These pics are very low quality, even for my scanner. But I think you can tell what they are. I bought several of these roman bronze coins at a show yesterday. I know Constantine is on the front. Can anyone tell me what is on the back? It looks like a man dragging another man by his head to me. Also, about how old are these coins?? 400 A.D. or so??? Thanks.
Looks like Constantine II from about 337-340 AD. The reverse is maybe a soldier leading a child, or the emperor leading a captive. Ben
I think it's Valens..like this one Valens AE3. AD 367- 370. D N VALEN-S P F AVG, Diademed bust right, draped & cuirassed / GLORIA RO-MANORVM, Emperor walking right with head turned back while grasping bound captive at the top of the head & holding Chi-Rho tipped banner Looks like Siscia mint (BSISC)
Thanks guys. Yes, that looks very similar Mikjo0. But, are you saying it is not Constantine II?? The ancient bargain bin I got them out of was labeled "Constantine". ??? Also, I'm curious, does anyone know how ancient people made their coins?
Adam, I'm positive. All the letters of the inscription fall right into place.If you look closely at your coin photos,you can see where these are placed.I've drawn over them in red to show approximately how they are laid out. ..Roman style with spaces and word placement wherever it was convenient. DNVALEN SPFAVG GLORIARO MANORVM BSISC As to your question about production,maybe this will help. "With very few exceptions, namely mould-cast coins (Spain, Italy), all ancient Greek, Roman and Byzantine coins were struck. The flans (or blanks) were normally produced by casting or were cut from moulded rods and then they were hammered between an immobile and a mobile die, which were made of a harder metal (e.g. iron). When the flan was large it was usually heated before the striking (‘sheet-shaped’ and ‘flattened’ coins). Struck coins were produced until quite recent times, when the use of automatic presses became widespread. The shape and thickness of coins varied from era to era and depended on the degree of perfection of the production method"
For what it's worth,Constantine II coins are much more common (and inexpensive) than those of Valens...so you did good. By the way,I just happen to have the same coin except it was minted in Thessalonica.
One more question for you. OK. I have two more coins, which I think are the same, but I'm not sure. Can you tell if these are the same designs, and from the same mint? Thanks. Again, sorry about the terrible scans.
They are both Valens coins of the same type as your other one.I can't tell the mint on the first one but the second looks like Thessalonica with the TES mark.(a slight variation from mine)
Thanks so much Mikjo0! I was wanting to know everything about these coins, because I'm going to give one of them to a good freind who is a big history guy, and I wanted to have as much info about the coin I give him as possible. Thanks for your expertize..
