Constantine the Great





       These are the bust descriptions from RIC VII. This is the page of plain busts. A bust can be either facing left or facing right.The term 'plain bust' means that the image is depicted with a bust only. It will not be carrying or holding anything like a shield or spear. A plain bust can be draped, cuirassed or both. The busts are bare-headed, laureate, radiate, helmeted, diademed or veiled. The diadems can be plain, rosette or pearl. There may also be some variation between the coins pictured and other coins as dies will differ, so, for example, not every A2 bust will be identical.
    Sometimes the RIC description is not correct-- footnotes in RIC explain that I1 and I2 are probably identical. There can be some difficulty between distinguishing some of consular busts. A few of the examples I have illustrated do not exactly match the RIC description, but were the closest I could find-- one example, the H5 type I illustrated does not have a spear.

    

1.  Plain Busts


A.  Bare-headed

A1
head bare
A1
                    Bust head bare
A2
head bare,
draped, cuirassed,
seen from the back
A2
                    Bust head bare, draped, cuirassed, seen from the
                    back
A3
head bare
draped, cuirassed,
bust facing
A3
                    Bust head bare, draped, cuirassed, bust facing
A4
head bare
draped, cuirassed
A4
                    Bust HANNIBALIANUS head bare, draped, cuirassed
A5
head bare,
cuirassed
A5
                    Bust Constantine II head bare, cuirassed
A6
head bare,
waved hair,
mantled (Fausta)
A6
                    Bust head bare, waved hair, mantled (Fausta)
A7
head bare, 
but intertwined plaits
encircling head, plaits
decorated with hair-pins,
mantled with necklace,
(Constantia)
A7
                    Bust head bare, but intertwined plaits; encircling
                    head, plaits decorated with hair-pins, mantled with
                    necklace, (Constantia)


B.  Laureate

B1
head laureate
B1
                    Bust head laureate
B2
head laureate,
looking upwards
B2
                    Bust head laureate, looking upwards
B3
head laureate,
draped,cuirassed,
seen from the back
B3
                    Bust Constantine II head laureate, draped,cuirassed,
                    seen from the back
B4
bust laureate,
draped
cuirassed
B4
                    Bust bust laureate, draped, cuirassed
B5
bust laureate,
cuirassed
B5
                    Bust bust laureate, cuirassed
B6
bust laureate,
wearing trabea


C.  Radiate

C1
head radiate
C1
                    Bust image photographed bt Doug Smith in Tory
                    Failmezger's Roman Bronze Coins head radiate
C2
bust radiate
draped, cuirassed,
seen from back
C2
                    Bust bust radiate, draped, cuirassed, seen from
                    back
C3
bust radiate
draped, cuirassed
C3
                    Bust bust radiate, draped, cuirassed
C4
bust radiate
cuirassed
C4
                    Bust Constantine II bust radiate, cuirassed


D.  Helmeted

D1
helmeted,
draped, cuirassed
D1
                    Bust helmeted, draped, cuirassed
D2
helmeted
cuirassed
D2
                    Bust helmeted, cuirassed
D3
helmeted
wearing imperial cloak
(Vrbs Roma)
D3
                    Bust helmeted, wearing imperial cloak (Vrbs Roma)
D4
helmet with plume,
wearing imperial cloak
(Vrbs Roma)
D4
                    Bust helmet with plume, wearing imperial cloak (Vrbs
                    Roma)
D5
laureate helmet,
draped, cuirassed
D6
laureate helmet
cuirassed
D6
                    Bust laureate helmet, cuirassed
D7
high-crested helmet
(bowl shaped)
cuirassed
D7
                    Bust high-crested helmet (bowl shaped), cuirassed


E.  Diademed

E1
head with
plain diadem
E1
                    Bust head with plain diadem
E2
head with
rosette-diadem
E2.
                    Bust head with rosette-diadem
E3
head with
pearl diadem
E3
                    Bust head with pearl diadem
E4
head with
plain diadem,
looking upwards
E4
                    Bust Constantius II head with plain diadem, looking
                    upwards
E5
head with
rosette-diadem,
looking upwards
E6
head with
pearl diadem,
looking upwards
E6
                    Bust Constantius II head with pearl diadem, looking
                    upwards
E7
plain diadem
draped, cuirassed bust
E7
                    Bust Constantine II plain diadem, draped, cuirassed
                    bust
E8
rosette diadem,
draped, cuirassed bust
E8
                    Bust rosette diadem, draped, cuirassed bust
E9
pearl diadem
draped, cuirassed bust
E9
                    Bust Constantius II pearl diadem; draped and
                    cuirassed bust
E10
diademed, mantled,
with necklace
(Helena)
E10
                    Bust diademed, mantled, with necklace (Helena)
E11
double pearl diadem
with forehead jewel
on plait encircling head,
mantled with necklace
(Helena)
E11
                    Bust double pearl diadem with forehead jewel on
                    plait encircling head, mantled with necklace
                    (Helena)


F.  Veiled

F1
head veiled
and laureate
F1
                    Bust Constantius Chlorus head veiled and laureate



 
 

Adjunct bust types G-I

last modified on 20 July 2007

Constantine the Great