Can anyone identify ?

Got these coins a few days ago and was wondering if anyone could help identify ?

 

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The first coin is Roman, Antoninus Pius (AD 138-161).

The coin weights and diameters would be helpful.

 

The first one looks like an As of Antoninus Pius , and the 2nd is Constantine ( or one of his sons; Constantine II or Constantius).

Whats the size of the big one?

Edit: too slow randy D:

 

I could only find a dupondius like this so no reference, but I think this info is correct.

140-144 AD. ANTONINVS AVG PIVS PP, laurete head right / TR POT COS III S C, Romulus advancing right, holding spear and trophy.

 

if i am reading it right it is about 29 mm

 

weight don't know ...diameter is 29 mm if that is what you are asking but either way thank you i really appreciate your help it is getting me on the right track ...hate to say it but i looked those up on ebay and the front is right for the big one but can't find the reverse sameness and the little coin is spot on thanks can't believe it is selling for like 6-7 bucks grrrr(little one) ....

 

think i found it thanks to your post
SEVERUS ALEXANDER Imperial roman denarius 222-235 AD

 

I'm not sure which of the coins you're referring to, but this is incorrect. A denarius is a silver coin that's roughly the size of a dime, so neither can be that. In addition, once you see enough Roman coins, you will be able to tell what emperor is on them by the face alone for coins up until the end of the third century or so. I've seen enough to tell you that the first coin is definitely Antoninus Pius, who reigned from 138-161, and the second is clearly from the Constantinian dynasty. The reverse of the second is one that stopped not long before Constantine died in 337 (they changed it to one standard between the soldiers rather than 2), so it's from sometime in the 330s AD. Regarding denomination, the Antoninus Pius coin appears to be a sestertius, and the Constantinian coin is a denomination whose name has not survived, but assuming that its diameter is between 17-21 mm, modern collectors would call it an "AE3".

 

thanks for the info ...i am new to this ...i just found a coin on another website that looked identical to mine so i assumed ....lol...well you know how that saying goes lol

 

The thing that is throwing me off about the big coin is that i can't find a similarity to the figure on the reverse ..i can find alot of Antoninus Pius sestertius but none with that figure on the back ....

 

Keep in mind that not every coin type is online. People generally list either what they own or what's been sold online or at recent auctions. You may need to use a reference book. Luckily, the first edition of the Encyclopedia of Roman Imperial Coins is available for free under a creative commons license, and you can check that out here. See if you can find it in there.

 

thank you so much Gao ...i will try that and let you know what i find

 

found this one,

Antoninus Pius. A.D. 138-161. AE as (29 mm). Laureate head right / Romulus, bear headed, hastening right, holding spear and trophy. RIC 689, Cohen 912. Rome, ca. A.D. 140

http://www.vcoins.com/ancient/dmitrymarkov/store/viewItem.asp?idProduct=837

 

thank you randygeki....my search is over finally ...you the man!!!!

 

np

 

now what is the market price for this coin in this condition ? i am not going to sell it ...i'm just wondering

 

maybe $20?

 

I just took on a job of photographing a bunch of coins for a small dealer and won't have time for much else for a few days. Included in the bunch were some low end sestertii not much worse than this which we decided not to photograph since it would double the cost of the coin ($5-10). Value of such things is really hard to pin down since it really depends on whether you have customers who believe anything that old has value or customers who already have more low end coins as they want.

A fair question: What is the minimum value of a common emperor sestertius certainly identifiable by portrait outline and probably by reverse type but with no legend or fine details? It is very much an opinion matter. Most dealers have a minimum price they charge for any coin (some over $100; some have a $1 junk box with real junky junk). Reselling such coins may be a bit hard but they can make nice pocket pieces. I believe $20 is high here but the coin is certainly Pius and that alone should make it worth several ugly 4th century bronzes.

 

one last question about these coins ...do you think i should try and clean them up ...and do you think they already been cleaned to their full potential ? i know that you should never clean coins but it seems like you have to clean old roman coins or they look like rocks lol

 

I think they were cleaned passed their potential lol I'd leave them as is.