This is something of interest to only a handful of people, but I thought I would post it anyway. This altar has something that I guess is an attempt at flames. The VLPP series does not have lit altars-- the shield/ wreath and hands of victories would get burned. This is from the early series from London, so the engraver may not have realized there was a no flame policy. Constantine I A.D. 319 18mm 3.3g IMP CONSTANTINVS MAX AVG; laureate helmeted and cuirassed bust right. VICTORIAE LAETAE PRINC PERP; two Victories stg., facing one another, together holding shield/ wreath inscribed VOT PR on decorated altar. In ex. PLN RIC VII London 154 here is the usual altar--
Here are my two VLPPs with different altars: You tell me what this is supposed to look like! This is one of my favorite coins in my collection. I absolutely love the highly stylized figures that just barely resemble the actual. Here's a standard altar.
I have two coins I consider to be "About Uncirculted." Pretty amazing that 1800 years later you can still get coins that look like they just came out of the mint.
The Caracalla (top coin) is likely around 40-45 silver. The Constantine I (bottom coin) is considered "silvered," which means it is most likely a bronze coin (perhaps with 1-3% silver alloy) with a silver wash, sort of like a silver plate. Silvered coins are reasonably difficult to find today, as the plating/wash wore off very easily. Fully silvered coins tend to command a good premium over an otherwise identical, but non-silvered example.
Hmm . Interesting. Maybe that's why the Bronze Indian head Pennies are in usually in nice shape when I use to find them metal detecting.
Bronze tends to be pretty durable in terms of details. This coin here (also posted above) was INCREDIBLY encrusted with 2000 years worth of corrosion, crystallized limestone, and other very hard encrustations. Beneath it all is a very nice, XF-AU condition coin.
I don't know about the Caracalla. I have heard somewhere a quote, "every single ancient coin has been cleaned" Some coins only require a light wash and brushing, while other require MAJOR intervention with very harsh chemical agents. The majority of coins are somewhere in the middle - requiring intervention, but nothing extremely rough.
Constantine the Great AE Follis 319 A.D., London Mint, 1st Officina 3.29g, 17.7mm, 6H Obverse: IMP CONSTANTI-NVS AVG, Bust of Constantine I, wearing high-crested helmet, cuirassed, left, spear across right shoulder Reverse: VICTORIAE LAETAE PRINC PERP, Two Victories, winged, draped, facing each other, holding a shield inscribed VOT/PR supported by a column Exergue: (column)//PLN Provenance: Ex. Mike Vosper 2019 Reference: RIC VII Londinium 156, Cloke & Toone 9.01.004
I am sure now that this coin is unofficial...after getting it and taking better pictures, it is easier to see some other unusual things like the long thin necks on the victories. I remembered that I had another unoficial London with similar victories... ...and the victory on the left looks familiar--
That is an interesting variation. I have a couple of these from London, both with the lozenge on an altar, but would like to add examples with the column and the wreath pattern too. The number of varieties for these issues is quite large with regards to bust types and legends too. I'll be on the lookout for fires in the future.
9.01.009 CONSTANTINVS AVG This coin is actually in pretty good shape, but the remaining patchy silvering on the obverse makes it look like a dog's dinner! If I knew a way to remove it, I'd be tempted. 9.01.011 IMP CONSTANTINVS AG This one has a real raggedy flan, but I'm fond of it for some ineffable reason. You can really tell from both of these examples that the metallurgy of fabric of the coins is considerably different to those produced before and after the VLPP coins, at least at London.
Welcome Sensible. What you will find harder to believe is that there are quite a few ancient coins that are fully identifiable that sell for about the same as an Indian Head cent. There are higher value rare and higher grade coins as well as the equivalent of cents you might find detecting and consider boring. Yes, all ancients have been cleaned but some were buried in a good way and cleaned with care while others fell in corrosive soil and were eaten up. There are ancients for every taste and price bracket. I encourage you to do a little Internet searching and see if there might be a place for you in the hobby. One collector recently spent $4 million on a coin; some go for $4 or $40. The variety of ancients that can be found in the $40 to $400 range should make you wonder why people pay that much for some cents.
