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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;dougsmit, post: 1146719, member: 19463&quot;]Next I&#039;ll show my &#039;sleeper&#039; from the show.&nbsp; When Constantine the Great moved the capital of the Empire from Rome to Constantinople he began a series of coins commemorating the two cities.&nbsp; The coin for the new capital showed a head of a personification of the city with a figure of victory standing on a prow of a ship.&nbsp; On the reverse was a mint mark showing which of the several mints and workshops produced the coin.&nbsp; This one is SMTSE.&nbsp; SM abbreviated Sacra Moneta, TS abbreviated Thessalonica.&nbsp; E was the Greek numeral of the 5th workshop.</p><p>[ATTACH]118206.vB[/ATTACH]</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Whenever you look up one of the commemoratives in the standard reference RIC (Roman Imperial Coinage) it is very important to realize that these coins were made alongside the coins that showed the two soldiers on the reverse.&nbsp; After a few years of making the type of two soldiers with two standards between them, the weight of the coins were reduced and the two soldiers now had only one standard between them.&nbsp; This coin weighs 2.84g so it belongs with the heavier, earlier series.&nbsp; Looking at the listing for RIC #188 on page 524 workshop delta (4) is shown as common while shop E (5) is R2 (sort-of rare).&nbsp; A footnote explains that there was a large hoard found containing several delta coins but no E coins so they assume that this type was not struck by shop E until later than the date the hoard was deposited in the ground.&nbsp; All of the lighter weight, later coins of the type from this mint were shop E.&nbsp; This was the last of the early series made just before the weight change.&nbsp; </p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>You may ask just how many collectors care in the least about minor divisions of the coins and details of weight standards?&nbsp; Only specialist students care and the demand from them is small enough that you won&#039;t have to pay big bucks for an example.&nbsp; Rarity means little if no one cares.&nbsp; I doubt the dealer who sold me this coin knew it was a rare variation but if he had known, I doubt he would have asked much more.&nbsp; On the other hand, it is a decent looking coin from a mint which has less pleasing style than some so it changed hands for $10.&nbsp; Most dealers at the show would have asked more even if they did not weigh the coin and thought it was the common light weight series coin.&nbsp; It is getting harder to find decent looking examples of these common commemoratives for as little as $10 but a coin needs to be a lot better looking than this to bring prices approaching some I have seen asked.&nbsp; Knowing what I know now about the coin, I might have paid $20 but a coin is worth exactly what is agreed upon by one seller and one buyer on one day.&nbsp; Tomorrow it may be five or thirty.&nbsp; Who knows?&nbsp; The photo shows scratches from over zealous cleaning which diminishes any cash value it may have had.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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