Identified Coins

That's a nice coin there, one reverse type that I don't have. In fact, I don't have a regular Constantine II. I have some odd obverse die variety.

I'm not sure if you're aware about the rarity ratings for RIC. It's not wise to rely on them because the reference books came up with the ratings based on the coins they had access to at the time. Hoards, some private collections and collections from museums. Some of them are not accurate either. I've seen coins labeled as common, and yet I've never seen maybe a coin or two for that particular catalog number. Then again, ones labeled as rare, end up being very common.

That's what some sellers do. They use those ratings to get a higher price out of a coin. I've seen it many times. Of course some coins do match up as rare.

Gil-galad makes a good point but there is one more thing about rarity to consider. Who cares? Do you? RIC rarity ratings apply to the most minor detail of type and mintmark. Lets say a coin usually shows the ruler wearing a pearl diadem but one die was made showing a rosette diadem. Lets say an issue of coins was made for two co-rulers with Ruler A using workshop A and Ruler B using workshop B. One day the guys at the mint swapped dies for some (or no) reason and made a few coins of Ruler A with a B mintmark. How much extra are you willing to pay for the oddball? Certainly you want it if you are a specialist trying to get every coin of Ruler A but do you realize how very, very few people are actually trying to get every permutation of every minor version of every common emperor? There are a very small number of coins issued in the names of rare rulers like Silbannicus or Constantia so their coins might bring six figure prices. There are similar numbers of items made rare by a misplaced dot or an out of the ordinary workshop letter. They might be expected to sell for a few dollars more, if that, than the common versions. When reading a high RIC rarity rating, be sure to determine what it was that made it R5 and decide whether you care before you even pay the dollar extra. When you sell an R5 by minor variation, I wish you well in finding the one in a million collector who cares or one of the beginners who knows no better and thinks any R5 is worth a big price.

Excellent coin.

Very nice find!

Cool coin ... unfortunately, it is disintegrating in front of your eyes (must be a very helpless feeling?) ... but hats-off to you for trying your best to blow a bit of life back into the ol' girl!!

Okay, a grand total of 18 coins finished cleaning. 6 have been written off - they are falling apart, making 7 coins culled. They were nice coins too - 3 of them were walking victories, and I needed a nice of those.

First, Faustina II, Unknown reverse, picture sucked so heres the obverse:


Septimius Severus, (Its square!) - unknown reverse:



Claudius II, VIRTVS AVG:



The nicest, best preserved constantine II I've ever seen, but the reverse die was in a bit of a state and this was badly struck. A bit sad, but the obverse is still beautiful:



Unknown, Pentanummium, bit E with cross right, probably Justin II:



My first Constantius, GLORIA EXERCITVS:



Constantine, I reckon barbaric. what survives is ANTIVS AVG - nothing in between. Reverse is Gloria Exercitvs, partial mintmark reads (unknown)RS:



This one must be barbaric, its teensy (I reckon it was about 12mm when full) and the reverse is FEL TEMP. It was one of the constantines. I dont recognise the style either:



and heres another fel temp, from Chrsmat, I think this one might be regular Constantine:

with BH on that old coin of mine, I think I can see the "tivs" there on the obverse. glad it found a new home!

that campgate is great!