Crispus VIRT EXERC from Thessalonica

[Victor]

RIC only lists this coin with a laureate and cuirassed bust (B5) while this one has drapery also (B4). In the footnotes for Thessalonica 69- 71, Bruun says "Bust B4 or B5, a matter of opinion." This coin should come before RIC VII Thessalonica 69.



Crispus
A.D. 319
18x19mm  2.8gm
D N FL IVL CRISPVS NOB CAES; laureate, draped and cuirassed bust right.
VIRT EXERC; Sol stg. in the middle of a Roman camp, raising right hand, holding globe in left, chlamys across left shoulder.
In exe. •T•S•E
Cf. RIC VII Thessalonica 69

[Lech Stępniewski]

Hi Victor,

in my opinion this coin is simply THESSALONICA 69. Please, compare these specimens:

http://daa.pl/hzXi

[Victor]

Hello Lech,

Yes, they all look alike, but then maybe they are all draped and cuirassed. Perhaps it is only an unusual way of engraving the cuirass from this angle though. However, I have seen a few of the Constantine I & Licinius I examples with B5 busts and they are clearly different from this coin, with no trace of drapery, but the Caesars are profiled a little differently. I guess that is why Bruun said "Bust B4 or B5, a matter of opinion" as he couldn't make up his mind.

[Genio popvli romani]

..., but then maybe they are all draped and cuirassed. Perhaps it is only an unusual way of engraving the cuirass from this angle though. However, I have seen a few of the Constantine I & Licinius I examples with B5 busts and they are clearly different from this coin, with no trace of drapery,...

I do agree wih this point of view, I assume that in this case, the caesars are wearing a fibula on right shoulder unlike the cuirassed busts.

[Victor]

I do agree wih this point of view, I assume that in this case, the caesars are wearing a fibula on right shoulder unlike the cuirassed busts.

Yes, on my Crispus example, there is a clear round fibula on his right shoulder.

[Lech Stępniewski]

maybe they are all draped and cuirassed.

I agree. Additionally, these bust are similar to busts on THESSALONICA 62-65 [VICTORIA CAESS NN], which were marked by Bruun as B4. I wonder why he was inconsistent.

[Victor]

I wonder why he was inconsistent.

Bruun has a few instances where he is inconsistent or even made mistakes, but given the scope of his work, I am amazed by how great a job he did.

But, that is one of the reasons we gather together, to talk about things like this.