Sign language on a Constantine coin

[Victor]

I am posting this on other boards.


The coin below has an obverse and reverse that has figures with hands raised, but they are not waving. The Sol on reverse is so small the details are hard to make out, but Constantine shows more of what is going on. RIC VII describes this bust as showing imperatorial gestus. The word gestus is a great German word which means physical gestures that convey the attitude, or "gist". So, the raised hand for Constantine (note the fingers also) is meant to convey a sense of regalness and authority. Sol, of course as befitting a god, also has a raised hand.


The curious position of Constantine's fingers was not accidental, but actually meant something to the Romans- think sign language.


These gestures are carried on into Byzantine culture also. Besides coins, you see the hand gestures on icons. Compare the icon gesture to Constantine's.


For those interested, a small introduction-- https://aleteia.org/2016/06/12/what...-icons-mean/

[Genio popvli romani]

The curious position of Constantine’s fingers was not accidental, but actually meant something to the Romans- think sign language.

It is generally considered as an adlocutio gesture like on Postumus' sestertii.

[Victor]

There are coins that show adlocutio (first three examples below), which is an address to the troops. While this is part of the system of using hand gestures in rhetoric; I don't think that Constantine is addressing the troops. Note the adlocutio gesture is hand out (some suggest this is the origins of the Nazi salute) while Constantine is depicted with specific fingers up. That is why I compared the coin with the icon of Jesus, which has a similar hand position. I also don't think Jesus is addressing troops. I believe the gesture of Constantine and Jesus is meant to convey some spiritual meaning.

The last two coins are more typical for adlocutio gestures. The Constantius reminds me of a bit that comedian Jerry Seinfeld did on the casual German salute.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=57bNmzepNkM

[Gavin]

I would like to return to this extraordinary coin for a moment and consider the question, “Why Lyon?”

I recently reviewed an essay forthcoming in KOINON about another Constantine Sol coin with a rare bust type. I won’t scoop the article here, but it seems like Lugdunum/Lyon has a unique or distinctive relationship with these SOL INVICTUS issues.

Lyon struck early odd varieties of Sol striding and carrying a globe, or advancing with a whip. I speculate that Lyon might have been the first mint to strike Constantine’s SOLI INVICTO COMITI coins, but London and Trier also started striking in about 310 according to RIC. Maybe Lyon’s primacy can’t be proved.

And then we have these odd K and L bust types at Lyon—consular busts of Constantine wearing the trabea, or, as in this coin, Constantine making the imperial gestus. If there were a mint that was special to Constantine, I would assume it would be Trier. I wonder why Lyon seems to have a special relationship with this coin type, both in terms of obverse and reverse?

Just some idle speculation on a Tuesday afternoon.

[Victor]

The use of this bust type at Lyons during this period may have been done just to get the attention of Constantine and curry his favor. It seems that after his defeat of Maxentius he was in the West for several years, until the end of 316, but it doesn't seem like he visited the city. It is known that he visited and resided at other cities like Trier, Rome, Milan and Arles, but nothing in the record where he specifically visited Lyons, merely something about him visiting Gaul in the spring of 313. Lugdunum is on the out and they knew it, possibly their only chance at being an important center rested with God or his regent Constantine, who seemed to be ignoring Lugdunum.