Constantine I. Obverse legend reads CONSTANTI-NVS MAX AVG; reverse legend reads GLOR-IA EXERC-ITVS, two soldiers holding spears and shields with two standards between them
Well, I'm not that great at ID'ng coins. But that is definitely a Constantine coin/ 2 soldiers standing in front of standards. Edit. An expert beat me to it
Mintmark TRP means it was struck at Trier. No, just faster. The real experts will be able to fully attribute the coin.
Even in great condition, these are very common coins so they do not command much money. In this condition I would guess $5. I know. Ridiculous isn't it? A coin that is close to 1700 years old and it is only worth a pittance. Tell your friend to keep it as a conversation starter.
Thanks. Not ridiculous at all. I do know a little about Roman coins. How farmers are continuously plowing up jars filled with Roman coins flooding the markets. With so much abundance and a relativly small collector base it sounds about right. I'm guessing rarity is a big factor with you guys
I won't lie and say rarity is not a factor, but it's not the only factor. Condition means at least as much as rarity IMHO. Others may disagree.
Depends on the collector really. Each person is different and these coins don't appeal to them. Sometimes it just so happens the coin one likes is either very cheap or very expensive.
Or we like the high end as much as the low end, depending on the condition. And not care for the coins in the middle range. Have some I paid $10 for like them just as much as the ones I paid $2 or $300 or more for. Sometimes the commons that range $50-$75 aren't very appealing. It's all about the history behind the coin as well as condition, the art strength of strike. Oh I could go on but will stop, you get the idea.
A lot depends on how you define terms. The Constantinian coin with two soldiers reverse is about as common as they get but there are a few that combine a certain obverse/reverse/mintmark to produce a coin that is very scarce just like 1909s VDB Lincolns are scarce variations of a Lincoln cent type made in huge quantities for many decades. The difference is that not all collectors are seeking the scarce variations of Two Soldiers like it seems all cent collectors do. Bing is 100% correct in his statement about condition. Some of us would rather have an EF specimen of the most common variation than a VF of a rare one or the only known specimen of a coin when that one is only Good. However, find me one US collector who would trade his Good S-VDB for a Mint State 2016. As a new person in the ancient hobby, you will spend a lot of time trying to figure out why some coins sell for a high price and others go low. Supply and Demand are very complex topics. After you become more accustomed to the way the market works, you will realize that it isn't going to make sense sometimes. That is part of the hobby as we know it.
