Constantine The Great I Ancient

@silver, since this coin is Roman, I'm going to move your thread over to the ancients subforum.

The condition is better than the norm, so perhaps it wouldn't be unreasonable to place a slight premium on this specimen. But overall Roman bronzes of this period are quite plentiful in the marketplace. Generally I expect the retail price in a coin shop in my area not to exceed $15, and more often, when I actually buy another one, I pay considerably less than that.

Just an additional note. Many countries have very harsh laws regulating antiquities, including coins. I recommend taking some time to familiarize yourself with relevant Omani law.

That said, I don't think bronze coins of Constantine would have circulated in the Arabian Peninsula. I would be very cautious buying anything of possible local origin. Most Middle Eastern markets are rife with fakes, due in part to the harshness of antiquities laws and in part to human nature.

Thank you for the advice, I appreciate that. Luckily I possess diplomatic immunity, meaning that laws such as those, in relation to customs and taking foreign goods through, is in my right. They legally cannot search my baggage and such, unless I am carrying firearms.




You are completely right about that. The shop I was in did indeed have a good number of fakes. But I went to the store for a very specific reason. Rather than it being your traditional market, it was a trading area. The shop owners have many connections with foreign traders (or so I'm told), meaning that a good deal of their items were not locally sourced. They had rifles from WW1, bayonets, knives and blades from Germany to Saudi Arabia, and even a old toy tank made in the 1930s. Also for the interest of it, I decided to pick up a fake and act as if I did not know it was one. I approached the owner and asked him how much for it. He immediately told me it was a fake and that I shouldn't buy it. However, this store is unique in itself, others are not like it, and the other store owners might not be as kind, so thank you very much for the pieces of information and advice.

Thank you travelcoin, XF, got it! I have a lot to learn when it comes to significantly older coinage than what I'm used to dealing with.

I hope you do realize you're talking to a 17 year old boy, that has been living abroad for nearly 8 years. Not only has this given me a greater perspective on life, one that many my age will never experience. I've seen so many diverse cultures, learned so much about the world, that the Great United States of America isn't everything as it is thought to be. This diplomatic immunity crap was simply explained by my parents to me. That I don't have to worry about my "coins being taken when I go back to the US." So, shame on you for being such so close minded.

You think I know about the laws and rules by the US Government that apply to me because I'm a diplomat? No I do not, because, I am a child. And I'll have you know that I've been nothing but respectful and interested across all the nations I've been to. I'm the type of person to get onto my family members and friends when they don't do the same.

So, with all due respect, you know absolutely nothing about me, nor the way I think or feel. And I do not appreciate what you've said, nor your harsh judgement.

Also, thank you for ruining my night, feels real great to be insulted so violently on this forum that I call my home.

It isn't my job to know those laws. It's my parents job, and it's their job to tell me those laws when I need to hear them.

I respect the laws and customs when I need to follow them. For instance, I have to wear jeans and pants, not shorts when I walk out and about.

I follow those laws, those cultural laws. Please don't make assumptions

I'm done with this. I don't need to defend myself in this this wonderful forum, my actions will speak for themselves.

This conversation is over. Staff will deal with this.