Hey everybody, I got the coins from Aethelred that I won, yay!! Thanks again, I really like them! First of all, I apologize for my stupidity because these are probably pretty obvious to most. I was just wondering if I could get some help identifying them. First one: (Is this Crispus by any chance?) Second one: (I think I see 'Constan' in the legend) You guys rock! Thanks so much! Erin
If you want to give it another try before using the Phone-A-Friend option, try using Tesorillo's ID pages. They're fabulous I've linked the starting page for the coin reverses. It's usually the easiest way to begin. http://www.tesorillo.com/aes/_rev/index1i.htm
When trying to rule out possibilities for a portrait ID, don't forget to check who produced the reverse type. If a legend starts CONSTAN you might say it could be Constans but if Constans died years before that reverse type was used just stop trying to talk yourself into him as a possibility. If a type was issued by Caesars who used bare headed portraits and by an Augustus who wore headgear, you don't need to read the missing letters to know whether they were NOB CAES or AVG. The head gear says Augustus. If a type was only issued by one Augustus, you don't need a single letter. ID is a lot easier if you start with the reverse and only consider guys who used it. Crispus is a bit unusual in that he was the only one with any variation of that name. Your coin has enough letters on the left obverse that there is no question. While I suggest new collectors start with coins with legible legends and move into those with questions later, it is often good to use the online resources and look at EF grade examples of the coins you are considering when trying to ID hard to read items. Always listen to TIF. She will not steer you wrong including when she tells you you did not need to 'Phone a Friend' quite yet. That said, I was unable to ID your second coin using the Tesorillo page. I work better from images and would scan Wildwinds and other resources first. Someone help me see where I missed it. This is a different mint.
Excellent!! TIF says: - Do not bid on any coins of Roman Egypt. - When buying coins, always buy two. Keep one, send the other to TIF.
from what I can see of the mintmark on the second coin it looks like SM[?]B. That means a possibility of three mints- Heraclea, Nicomedia or Cyzicus. the question mark would be replaced with -- H if Heraclea N if Nicomedia K if Cyzicus maybe in hand it is clearer.
Thanks for all the help, everyone, much appreciated! TIF, that link is great, very useful! Btw, I don't think you have to worry about me bidding on Roman Egypt coins any time soon. How many Widow's Mites would you like? lol I couldn't find the reverse of the second coin on the site, like Doug. I'll pay more attention to the reverse when identifying coins. Thanks Doug! At work, I have a good magnifying glass that I'll make use of this week to get a better read on the coin. Thanks for pointing out the mint mark, Victor. Erin
Like Doug said "I work better from images and would scan Wildwinds and other resources first." I usually start with Wildwinds a lot of times a quick scroll just looking at reverses leads to a quick ID.
Erin, Glad to see you turning your win into a learning opportunity and it looks like you are having fun!
