

 

 

[Tejas]

6 hours ago, Heliodromus said:

I suspect the type - with phoenix as a symbol for cyclic rebirth - may have been chosen for the 100 yr AUC founding-of-rome anniversary in 348 AD, which earlier was also treated as an occasion for saecular games : Claudius in 47 AD, Antonius Pius in 147 AD, and Philip I in 248 AD.

Apparently, the Phoenix on a globe symbolises eternity (perhaps through rebirth). Hence, you interpretation seems quite plausible. I also found an interpretation that suggests that the Phoenix reiterated the legend, i.e. FEL TEMP REPARATIO, thus symbolizing the rebirth of happier times.

I couldn't find any indication why the phoenix is sometimes depicted on a globe and sometimes on a mount.

I think that these coins were not minted for a long time, since the full maiorina (or centenionalis) was quickly reduced to the size of the phoenix-half-maiorina (or half-centenionalis). 

This maiorina/centenionalis is of the same size as the Phoenix-half-maiorina/centenionalis:

Edited December 2, 2023 by Tejas

[Tejas]

As @seth77 pointed out, the Phoenix also appears on one of the maiorina or centenionalis types, where the bird is sitting on the emperor's right hand. I have examples from Siscia, Trier and Arles:

 

Edited December 2, 2023 by Tejas

[Victor_Clark]

 

 

This rocky mound type with branches protruding is fairly rare and only issued by Rome. Also unlisted without star in left of reverse...compare with RIC VIII Rome 141 or 144 with no star; but phoenix on a globe.

 

 

Constantius II
A.D. 348- 350
18x19mm 2.0g
D N CONSTAN-TIVS P F AVG; pearl diademed, draped and cuirassed bust right.
FEL TEMP REPARATIO; radiate phoenix on rocky mound.
In ex. RT
RIC VIII Rome --

ex- Glenn Simonelli
 

[Heliodromus]

2 hours ago, Tejas said:

This maiorina/centenionalis is of the same size as the Phoenix-half-maiorina/centenionalis:

Originally there were 3 Fel Temp denominations of different sizes, silver content, and reverse types. The largest one, with highest silver content, does appear to have been called the maiorina since there's a contemporary reference to this name in a law of Constantius forbidding melting of the coins for silver content.

large 22-24mm, 3% silver : galley, fallen horseman

middle 20-22mm, 1.5% silver : hut, captives, horseback emperor (Rome only)

small 18mm, 0% silver : galley, phoenix

The different denominations seem to have caused considerable confusion with western mints marking the large one with an "A" and middle with an "N", as well as using left facing busts to help differentiate the middle denomination.

I'm not sure what the value of the smaller two denominations were wrt the large one (maiorina). The phoenix one can't have been more than 1/4 of that. When the size of the fallen horseman type was dropped to that of the smallest denomination (and the other types then discontinued), I would assume that at that size it had the corresponding lowest denomination value.

Edited December 3, 2023 by Heliodromus

[Furryfrog02]

I don't have too much to add but the one and only Constantius II with a phoenix is this, which hasn't been shown in this thread yet:

Constantius II
AE4 (16.9mm/1.99g)
Constantinople Mint
Obverse: DN CONSTAN-TIVS PF AVG, pearl-diademed, draped, cuirassed bust right
Reverse: FEL TEMP REPARATIO, radiate phoenix standing right on globe. Mintmark CONSA star

[seth77]

The system might have been 3:2:1 and it might have been introduced in stages between 348 and 350. And since there were 2 types for the largest denomination, it was bound that once the machine got rolling and the mints got busy minting, mules would happen. Or at least that is what I thought this one to be:

 

The obverse is typical of the early FH type, paired with the galley reverse. Or so I thought. But it seems that this was not a fluke, RIC lists the type at 113 and  Nummus Bible has another spec from officina A: https://www.nummus-bible-database.com/monnaie-28234.htm
 

I wonder if anybody else has one of these.

Edited December 3, 2023 by seth77

[Heliodromus]

Yes, I would guess that'd be considered as a mule, unless a bunch more show up. It's intereresting that only Rome and Thessalonica chose to use this bust with globe, and it seems only for the galley type.

There's also this Thessalonica-only emperor with labarum and captive type, which seems to also be the largest denomination and has the non-globe bust.

I forget where I got the silver content information from (Shawn Caza ?), but assuming this is correct then the smallest zero-silver denomination would have been worth VERY little (in bullion/metal content) relative to the other two. I doubt it's face value was more than 1/4 of the largest one.

 

Edited December 3, 2023 by Heliodromus

[seth77]

21 minutes ago, Heliodromus said:

Yes, I would guess that'd be considered as a mule, unless a bunch more show up. It's intereresting that only Rome and Thessalonica chose to use this bust with globe, and it seems only for the galley type.

There's also this Thessalonica-only emperor with labarum and captive type, which seems to also be the largest denomination and has the non-globe bust.

I forget where I got the silver content information from (Shawn Caza ?), but assuming this is correct then the smallest zero-silver denomination would have been worth VERY little (in bullion/metal content) relative to the other two. I doubt it's face value was more than 1/4 of the largest one.

 

Thessalonica is an interesting case: a lot of large modules but virtually 0 phoenix on globe issues. Shawn Caza's article is interesting, although I wish he'd gone more in depth about the relation between the types, even though his main focus was the FH type.

[Tejas]

14 hours ago, Heliodromus said:

The different denominations seem to have caused considerable confusion with western mints marking the large one with an "A" and middle with an "N", as well as using left facing busts to help differentiate the middle denomination.

Interesting, I always wondered what the A and N stood for. These letters have apparently not been used consistently. Indeed, I have quite a few FTR coins, but the coins below from Rome is the only one with an N. Note the strange placeing of the N in the legend, i.e. FEL TEMP REPARATI -N- O

 

 

Edited December 3, 2023 by Tejas

[Tejas]

12 hours ago, seth77 said:

Thessalonica is an interesting case: a lot of large modules but virtually 0 phoenix on globe issues. Shawn Caza's article is interesting, although I wish he'd gone more in depth about the relation between the types, even though his main focus was the FH type.

Not sure, but my impression is that the coins from Thessalonica are rarer than those of the other major mints.

 

[Heliodromus]

9 hours ago, Tejas said:

These letters have apparently not been used consistently

Yes - not much consistency! For example while all the western mints (Trier, Lyons, Arles + Italy) used "A" on some (but not all) issues, basically only italy used "N" for the middle denomination, and again only on some issues. I'm not sure of the sequencing of these - were the letters added later in reaction to confusion?

I said "basically" for Italy-only "N", since maridvnvm has previously posted a specimen of an unlisted hut issue from Trier with "N". Presumably there may therefore be an N-marked Trier captives type too.

Magnentius continued use of these "A" and "N" markings, but again not on all issues.

 

Edited December 3, 2023 by Heliodromus

[maridvnvm]

Nothing much to add other than illustrating some of the Phoenix on... coins that I have gathered

Lugdunum

Siscia

Trier

Antioch

Constantinople

[Xeno]

Absolutely love these phoenix designs, they're on my list just waiting for the right one to pop up.

[Tejas]

Great coins. @maridvnvm do you know what the sign to the right of the phoenix on your coin below is?

Btw,  I think the mount on which the Phoenix sits, is not a "rocky mount" as many auction catalogs suggest, but a funery pyre. Hence, the Phoenix is literally rising from the ashes of the funery pyre.

 

Edited December 4, 2023 by Tejas

[Tejas]

I also wonder what the globe is on which the Phoenix is sometimes placed? I think this globe is not meant to symbolize the earth. The second picture below shows a medal from 1827, which marks the deat of the king of Saxony Friedrich August III. Here the Phoenix is standing on a globe that is in German called "Sternenkugel" (star globe), but which may symbolize the universe. 

 

[maridvnvm]

@Tejas These symbols appear on a particular issue and seem to be some form of issue mark. The symbol seems to be linked to the officina.

The symbols typically appear in the exe but do unusually appear in the fields. Here are some more of the symbols in case they are of interest.

Constans - AE3

Obv:- DN CONSTA-NS PF AVG, pearl-diademed, draped and cuirassed bust right,
Rev:– FEL TEMP REPARATIO, Emperor standing left on galley, holding phoenix on globe and labarum; Victory behind, steering galley
Minted in Siscia; (//ASIS Sym4),
Reference:– RIC VIII Siscia 199 var (unlisted from this Officina in RIC)

Constans - AE3

Obv:- DN CONSTA-NS PF AVG, rosette-diademed, draped and cuirassed bust right,
Rev:- FEL TEMP-REPARATIO, emperor in military dress standing left on galley, holding Phoenix on globe and labarum, Victory sitting at the stern, steering the ship
Minted in Siscia; (Sym4 | _ //DSIS), A.D. 348-350
Reference:– RIC VIII Siscia 248 corr. (err. in RIC right field instead of left field) (C2)

0 degrees. 2.65 gms. 18.67 mm

Constans - AE2

Obv:- D N CONSTA-NS P F AVG, Laureate and rosette-diademed, draped, cuirassed bust left, globe in right hand
Rev:- FEL•TEMP•REPA-RATIO, Helmeted soldier, spear in left hand, advancing right, head left; with his right hand he leads a small bare-headed figure from a hut beneath a tree. The spear points downwards, between the soldier's legs
Minted in Siscia; (// BSIS(Symbol 2)M ), A.D. 348-350
Reference:– RIC VIII Siscia 217 (C). LRBC 1121 var (Hut 2)

 

[Heliodromus]

4 hours ago, Tejas said:

I also wonder what the globe is on which the Phoenix is sometimes placed? I think this globe is not meant to symbolize the earth. The second picture below shows a medal from 1827, which marks the deat of the king of Saxony Friedrich August III. Here the Phoenix is standing on a globe that is in German called "Sternenkugel" (star globe), but which may symbolize the universe. 

Yes - same for the roman type. We see this same globe with "X" and varying amounts of additiional detail held by Sol, Jupiter, the emperor, on the Beata Tranquilitas type, as well as here and elsewhere. It's a celestial globe representing both what was visible and known about the universe relative to earth. It's the same thing as the celestial globe held by the Farnese Atlas.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Farnese_Atlas

 

Edited December 4, 2023 by Heliodromus

[Heliodromus]

The Antioch phoenix type is nice in that it often goes beyond the basic X plus dots representing the stars and adds real stars and moons (albeit in rather random combinations, such as the "all moons" versions shown above!).

The Antioch phoenix is also sometimes shown in what I call "super-radiate" form as above where the sun rays are replaced by wider sun beams. I've seen this on a Nicomedian one too.

 

[Tejas]

I just saw this coin from the Colkirk hoard (thanks to Donna, who posted the link). I guess this answers a few questions:

1. The phoenix clearly symbolizes the concepts of eternity or perpetuity through rebirth. 

2. The design was used beyond the anniversary of AD 348, suggesting perhaps that it was never directly linked to that event.

 

[Heliodromus]

The phoenix on globe design itself predates the FEL TEMP coinage - I think maybe first used by Antoninus Pius, then also by Hadrian. I believe this use by Theododius I (also issued for Valentinian II) was the last. So, the design itself wasn't created for Constantius II's AUC centennial commemoration, but the choice of such a cyclic rebirth motif, coupled with the FEL TEMP REPARATIO legend which echoes the sentiment, does seem appropriate as a golden age / saecular renewal type.

Of course the real saecular cycle was the 110yr Syballine oracle one, and had been celebrated by Augustus, Domitian and Septimius Severus, but it seems this was such a politically popular concept that other emperors wanted to get in on the act, so as mentioned Claudius co-opted the AUC centennial anniversary as an excuse for an alternate series of 100 yr saecular celebrations.

Here's a neat aureus type of Hadrian (not my coin) combining the phoenix and golden age concepts.

Aeon holding phoenix-on-globe inside zodiacal circle, with the SAEC. AVR. (golden age) legend.

Even Carausius had wanted to claim a return to the/a golden age, without any saecular excuse, and had used an RSR (return of the reign of saturn, aka golden age) reference to Virgil on some of his coins.

 

Edited December 6, 2023 by Heliodromus