Below are just 2 ancients of emperors I needed & got cheaply. The Licinius II was a stubborn one due to the patina, 10 shots and it still isnt a great pic but this is the best of the bunch. Its better in hand. Its also my first campgate. For some reason I liked the Arcadius. In hand it looks like a bankers mark on the obverse then a gash. Did they use bankers marks on run of the mill bronzes? Especially in this time period of rome with the value being worthless? Licinius II (317 - 324 A.D.) AE3 O: D N VAL LICIN LICINIVS NOB C, laureate, draped consular bust right, globe and scepter in right hand, mappa in left. R: PROVIDENTIAE CAESS, campgate with three turrets, “L” right, SMH“G” in ex. Heraclea mint 3.2g 19.9mm RIC VII 49 Arcadius (383 - 408 A.D.) AE2 O: D N ARCADIVS P F AVG, rosette-diademed draped and cuirassed bust right. R: GLORIA ROMANORVM, emperor standing facing, head right, standard in right, globe in left, ANTB in exergue;. Antioch Mint 4.8g 21.1mm RIC IX 68(c), LRBC 2912
Those are nice coins. I think you and I have similar tastes when it comes to the LRBs. I definitely like the well-struck VF coins with clean surfaces, but I find I prefer the more circulated coins with patinas and a bit of ancient dirt. Somehow they just have more to say. I think you did a great job imaging the color and character of those pieces.
Nice pickups. Late Romans are some of my favorites to collect. I figure most collectors of Romans lose some or most of their interest in them when they've moved on to denarii, sesterii, etc. but I find myself still stuck to them and am enjoying every bit of it.
Late Romans are very fun to collect. I have many of the rulers, but many more to go. Some of the really rare western Roman rulers I don't foresee obtaining anytime soon. The mark on Arcadius might be a defect from the die or ended up getting scratched or gouged sometime in the centuries of being in the ground.
