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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;dougsmit, post: 1978521, member: 19463&quot;]<a href="https://www.cointalk.com/threads/picked-up-my-first-ancient-gordian-iii-antoninianus.250298/#post-1977342" class="internalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://www.cointalk.com/threads/picked-up-my-first-ancient-gordian-iii-antoninianus.250298/#post-1977342">https://www.cointalk.com/threads/picked-up-my-first-ancient-gordian-iii-antoninianus.250298/#post-1977342</a></p><p><br /></p><p>I recently posted as a trick my one and only coin of Vetranio.&nbsp; Today it became my former only coin since I received a <i>slightly</i> better one of the same type and mint.&nbsp; I&#039;d rather have received a different mint but sometimes you have to take what comes along.&nbsp; Vetranio is of interest for several reasons beyond his #110 rank on Raisel&#039;s hit list.&nbsp; He was one of very few people who retired from being Augustus and lived to tell about it.&nbsp; In December 350 AD, he became a Vetran emperor abdicating in favor of Constantius II.&nbsp; 90% of the coins sold under his name are actually inscribed Constantius but it has been fashionable for some dealers to claim their coins of the common ruler for a higher price by name dropping.&nbsp; The ones actually bearing his name are worth more.</p><p><br /></p><p>The reverse commemorates the vision of Constantine I before Milvian Bridge where he saw the Chi-Rho and the phrase misquoted by preachers and Latin teachers as &quot;In hoc signo vinces&quot; (By this sign you shall conquer&quot;).&nbsp; This version is a bit closer in time to the event and quotes it as &quot;Hoc signo victor eris&quot; (By this sign you will be victor).&nbsp; It is not the best Chi-rho coin but it is the &#039;most Christian&#039; legend to be found on coins before the Byzantine period.&nbsp; It is the last and lightest series RIC 292 page 369.</p><p><br /></p><p>Since it came from the list of one of our list members, I assume you all passed it up.&nbsp;&nbsp; It has some strangeness on the portrait and heads of the reverse figures which I can not convince myself as to their cause (flaw, filled hole under patina???).&nbsp; The dappled green patina is decent but patinas always obscure some detail.&nbsp; I paid too much for this coin.&nbsp; You should have bought it first and saved me from myself.<img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie2" alt=";)" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" />&nbsp; There are better ones but I won&#039;t be upgrading anytime soon.</p><p><a href="http://www.acsearch.info/search.html?similar=181968" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://www.acsearch.info/search.html?similar=181968" rel="nofollow">http://www.acsearch.info/search.html?similar=181968</a></p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]352512[/ATTACH] [ATTACH=full]352513[/ATTACH][/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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