Check out my new Phalerae!

[Magnus]

Ok, they're slightly tongue in cheek, but here they are. I got them off of ebay (not looking for antiques), and they were made for a play written in the 1800's about the emperor Nero and his lover Poppea. They're made from pewter, but look pretty close to silver all shined up. I'll use them as 2 of my centurion phalerae...though they're not quite what the emperor faced awards look like, and I don't think the inscription on them is accurate. They're 3.5 inches in diameter.

I'm also not sure how to mount them, since they're not solid pewter, they're stamped it looks like, and filled with some kind of plaster with a wierd backing on them.

[Magnus]

And the other one:

[Magnus]

And what does the VXOR stand for on the woman's phalerae? something of Rome...?

[M. Demetrius]

VXOR, or UXOR means "wife" in Latin.

[Tib. Gabinius]

Are you really sure you want to use them as phalerae?
I really dont wan't to anoy you, but the presentation on this things is more typical for coins (and even there the informations are to small) and don't fit to the found phalerae (e.g. of Bonn or Xanten).
Emperor showing phalerae are designed in the style of clipeus, little round shields showing frontal and 3 dimensional the heads or busts of the person.
http://www.imperiumromanum.com/militaer ... gen_02.htm

http://www.vroma.org/images/gruber-mill ... lipeus.jpg

http://www.trezorix.nl/cultuur/lp.rmo/m ... 00223.html

[Susanna]

I agree with Tib. Gabinius.

But maybe you could use them on a kind of signum a.e. or on roman furniture in your tent.

[Magnus]

Nope, they're going on my chest until I can find something better! And they were A-OK price-wise (if someone knows a good place to source these out, please let me know!) . Besides, I know they're not what the real ones look like, I'll just have to add a disclaimer to them when I'm in the public to appease the authenticity gods and their fanatical followers. 8)

Once I get better ones, the signum idea is great, thanks Susanna!

Thanks for the links Tobias...know of any place making good reproductions other than Nix Imperial's cold cast ones?

Thanks for the translation Dave...maybe I'll leave the VXOR one off...don't want people getting the wrong idea about me...lol.

[Magnus]

Oh, and I think I can pop the center part with the inscription and heads off if i wanted...be cool to use the outer rims maybe for something else eh?

[Tib. Gabinius]

You didn't mentioned what you payed for them, so i can't really compare them.
If you are satisfied with non-relief phalerae (like on the tombstones of Cn Musius, Q. Cornelius of the XVIs, the centurio Lucius Refidius Bassus) you will get them by a good price i guess. Ask Matt Lukes or Cacaius, perhaps i also can give you an email of a german crafter.

All in all it's a question what you want. Do you want an authentic item or just somewhat which looks a bit like.
A good presentation of "how to attach is "the military decorations of roman army" by Maxfield, page 94.

[Magnus]

They were pretty cheap....for both I paid $32 CAN including shipping from Britain.

I see the phalerae on the grave of Lucius Bassus...simple circular pattern it looks like. Wouldn't be too tough to make. They look like mini-signum disks...maybe that association lends credance to the signum disks being unit awards?

[Tib. Gabinius]

You mean, they were given in the same meaning and time like the phalerae of the signs?
It could be possible, but in my opinion, it's more a question of style and identification as donativa.

And the both signs you bought were really cheap, that's true.
I dont think you will get them as same cheap.
But something more to think about:
some think, that the phalerae were given as set (like the Xantener seems to).
So the rest of yours have to fit to the existing.

[Magnus]

Food for thought. Thanks Tobias.

[Servius Rustius Noricus]

Salve Magnus
I think I could help you with the mounting, as I have made several non-Roman belt buckles and other devices that had to be attached to leather straps. Being pewter it probably could be accomplished with a soldering iron as opposed to a welding torch.

[Magnus]

Thanks for the offer, but I think I'll be fine.

[Crispvs]

If you want phalerae that REALLY look special, you could try getting a set of glass paherae done. There were two in the third link Gabinius posted and I can send you pictures of several more (or perhaps it was only three - I forget now) from Vindonissa. One of these still retained (if I recall correctly) the brass setting which held it to the straps. The blue glass would really look something special. Find someone who is good at carving and enjoys it and then take the resultant copies to someone who does glass casting.


Crispvs