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Camp Gate Reverse Types

Looking somewhat like a child's drawing of an arch, the camp gate was a very popular theme on Roman coinage from the early Fourth to the mid Fifth Centuries A. D. It is a representation of the heavily fortified main gate to a late Roman army fort. The use of the word "camp" is somewhat misleading. Though laid out somewhat like the early army camps built of wooden stakes and earthen ramparts that could be moved to a different location every night, the late Roman army camp was very much a permanent fort whose walls were made of stone. By the Fourth Century, the Roman army had gone from the offensive to the defensive. These stone forts were used by the LIMITANEI, or border defense troops and didn’t permit the army to go too far afield to engage the enemy. The other half of the army was the COMITATENSIS, or mobile field army led by the master general or emperor himself into battle against barbarians and rebels.

Virtual Galleries
Camp Gate Reverse Types, Constantine and His Soms


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Identifying Common Fourth Century Roman Bronze Coins
Reading the Emperor's Name and Titles
A Picture Gallery of Fourth Century Reverse Types
Camp Gate
Altar Inscribed VOTIS XX
Two Soldiers Standing With Two Standards
Two Soldiers Holding One Standard
Wreath With Legend Inside
Soldier Spearing a Fallen Horseman
VRBS ROMA Commemorative - Mother Wolf Suckling Twins Romulus and Remus
CONSTANTINOPOLIS Commemorative - Victory Standing on Prow of Ship
Two Victories Each Holding a Small Wreath
Two Victories Each Holding a Large Wreath on Centenionals of Decentius
Emperor Holding Labarum or Standard and Dragging Captive
Emperor Raising Kneeling Captive
Victory Advancing Left
A Key to Fourth Century Inscriptions
Some Scarcer Late Fourth Century and early Fifth Century Types

All New! More image galleries of late Roman bronze types.

Camp Gate
Altar with Votis, Victories with Wreath
FEL TEMP REPARATIO, Soldier Spearing Fallen Horseman
More FEL TEMP, including Barbarian and Hut tupes
Victory Advancing Left Holding Wreath
Emperor Holding Labarum and Dragging Captive