Constantine II London Mint

Friday I went to a coin show in Fredericksburg VA and found several items of interest. Actually I saw a few thousand ancients coins but I couldn't buy them all so just a few followed me home. The point is that you do not have to buy the first coin that crosses your path but can shop around and find a coin you like at a price you will pay.

Of my new coins, this is probably the prettiest. It is a common type but special because of the fancy clothes they put on Constantine II who was probably six or seven here. There is some controversy on what year he was born and there are younger portraits than this. The coin of the London mint has extra interest to many UK collectors so it might be easier to find bargains from other mints. On the other hand there are a lot of London coins on the market since the UK is relatively friendly to users of metal detectors.

Just because a coin is 1700 years old does not mean it has to look like trash. They are found in all states of preservation. Certainly there is room in the hobby for collecting low grade coins but don't let sellers tell you that their corroded things are the only game in town and worth high prices. On coins this common, nasty looking ones will be only a few dollars. This one was $30 from a dealer who had many decent coins at $15 and nasty ones at $5. We agreed that it was nicer than most and worth a higher price. Buy what you like.