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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;dougsmit, post: 993803, member: 19463&quot;]Since it was mentioned, I&#039;ll post a picture of a Constantius II Chi-Rho.&nbsp; There is a lot to study here.&nbsp; First there is the question as to Magnentius&#039; religion.&nbsp; I believe he was pagan but recognized that Arian was several times more offensive to orthodox Christians than was being pagan and Western regions would immediately see the message of his type.&nbsp; The details may have been lost on the mint officials that issued the Constantius II issue and it was stopped rather soon after it started making it less common than the Magnentius.&nbsp; That sure is a nice example you post.&nbsp; I don&#039;t have coins like that.&nbsp; </p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>I&#039;m all for minor detail collecting when the details make a difference but have no interest in the ones that are random.&nbsp; That means I collect things like letter spacing only when I believe it does or may have a significance.&nbsp; For example, later Romans attached honor to obverse legends that were broken in two pieces by the portrait over those in one continuous arc.&nbsp; You will find early issues of a junior ruler with continuous legend and slightly later coins of the same type with a split legend showing the advanced status of the ruler.&nbsp; This is not random so I collect it.&nbsp; There are other examples where splits were changed and we don&#039;t know why.&nbsp; These I have to decide if I want to believe there is meaning to be discovered or random variation.&nbsp; The more I study, the fewer random things I find.&nbsp; </p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>I once met a man somewhat older than I who was studying the diadem ties of the late Roman period convinced there was a code in the number of ties and dots on them.&nbsp; I believe he passed without publishing but I also suspect someday someone will prove he was correct.&nbsp; I don&#039;t collect these variations but perhaps I should if I am to be a real student rather than a mindless gatherer of baubles.&nbsp; I suspect another century of study will turn up several things that we have missed so far but few of us have another century left to study thes things so all we can do is pass on what we know and hope someone cares.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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