Hello. This Roman Emperor has his head turned left on obverse. I can read Constantius. Do you have any comment or better identification of this coin. Any value? Thanks a lot.. Charles
It's Constantius II, the son of Constantine I, before he became Augustus, hence the boyish portrait. This is the very common and popular "Campgate" type, PROVIDENTIAE CAESS, minted in Antioch. Nice detail on that one.
I'm not at home so do not have access to my books, but this looks like one of the best of kind I've seen. Mintmark is Antioch.
I like it ... I am always a fan of a wee bit o' dusting of desert patina (it always makes the coin "pop") ... I have a campgate example that has "doors" ... NOTE => I absolutely "suck" at ID-ing coins, so I may even have the wrong ruler?!! (please feel free to point and laugh) ... Constantius II open door campgate AE 3 337-361 AD Diameter: 18.1 x 20.3 mm Weight: 2.9 grams Obverse: Constantius II right, FL IVL CONSTANTIVS NOB C Reverse: Campgate with 4 turrets and open doors, star above, S in left field and F in right, VIRTVS CAESS, ARLQ in exergue Reference: RIC VII:316 for Arles
You'd probably get a lot more from a sucka like me ... I'm gonna predict that somebody will eventually pay $50-$100 http://cngcoins.com/Search.aspx?PAGE_NUM=&PAGE=1&TABS_TYPE=2&CONTAINER_TYPE_ID=1&IS_ADVANCED=1&ITEM_DESC=constantius II campgate&ITEM_IS_SOLD=1&SEARCH_IN_CONTAINER_TYPE_ID_1=1&SEARCH_IN_CONTAINER_TYPE_ID_3=1&SEARCH_IN_CONTAINER_TYPE_ID_2=1 Oh, but I already have an example, so ummm ... no thanks, brother 7
I agree. Its a nice $20 LRB, priced that high mainly due to the fact that campgates are popular. If it were a wreath type it would not be worth as much. Compare to Steve's, though. His is the more desirable "open door campgate", a much rarer and therefor desirable type. In my mind his is more of a $40-50 coin.
Ancients are just like US coins in this respect. Abe Lincoln faces right on the cent while Thomas Jefferson faces left on most nickels but 3/4 facing on a few. These coins are worth one and five cents. If you could get a coin where the guys switched directions, you would have something. There are emperors who almost never faced left so the few of their coins that do are worth a premium. There are are others that are common both ways. Your coin is perfectly normal and high enough grade that it would sell easily. I'm cheap and would pay $20. Steve is liberal at $50-100. Truth is probably in the middle. It just depends on who sees it and how bad they want it.
