Need ID of this Ancient

Hello. I hope these scans are suitable to determine the ID on both obverse and reverse of this likely to be Roman coin. Thanks again ..

 

Log in or Sign up to hide this ad.

It is Roman,

Camp Gate.

I'll leave the rest for the experts

 

I am by no means certain of this, as I am having trouble reading the legends. However, I think it may be:

[TABLE="align: center"]

[TD="bgcolor: #b87333"]Cyzicus
RIC VII 59[/TD]
Constantine I AE3. 328-329 AD. CONSTAN-TINVS AVG, laureate, draped & cuirassed bust right / PROVIDEN-TIAE AVGG, campgate with two turrets and star above, SMKG in ex.
[/TABLE]

 

I concur with Bing. Also, as far as the mint mark goes, SM stands for SACRA MONETA, K indicated the Cyzikus mint, gamma = third officina.

 

I can read the reverse, and it reads:

PROVIDEN - TIAE AVG [Possibly another G]

In exergue is SMK [I?, maybe something similar to I]

 

I'm certain its a Gamma

 

PROVIDENTIAE AVG means "the foresight of the Augustus" - extolling the wisdom of the emperor. The campgate reverse is a very common theme with many variations. Yours has six levels, two turrets, and one star above.

 

Here's a similar coin of mine, different ruler...

​

 

Which looks like an I

 

C'mon WC, give in a little. It's a Gamma

Gamma

00393

GREEK CAPITAL LETTER GAMMA

 

Funny thing is I'm agreeing with you...

It is a Gamma, but Gamma looks like an I with an additional - on the top right bar!

 

The Romans used Greek letters to signify a particular officina associated with the given mint. The Greek letters weren't always in exergue, however. Sometimes they sprinkled control marks all over the reverse of the coins. Here's my Licinius I as an example...

​

 

Thank you WC. Once in a blue moon this old guy can be right.

 

More often then that!

Gamma looks like an I,
So I said "I?, maybe something similar to I"

I think you just got a bit confused by the I instead of a Gamma (which I can't post )

 

Confused? About what? Where am I? Who am I. Gamma? What's that?

I'm never confused!!!!!

 

That was a very interesting discussion. I got much more information than I expected. By the way, could this coin be considered as scarce or valuable. Thanks..

 

Unfortunately no. Yours is a very common type. I would expect to pay no more than $5 for it.

 

I wouldn't pay more than $5, but I also believe these are regularly sold $10-$20 on the bay.

 

Well, sellers ask $10-$20. Maybe sometimes they get it, I don't know.

As far as a few of the Constantine clan goes, namely Constantine I, Constantius II, and Constantine II, the Romans churned out millions upon millions of the coins. I know there are some rare types, but this campgate isn't anywhere close to one of those. It's one of the most common reverse types, possible second only to the falling horsemen.

For $20 I'd expect a VF-grade coin from any of those three rulers - of the common types that is.

 

I agree JA. I'm not arguing with you. The images of this particular coin indicate a less than F condition, especially on the obverse. I have a ton of campgates with only a very few being considered event remotely scarce. Like this Constantine II from Antioch, RIC VII 65, with an R5 rating from RIC (I also know the problems with RIC ratings):