New LRB, a sharp campgate

Discussion in 'Ancient Coins' started by Nathan401, Jan 23, 2018.

  1. Nathan401

    Nathan401 Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?

    This was one of those coins that i just had to have once I saw it. It's my first campgate, and the details on both sides of the coin really amazed me. I love that lots of the bronze shows through the tone, and gives a good appearance of what these looked like when they circulated in the marketplace. This was in John Anthony's last auction, and it was his opinion that this coin showed no ( or almost no)evidence of past cleaning and I'd have to agree. Somehow it was well preservered for centuries.
    IMG_0267.JPG IMG_0268.JPG
    Constantine II Caesar, AD 324-337; AE19, 3.4g
    Truer Mint AD 327-328
    Obv: FLIVL CONSTANTIVS NOB C
    Laureate, draped and cuirassesed bust right.
    Rev: PROVIDENTIAE CAESS
    Campgate with two turrets and one star above// dot PTRE
    Reference: RIC VII 514, p.213

    Thanks for another great coin John!! I know nothing of Constantine II other than he was a son of Constantine the Great, and now that I have this coin, I have a little research to do!
    I'd like to see more campgates, or Constantius coins, or whatever you want!!
     
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  3. Ancient Aussie

    Ancient Aussie Well-Known Member

    Nice camp gate, and great price as well. I have a London one of his father. IMG20170925062513 (1).jpg IMG20170925062419 (1).jpg
     
  4. Alegandron

    Alegandron "ΤΩΙ ΚΡΑΤΙΣΤΩΙ..." ΜΕΓΑΣ ΑΛΕΞΑΝΔΡΟΣ, June 323 BCE

    Wow, nice pickup @Nathan401 ! Beautiful coin, crisp lines and strike, especially on the reverse! Yeah, @John Anthony is always a great go-to for me.

    Many coins OUT of my collecting habits come from him... he "expands" my horizons in collecting. Otherwise, I doubt that I would have many of the coins if it weren't for his offerings.

    I got this one from the JA-Man also:

    upload_2018-1-23_15-37-0.png
    RI Constantine I CE 306-337 Æ Follis 19mm 3.2g Siscia CE 326-7 AVG Laureate R - PROVIDENTIAE AVGG Camp gate 2 turrets no door star RIC 200

    He misattributed the turrets. They are tripod BBQ Grills... makes me hungry every time!
     
  5. bsr045

    bsr045 Well-Known Member

    nice coin, i didn't know you could find his name spelt constantivs. neat!
     
  6. Severus Alexander

    Severus Alexander find me at NumisForums

    Cheeky! My recent mistake was much worse, where I initially said a Constantius II was a Crispus! :wacky: Here's that coin, currently on its way to @Ryro.
    Screen Shot 2018-01-17 at 10.16.06 AM.jpg
     
  7. Ryro

    Ryro Trying to remove supporter status

    Haha! No complaints here (he said with eager anticipation). You can beat barbarians and you can beat drums but you can't beat free! Thanks again SA. It is appreciated and will be paid forward.
     
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  8. ancient coin hunter

    ancient coin hunter 3rd Century Usurper

    I'll pile on with two campgates, Constantine and Arcadius...

    cons1.jpg

    cons2.jpg

    arcadius5.jpg

    I noticed that @John Anthony has an Arcadius campgate in this week's auction for a good price. Somebody should pick it up. And yes, by the time of Arcadius the type was getting a bit "tired." ;)
     
    Last edited: Jan 23, 2018
    RAGNAROK, Marsyas Mike, TIF and 11 others like this.
  9. Ajax

    Ajax Well-Known Member

    That's a great campgate @Nathan401! Hmm I just realized I don't have a campgate of Constantius II yet. I'll have to change that. I can share this pretty sweet one of Constantine II from Antioch though.
    Constantine II Antioch.png
     
  10. Nathan401

    Nathan401 Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?

    Wow! That certainly stands out!!
    I just noticed something else. I think this is my first ancient coin with the bust facing left. My fledgling collection is all bust rights. Just a small observation.
     
    ancient coin hunter and Ajax like this.
  11. Roman Collector

    Roman Collector Well-Known Member

    I toss in another Constantine II campgate:

    Constantine II Heraclea.jpg
    Constantine II as Caesar, AD 317-337
    Roman Æ Centenionalis; 3.86 gm; 18.2 mm
    Heraclea, AD 327-329
    Obv: CONSTANTINVS IVN NOB C, draped and cuirassed bust, right
    Rev: PROVIDENT-IAE-CAESS, campgate with two turrets, no doors; star above. Dot left field; SMHЄ in exergue.
    Refs: RIC 96; RCV 17241; Cohen 164
     
  12. old49er

    old49er Well-Known Member

    Nice score Nathan401. Some nice coins posted. ancientconstantineII 19mm ae3 obv-horz.jpg
     
  13. Bing

    Bing Illegitimi non carborundum Supporter

    Heck, I'll throw one in the pile-on: Constantine II Constantine II 19.jpg
     
  14. Nathan401

    Nathan401 Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?

    Can anyone tell me what these campgates could purchase back when they were minted? I apologize if this information has already been posted to death.
     
  15. randygeki

    randygeki Coin Collector

  16. zumbly

    zumbly Ha'ina 'ia mai ana ka puana

    Without going into the broader context of why a question like this one is often difficult to answer, we have this from Kenneth Harl's book, Coinage in the Roman Economy, 300 B.C. to A.D. 700 : "Theophanes, on the staff of the prefect of Egypt, reports that, while traveling on official business in Syria in ca. 317-23, he paid at Antioch prices of 2 nummi for a loaf of bread, 4 to 8 nummi for a pound of meat, and 6 to 14 nummi for a sextarius of wine."

    A nummus would be a coin like our campgates.

    Doug's page on the general question covers the topic well:
    https://www.forumancientcoins.com/dougsmith/worth.html

    Also, nice coin... I really like those bulky shoulder pads they used at Trier. Here's one of mine.

    Constantius 2 - Campgate STRE 708.jpg
     
    Last edited: Jan 24, 2018
  17. Nathan401

    Nathan401 Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?

    Thanks! I'm going to have to start checking out the different mints and styles.
     
  18. ancient coin hunter

    ancient coin hunter 3rd Century Usurper

    Thanks for the info. I have been wondering about the value and purchasing power of these coins for seemingly decades.

    Basically, it appears that bread was subsidized by the government.

    On my trip to Egypt a few years back I noticed something similar. One could buy 5 loaves of pita bread from the bakeries (not touristy joints) for 25 piastres or 1/4 Egyptian pound. The exchange rate at the time was 5.8 Egyptian pounds to the dollar, so the cost of five loaves was about 5 cents U.S.

    Obviously a good deal. And after four months of traveling around the country and avoiding the tourist trade - and visiting a great many seldom-visited locales, I ended up with more money in my pocket then when I left! It's almost a paradise to the archaeologically and numismatically inclined.
     
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