CONSTANTIUS GALLUS, Caesar, Roman Soldier Spears Enemy Cavalryman, Imperial Coin

Description

IMPERIAL ROMAN COIN
Constantinian Dynasty
Constantine I
had four sons whom he originally designated as Caesars.
His first wife,
Minervina
, bore him his eldest son named
Crispus
. He was made Caesar while his three half-brothers (whose mother was
Fausta
) were very young.
Constantine
had Crispus killed for reasons that are unclear today, but it is strongly suspected that his second wife, Fausta, had something to do with it so that her sons could move ahead of
Crispus
into the position of Emperor.  Subsequently,
Constantine's
remaining sons,
Constantine II, Constantius II, and Constans
, each became a Roman Emperor after disposing of most of the cousins.
CONSTANTIUS II, Caesar 324-337; Roman Emperor 337-361 A.D.
Perhaps the ambitiousness and ruthlessness of the three surviving sons of
Constantine the Great
and his second wife,
Fausta
, was best exemplified by their second eldest son,
Constantius II
.  Right after their father's death in 337 A.D.,
Constantius
had all surviving male descendants of
Constantine
murdered, with the exception of two cousins,
Gallus and Julian
. The Empire was split three ways by
Constans, Constantine II
and
Constantius II
.
Constantius
started as Emperor of the eastern portion of the empire holding off Persian invaders, but also dealt with several ursurpers to his throne. He eventually became sole ruler of the empire after the deaths of his two brothers,
Constans
and
Constantine II
.
Constantius II
died of an unknown illness in 361 and was immediately succeeded by his cousin, Julian II.
Constantius Gallus
was one of three young nephews of Constantine the Great that survived the murderous purges undertaken by Constantine’s three sons after his death.  Constantius Gallus was raised to the rank of Caesar by Constantius II when he needed help in the eastern empire where his brother Constans had been killed by the usurper, Magentius.  Gallus was Caesar from 351-354 A.D., but was executed by Emperor Constantius II when it appeared that he was gaining too much power.  Life and death within the Constantinian imperial court!
FEL TEMP
REPARATIO
FELicium TEMPorum REPARATIO
most likely reads, re-establishment of the happy times”
These coins were introduced as part of the coinage reform of 348 AD by Constantius II and Constans, two of Constantine the Great's sons. All coins of this reform bear the reverse legend
FEL TEMP REPARATIO
('Restoration of Happy Times') or sometimes known as
'Happy Days are Here Again'
.  They are good examples of how the Roman emperors of this time used coins as official propaganda.
These coins represent the emperor's claim that, "These are the good times" or "These are the restoration of happy times".
Propaganda was and is an art form used by rulers of any era!
There were a great many of these coins minted, so they are easily obtained by collectors at any level of expertise.  There are many types of these coins.  The one featured here is called a "Fallen Horseman Fel Temp".
Constantius II preferred the “Fallen Horseman” type. On this coin, Virtus or a Roman soldier is shown spearing a barbarian horseman. Varieties show this barbarian in different poses but in all he is dying. The barbarians who died on your coins were from several different tribes and countries. Some can be identified with some degree of certainty by their attire, hair and beards.
This coin probably commemorates Constantius II's military victories in the eastern portion of the Empire in and around modern day Turkey.
CONSTANTIUS GALLUS, Caesar  AE3 (18-19 mm, 4.24 total gm)
OBV:
C. Gallus' bare head bust right, draped and cuirassed
REV:
FEL TEMP REPARATIO, Roman soldier spearing fallen horseman, who is clutching horse; dot S dot left; star in center
Constantinople mint            RIC 177
As usual, the pictures really don't do justice. Let me know if you have questions.
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I have collected Roman coins for many years and have always bought coins from trusted, reputable dealers. The coins I sell are ancient currency minted under the authority of the Roman Empire.  The details I describe (emperor, location, legends, etc) are derived from well-known and certified attribution sources.  The descriptions are guaranteed accurate as much as the condition of the coin allows.  This
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