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Soldier Spearing a Fallen Horseman

In A. D. 348, the Roman government struck some beautiful new coin types that were also quite a bit larger than the 15 mm or so of the tiny two victories wreath, and two soldiers, one standard types then in circulation. The new types introduced in 348 were in commemoration of the 1100th anniversary of the founding of Rome. This goes to show that the Americans and British were not the first to strike commemorative coins. Unlike our own commemoratives unless Congress authorizes circulating commems in the future, these beauties actually circulated throughout the empire. The most common of these are coins in several diameters showing a Roman emperor in full battle dress spearing a foe who has fallen from a stumbling horse. The workmanship on hese ranges from exquisite to miserable and there is usually enough material in dealers' stock and junk boxes to form an interesting collection of just this type.

This is one of the reverse types in a large group of coins called the FEL TEMP REPARATIO series. Other reverse images in this group include the emperor dragging a barbarian out of a hut or the emperor standing in a shipwhich is being steered by victory. This last type is interesting in that the emperor also holds a labarum with the Christian Chi-Rho symbol.

As with most of the late Roman bronze coin types, the standard references used by collectors, dealers, and scholars are the Roman Imperial Coinage volumes VII through X and Carson, Hill, and Kent.


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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