Hey all, Just got back from teh shop and picked up a few coins. I didnt spend any money just traded some Morgans for this loot. got an 1858 Large letters Flying eagle F 12 IMO a 1911 D lincoln VG 8 1924 Canadian Key date Cent VF 30 and this guy here for 10 dollars I am at a friends house many many Km's from my house so I took the pics with my cell phone and a magnifying glass. Hope they're good enough to attribute this coin thanks again
Hard to say, hard to tell what the letters in the exergue are...not to mention the very blurry obverse, pics are generally hard to see for me. I am pretty sure it is problably a Constantius II, Fel Temp Reparatio (restoration) Falling Horseman type (soldier spearing a barbarian horseman) coin...possibly from Sirmium? Maybe someone can make it out better.
no, 'Fel Temp Reparatio' is the reverse inscription and means, roughly...'good times are here again' Constantius II is saying that he has healed the empire and it has been repaired or restored. He has a soldier killing a downed barbarian to show he is protecting the empire and defeating its enemies. The reverse of a Roman coin and the message being put across to the people through the coin often tells a lot about the state of the Empire at the time. Obviously on a lot of LRB the message is 'I am protecting you from all our enemies and we have a lot of them' Although I am sure the coin has been cleaned...probably cleaned and redarkened. That is not a problem at all...I dont like redarkening but it is common accepted practice in ancients. Ancients dont place a stigma on cleaning a coin as it is acknowledged most of them need it at one point. Best to keep the patina but if you cant, then people will use a darkener so it isnt naked copper...though I think naked copper can look good as well and prefer not to darken the coin.
I would say these days you got it at about the right price I would think...for a coin that is more than 1500 years old with an almost full, nice portrait and a coin you didnt have to clean yourself. That is assuming it isnt some rare variety...again...I cannot make out the letters in the exergue from the pics so I cant place it exactly.
Constantius II AE3 Sirmium, 355-361 AD DN CONSTANT-IVS PF AVG Pearl diademed, draped, cuirassed bust r., FEL TEMP-REPARATIO soldier spearing bare-headed fallen horseman BSIRM* in exergue, M in l. field RIC VIII Sirmium 77 Technically, the range would be November 6th 355 to the summer of 361, if you want to make a note
