Help with MintMark

Discussion in 'Ancient Coins' started by Exodus_gear, Feb 25, 2020.

  1. Exodus_gear

    Exodus_gear Well-Known Member

    I am having a bit of a hard time verifying the Rev Mint Mark. To me it appears to be SMNS, though I would like to verify with more experienced collectors.

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  3. furryfrog02

    furryfrog02 Well-Known Member

    I am by no means an expert but I saw SMNS before reading what you wrote.
     
    7Calbrey likes this.
  4. John Anthony

    John Anthony Ultracrepidarian

    It's a good guess. The mark is garbled either because of faulty engraving or die chips, or a weak strike. SMNE is also a possibility, as well as SMHS or SMHE. One of the maddening things about discerning certain Nicomedia from Heraclea mint marks is that the H in Heraclea mint marks often has a slanted cross bar, making the letter look like N, and the two mints used same format: Sacra Moneta, N or H, officina.
     
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  5. ancient coin hunter

    ancient coin hunter 3rd Century Usurper

    Coin is Constans, though you probably know that already.
     
  6. gsimonel

    gsimonel Well-Known Member

    At this point your best bet may be to compare the styles of different mints during the 337-340 A.D. time span. (Constans is called Augustus rather than Caesar on your coin.) The reverse may be more useful than the obverse.

    I would start with Cyzicus, since a garbled SMKS seems most likely to me. Other mints to compare include Nicomedia, then Herclea, Antioch and finally, if all else fails, Thessalonica.
     
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