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Help And Tips For Ancient Coin Collecting

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Alex12780's Avatar
United States
344 Posts
 Posted 01/16/2017  7:21 pm Show Profile   Bookmark this topic Add Alex12780 to your friends list Get a Link to this Message Number of Subscribers
I went to my Lcs and found an ancient coin in the junk bin. I normally collect us type coins but I figured it wouldn't hurt adding an ancient to my collection. Now I'm realizing how interesting these are and would like to get more into it in the future. Can anyone tell me anything about the coin I bought and ways I could help preserve/clean it up (if I'm supposed to) I've been keeping it in distilled water for a couple days hoping to get the greenish blue crud off. I've read that it could be verdegris or bronze disease. The coin here is about the size of my pinky nail and I'm not sure which way the reverse should be due to the condition. But other than that any help and tips for collecting these would be appreciated!!

Help-And-Tips-For-Ancient-Coin-Collecting

Help-And-Tips-For-Ancient-Coin-Collecting
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echizento's Avatar
United States
23731 Posts
 Posted 01/16/2017  8:10 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add echizento to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
Your coin appears to be a Constantius II or maybe Constantius Gallus, for the Fallen Horseman series. This series first appeared in 348 AD and was issued under several rulers. These are the most common ancient Roman that can be found. They were struck in the millions. If you are interested in learning more about ancient coins, check out the sticky section here on Books, Downloads, and websites.
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Spence's Avatar
United States
34430 Posts
 Posted 01/16/2017  9:33 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add Spence to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
Maybe some bronze disease, especially on the rev?

Also, glad you are thinking of making the jump from US to ancients! Don't forget about the middle ages too.
"If you climb a good tree, you get a push."
-----Ghanaian proverb

"The danger we all now face is distinguishing between what is authentic and what is performed."
-----King Adz
Edited by Spence
01/16/2017 9:35 pm
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Finn235's Avatar
United States
6130 Posts
 Posted 01/16/2017  10:01 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add Finn235 to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
I can make out -"TIVSNOBC" which would make it Constantius Gallus, Heraclea mint.

Ref:
http://www.tesorillo.com/aes/024/024i.htm

Constantius Gallus was a nephew of Constantine the Great (son of one of Constantine's half brothers from his father's second marriage). Gallus and Julian were the only two direct descendents of Constantius Chlorus who werr spared after Constantine's three sons systematically executed anyone who had a legitimate claim to the throne. Gallus eventually came of age, and was named caesar, or heir apparent under the now middle aged Constantius II. He was a tyrant, and got himself beheaded for trying to act like the emperor before his time had come. Julian was then named caesar and eventually emperor for a short while.

Gallus' coins are common, but less so than the others from this time. It's a good find from the junk box, but I agree that verdigris needs some TLC before this one can go into storage.

Also, as for collecting ancients, there is no "right" way. The Constantine and Valentinian/Theodosian dynasties constitute a narrow enough spread that one could collect *most* of the emperor/reverse combinations, or all the mint marks for a particular reverse. The website I gave is a good beginner's tool or quick reference guide to get a feel for what is out there. Keep in mind that Tesorillo does list extremely rare or even unique coins alongside common ones.
Edited by Finn235
01/16/2017 10:08 pm
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United States
3444 Posts
 Posted 01/16/2017  10:12 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add FVRIVS RVFVS to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
I agree on Gallus
Bare head bust
The "Augustus" (i.e. Constantius) would wear a pearl diadem on his head.
Gallus is much harder to find too

You might try a lite brushing with nylon toothbrush
The coin is not too valuable so don't get overly worried about what happens. If you start to see bronze then stop.
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lrbguy's Avatar
United States
949 Posts
 Posted 01/16/2017  11:03 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add lrbguy to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
Verdigris is not bronze disease and should not be given the same treatment. Verdigris is an acetate and is stable. Bronze disease is a chloride and is corrosive. You might want to search those terms on the web.
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Athalbert's Avatar
Spain
629 Posts
 Posted 01/18/2017  3:38 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add Athalbert to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
When I started to collect I began collecting world coins (cheap and available), but I was fascinated by the large silver coin from 1870 to the spanish civil war...
I started to collect what is called here "Peseta´s century", but I get bored soon.
There are only 8 types of "duro" (the five pesetas coins, about the size of your Morgan dollar); 10 counting the coins made for use in Philippinas and Puerto Rico (too expensive for me at those times).
The divisors were very boring too (5 types of two pesetas, 5 types of one pesetas, 5 types of half peseta, 2 types of ten cents, 2 types of 5 cents, 3 types of Two Cents and the same of one cent).
About 35 different types only...
...but one day I discovered the ancient coins; they were very cheap and there were lots of different types!
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DavidUK's Avatar
United Kingdom
2624 Posts
 Posted 01/18/2017  4:01 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add DavidUK to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
There are many approaches and many budgets when it comes to ancients. I took a different view to many in that I haven't bought much off ebay and I have largely avoided too many Roman coins (these are good budget coins but I made a small and fairly expensive collection instead focusing mainly on Greek silver) I found that using Vcoins I could find nice condition coins and be sure that what I was buying was genuine, which is important if you are spending reasonable money. Also I didn't focus on building sets but instead collecting different types, which means heaps of variety.
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