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 Replies: 25 / Views: 3,058 |
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Valued Member
United States
418 Posts |
Hi guys, I'm eyeing a coin at a LCS and unfortunately I don't have pictures but I have some info. Hopefully it's enough to be able to figure something out.
Reverse: "vot xx mvlt xxx." It also looks like "smans" on the bottom but the 2x2 states "Smanta rev. minted in turkey."
The obverse looks similar to a liberty head, facing the right. There is writing on either side but I can't decipher the right side. The left side looks like "ungons."
It is a copper coin, somewhat round, roughly the size of a U.S. cent. Would this be enough information to have a reasonable idea whether this is a Constantine the great coin? Perhaps someone can point me to a link that has a narrowed down list of coins that would fit this description? I've tried researching but I keep finding coins of his kid or just not matching this description. I'm hoping someone that knows their stuff can steer me in the right direction. It's $25 so no biggy, but I only want it if it's Constantine the great. Thanks everyone!
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Valued Member
Canada
204 Posts |
What I would do is go to wildwinds (I posted the link below). If you have a macbook, hit "command" "F" and a search bar will come up. Type key words, mint marks or any info you have into the search bar and it will narrow down your search. If you don't have a macbook I'm not really sure how to do this so hopefully another member will come along to help. This is just an easy way to search and hopefully that link below helps. Let me know if this works and if you find the coin, post it here! http://www.wildwinds.com/coins/ric/...ntine/i.htmlEdited by NorthSideTy
09/25/2016 11:53 pm
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Valued Member
 United States
418 Posts |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1045 Posts |
By the process of elimination, it can't be Constantine the Great. I would say it is more likely his son Constantius II. I believe you are talking about Antioch Mint with reference RIC VII 113. Here is an example that I recently sold from my collection. The mint mark is different, SMANdelta, but SMANS et al still fall under RIC 113  |
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Pillar of the Community
Russian Federation
5178 Posts |
I'd expect Constans, not Constantius II, if the left half of the legend is really that short. (Either way not Constantine the Great.)
This is why I don't like collecting Constantinian coins - too many of the names are similar, so if the right side of the legend is not very readable it's hard to figure out the emperor.
Yes, SMAN anything means Antioch mint (which indeed is now in Turkey).
In any case, I think it's a common type, so $25 is a bit expensive (it would also be a bit expensive for an actual Constantine the Great coin, unless rare).
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Valued Member
United States
418 Posts |
Thanks guys for the info. I'll have to take a couple of pictures on Wednesday. My phone camera quality is bad though so I don't even know how much it will help. The dealer has several roman coins that are all identified by the guy he got them from. He's had coins of the sons, and this is the first one that he's had that says it's constantine. I'd like to think that the guy that can give so many details on all of the other coins would be correct with this identification, but I just wanted to get second opinions. I'll have to get you guys some pics. I know it's a bit expensive, but I just would like to have a piece of history of the guy who propagated christianity to the western and new worlds.
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Pillar of the Community
Russian Federation
5178 Posts |
What I meant is that, as far as I can tell, $25 is a bit expensive even compared to normal Constantine coins. It should cost closer to $5-$10 (if not even less than that), unless in high grade and/or a rare variety. For $25, you can probably buy a nice lot on ebay and get a dozen other Roman coins in addition to your Constantine (I think; I have never actually tried it). |
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Valued Member
United States
418 Posts |
Well I'm thinking I'll give him 50 rolls of zinc cents! Or 2 11.5oz coffee cans full lol.
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Valued Member
United States
418 Posts |
Well I bought the coin, and now that I have it, it looks like the one biancasdad posted which would mean it's not Constantine  . I took these pics with my bad quality camera phone, but it looks like I may not even need to take better pics. What do you guys think?   |
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Valued Member
United States
418 Posts |
It looks like it states "DNCONSTA" on the left side of the obverse and I can make out an S, and AVG on the right side of the obverse. Looking at http://www.tesorillo.com/aes/home.htm, I think it is Constans his son, minted at Antioch, in 347-348. :( Also, it is smaller than an american cent, smaller than a dime in fact, by a couple of millimeters. So it's an AE4 I think they refer to it as when it's 16mm or smaller. |
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Valued Member
United States
418 Posts |
Or Constantius II because of the diadem on top. It seems that Bianca's dad nailed it, even without a pic.
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Pillar of the Community
Spain
629 Posts |
D N CONSTAN - TIVS PF AVG
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Valued Member
United States
418 Posts |
Thank you athalbert. I'm going to have to bring this back to my LCS :( unless someone wants to trade for a Constantine coin!
Edited by Joecontois
09/28/2016 8:35 pm
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Valued Member
United States
418 Posts |
biancasdad: you wrote VII 113, did you mean VIII 113?
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Pillar of the Community
Spain
629 Posts |
LCS?
What is the meaning of LCS?
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Valued Member
United States
418 Posts |
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Replies: 25 / Views: 3,058 |
Posted 09/25/2016 11:17 pm
