An Obscure AE3 of Constans

As you all know, I dig around in (metaphorical) junk bins for scarce coins that others have overlooked for lack of cherry-picking savvy. Last night I won this scrappy little coin of Constans, a type that I believe was only minted in Rome - but I need to check RIC to verify that.

At any rate, this coin isn't going to win any beauty contests, and RIC actually rates these types as common, but I believe they're rare. Check out vcoins for examples that aren't as "nice" as mine, selling for considerably more than the $17 I sacrificed for this specimen.

Securitas is depicted with his best hey-baby-how-ya-doin' pose - he must have seen Aphrodite strutting by. Do any of you have one? Doug?



You don't have to tell me it's a nice coin. I know it's not. I collected it because, despite what RIC says, it's an obscure type among all the dime-a-dozen LRB's.

 

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Securitas is a she. http://www.forumancientcoins.com/dougsmith/pers.html

That doesn't rule out hitting on Aphrodite though.

 

I like the way you think.

 

I was ready to bid on this coin, but had just placed a bid on a much more expesive coin. I saw the same in this coin. Not something you see often. I'm glad it made it to you.

 

Thanks Bing. There were four or five bidders, so a handful of collectors spotted it as scarce. I expected the bidding to go a little higher, but it didn't. It just proves the point that when it comes to ancient coins, rarity does not necessarily equate to market value.

 

Nice find, still not a fan of this era but little rarities like these are always a treat.

Hope my silver rarity from the uk comes this week.

 

What did you get? Or is it a secret?

 

Eh, kinda, lady denarius of course that was going unnoticed due to its "common" look of a standing god reverse, but its very rare.

 

You guys aren't the only ones with a new acquisition . I think at best its scarce but I got it for a good price as far as they go. I just hope I have spare batteries laying around for my camera so I can photograph the coin.

 

Love the color Big J, i don't think i've seen a reverse like that, very cool...

 

Not I.

It is the kind of coin that most collectors would shun but that I'd be happy to have. Remember that RIC rarities are huge jokes anyway. Be happy to have it. What bothers me is so many people pay $17 for a generic Constans no better than this in grade but available by the pound. Have you searched for a really nice one in the big sales? It is not quite the best compared to acsearch but that dose not mean they are all that good and some are very pricey. Had I seen it, I would have bid a lot more than $17.

This is the Failmezger plate coin for Constantius II. He did not have a Constans but did rate the type as R. Perhaps I should point out that Tory was not famous for having mint state examples of every common coin but were they easily available, I suspect he would have upgraded this one.

 

I did see the three nicer ones on acsearch - only one was listed with a cost, at $180. But it's not the sort of coin I would look to spend big money on. It's much more satisfying to cherry-pick it for the price of a common coin. I've had a string of good luck lately, finding some of the more obscure LRB types for a song or two.

 

It's a matter of patience and perseverance.

 

I have to laugh at how completely bored Clint Eastwood is with that speech, lol.

 

Cool addition! Better than mine ( I have 2 but the other one is too worn and too glossy to get a pic of.

Constans AE4. D N FL CONSTANS AVG, laurel & rosette-diademed, draped & cuirassed bust right / SECVRITAS REIP, Securitas standing facing, legs crossed, head right, holding sceptre & leaning on column, R[-leaf-Q?] in ex.

 

I find you have to consider the times in which RIV was written. Iron curtain in place, (or earlier). We are used to eastern types the last 20 years, but back then they mainly had the western types. So amongst western LRB this type not be scarce, but amongst our eastern coins today it is.

I see this a lot in older references.

 

Hi. Here's another Securitas , but of Valens.. Hope it could serve.

 

Nice one, JA. I like these unusual LRBs you've been picking up and would love to have them too.

 

I realize that RIC rarities refer only to the samples taken by the various authors of RIC. As such, they are 100% accurate. But also as such, they often don't translate into current market availability.

 

Nice coins, Charles! That's a type I'd like to collect as well.