New Constantine I Follis for $4

Almost perfectly round and very nice details. Nice coin for $4

Constantine I; Æ Follis; Sirmium, Æ20, RIC VII 48, Struck 324-325AD
OBV: Laureate bust r.; CONSTAN-TINVS AVG
REV: Victory advancing r., holding trophy, palm branch and spurning captive on ground to r.; SARMATIA DEVICTA. SIRM in ex.

 

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That's a real nice one!
And the price was a super good deal.

 

That was a great deal. You probably could clean it up a bit, but the dirt helps bring out the details in the devices, so maybe just leave it alone.

 

Dang! For $4 that is a great purchase! Congrats.

 

How much was it including shipping? Or, did you buy it locally or include shipping?

 

That is by no means a rare reverse type, but it’s a tad on the scarcer side. Good pick up for four dollars indeed!

 

Playing a bit with Coryssa (from @Suarez ), we can learn that the average sale price for this issue is 23.51$. So a very good bargain for your example!

 

I was actually thinking there might be some detail on the reverse that could yet be uncovered. Of course, you don't really know... what you might see is pitted surfaces under the dirt. But, at $4, with an average sale price of around $25, neither the upside or downside seem particularly worth it, except as a learning experience.

 

The importance of this reverse is that it's one of the few LRB types that commemorate historical events, see the German and Sarmatian campaigns of Constantine. Now you need an ALEMANNIA DEVICTA type to make the pair.

 

Crispus, struck 324-5. 18 mm.
ALAMANIA DEVICTA
•SIRM•
RIC VII Sirmium 49.
Ir was struck only for Crispus and Constantine II, only at Sirmium.


Constantine II, 19 mm.
Struck 324-5
RIC VII Sirmium 50.

 

I think the "average price" of a coin type is of very little or no informational value unless it is supplemented with information about the exact condition of the coins. It is like talking about the average price of a house, where this average includes everything from a run down one-room log cabin to a 16. century listed mansion.

(But granted, 4 dollars for the coin above is ultracheap).

 

Thanks for all the great replies and additional info on my coin. I purchased a lot of three Constantine I coins, all great condition (will post another today), for $12 including shipping from a great seller on eBay. Sometimes you just gotta wait for luck to find you. I am learning so much on this forum - great folks. I love this hobby!

 

Great coin Andrew! Very nice for $4.

 

A quite attractive example of a historical type for an unbeatable price – you did everything right, I'd say!

Mine has a bit more reverse detail and is from the Lyon mint, but I also paid almost exactly the $23.51 average price for it. Was I a fool?


Constantine I, Roman Empire, AE3, 323–324 AD, Lugdunum mint. Obv: CONSTANTINVS AUG; head of Constantine I, laureate, r. Rev: SARMATIA DEVICTA; Victory, winged, draped, advancing r., holding trophy on r. arm and branch in l. hand, spurning a seated captive. 18mm, 3.61g. Ref: RIC VII Lugdunum 222.

 

Nope. At least I hope not. That would make me 2x the fool. $45 for this example.

 

Here are two coins from my collection: Constantine II - ALAMANNIA DEVICTA and Constantine I - SARMATIA DEVICTA. Both coins are in very good condition, with substantial amounts of silvering, nice toning and excellent bust styles.

Constantinus II first received the honorific name Alamannicus in AD 331 after successfully campaigning against some Alamannic tribes. In AD 354 he adopted the name Alamannicus Maximus after his victories over the Alamannic princes Gundomadus and Vadomarus.

 

CONSTANTINE I
AE Follis
OBVERSE: CONSTANTINVS AVG, laureate head right
REVERSE: SARMATIA DEVICTA, Victory advancing right, holding trophy on right arm, branch in left hand, spurning captive seated on ground right, head turned back, STR(cresent) in ex
Struck at Trier, workshop S, 323-4 AD
2.8g, 19.4mm
RIC 435

 

$4?! That’s a great buy!

Isn’t this hobby awesome? You can buy a genuine 1700 year old Roman coin that references a specific historical event... for $4. We need to keep this a secret... we have it pretty good compared to our US coin friends (jokes)! Shhh .

Here’s mine bought for $28.

 

I agree - a 1700 year old coin for $4 - you can't beat that. I stopped collecting modern US about 10 years ago when I found myself paying almost $300 a year for clad garbage. I can use that money to buy much more interesting and historic (ancient) coins, and feel more satisfied with my collection and how I'm spending my hard earned money. Can't wait for the Atlanta coin show next week. My wife and I are flying down from NC to attend Kinda feel like Ed Sullivan - my first "Rally big shoe!" Yep, I'm showing my age. P.S. I still collect Kennedy halves.

 

Someone pointed out that the Alamannia Devicta folles of Constantine II were minted in AD 326 or earlier, implying that the date AD 331 for the adoption of the Alamannicus name must be wrong. I don't doubt that the coins date to AD 326 or earlier. However, it seems that the honorific title "Alamannicus" was only bestowed a few years later in AD 331. Hence the Devicta of Alamannia in the 320s apparently led to the adoption of the name Alamannicus in 331.

Btw. in the course of the 4th century the Alamanni penetrated deeper and deeper into Roman territory, suggesting that these celebrated victories were less significant than the coins suggest.