Tales from the bulk lot! Did I become rich? No, not even close. But I feel like a modern collector who finds a wheat-ear cent in a roll from the bank. Share your similar tales. I have GLORIA EXERCITVS types coming out of my ears (and you do too, probably), so I was happy when I found something out of the ordinary this morning when working through my latest unattributed bulk lot. Constantius II, Caesar AD 324-337 Roman billon reduced centenionalis, 2.06 g, 16.7 mm, 6h Thessalonica, AD 335-336 Obv: FL IVL CONSTANTIVS NOB C, laureate, draped and cuirassed bust right Rev: GLORI-A EXER-CITVS, two soldiers standing, two standards between them; SMTSΓ in exergue Refs: RIC vii, p. 526, 200; LRBC I 842; Cohen 104; RCV 17690 Note: Not to be confused with the much more common earlier issue, RIC 185-186, which bears the reverse legend GLOR-IA EXERC-ITVS. The casting sprue from flan preparation is a neat little bonus, too.
Sometimes it's the little things! A nice and unique example, @Roman Collector! I personally was up until 2am officially attributing a few of my late Roman coins: 2 x AE (Constans I phoenix on pyre, and Archadius victory with captive) and 2 x BL (Probus Jupiter giving globe, and Tetricus II Spes with flower). I've been in the world of Antonine and Severan AR and AE of late, I forgot how fun late romans could be.
Pretty interesting find. I usually get one or two interesting/rare coins when I buy bulk lots - kind of makes it worthwhile even when all of the duds and slugs go into the old jelly jar. So far I've found a rare Constantine, a rare Arcadius, a Quintillus, and a Macrianus in my latest buy.
Lots are so much fun. I recently took a chance on a large lot, but higher quality stuff, at $16 per coin (incl. fees and shipping). I felt like a kid in the candy store when it arrived. There were only 5 duds. The rest was mostly fairly common stuff but in extremely high grades, and a few rareties such as a pentanummium of Justinian from Carthage. I think the rarest coin was a follis of Maximinus II as Caesar like this one: Mine is in worse shape though. Still, cool coin. Once I have photos I'll post a summary of the interesting stuff.
Nice! This is probably my neatest find in a bulk lot. the mint mark. Eros (amor-roma) Don't have it any more though.
This post bothers me a little because it omits the reason why RIC 200 is separated from RIC 184. The issue of which 184 was a part was shared by father Constantine, Constantine II and Constantius II. The next issue added coins for the newly appointed Caesars Constans and Delmatius but before long they stopped making the two standards coins and switched to the lighter weight one standard design. Any coins of Constans with two standards are just a little special because he was made Caesar rather shortly before they dropped the standard(s). Eagle eyed numismatists noted that coins of Constans had the C of EXERCITVS moved from the top to the right side so they figured coins of the three people who made coins in both series could be separated according to the C position into those made before Constans and those made after he joined the group. That is serious flyspecking for 99% of collectors but it is the sort of thing specialists look for. I do not have the Constantius II from either group but I do have both for Constantine II. First below is high C RIC 184 rated C3 so it was made before Constans. Second is the C at the right RIC 199 rated R1 issed after Constans was around OR possibly a few days before since we really don't know how long after the C was moved that Constans started. I would like to see a Constans with the high C which would show that they were working from a backlog of dies and this separation is really more of a 'just happens' than intentional. Looking at thousands of Constans RIC 201 coins might turn up one but that is a job for some intern at the British museum - not for me. I am not a specialist. I might add that my records show I bought the two coins shown here from the same dealer on the same day in 1998 for $10 each. My records show 17 coins that day from that dealer with prices ranging from $5 to $15. I do not remember the event but it 'smells' like a bulk lot. One of the 17 was given to someone here because it failed to sell in two JA sales. Thank you for pointing out I should keep both of these coins to illustrate the point. Why I did not dispose of one of them is wholly beyond me. I did have the RIC numbers listed correctly so I knew they were different but I usually don't keep flyspeck differences unless they are Septimius Severus (of course!). I do. I assume you still have the denarius it cost me.
