What can I say, it pays to have friends! Literally ! A close friend of mine just texted me this. He said he intends/has bought it and it is a going away gift for me. Looks fine to me, but he could have sent me a .50 cent eBay LRB cull and I would be just as happy. What ya think guys and gals?
I consider this a coin that belongs in every 'complete' general collection since it has the officina number written across the reverse field. It is not at all a bad specimen demonstrating something that never really caught on in coin design. Ill toss in a Valens and Gratian.
I have a very-nicely detailed example of this type, but the patina is so odd it's difficult to image...
Very nice coins John and Doug. Any idea when this coin was struck( can you narrow it down to a year), and it's purchasing power at the time it was minted? Thanks!!
Personally, I like your new coin, and, being a gift makes it even better. I have a few examples of this coin:
AD 364-367 for Val I. Purchasing power I don't know. Probably not much - I think of these as Roman pennies.
We need to research this question. No civilization would make pennies that can't buy anything --- well maybe ours will but no ancient civilization. I look at them more as dollars. It is never easy to pin such things down. If only they had a McDonalds with dollar menu in the 4th century! More of the records we have are from the time of Diocletian rather than Gratian. It will make a difference.
Agreed Doug. I have been looking for a suitable answer to my earlier question, but to no avail. I wonder how many nummi it took to buy a cup of wine? Do we at least know the relative values between these LRBs and Siliqua/Solidii?
You will find people who claim to know but there is enough evidence that it changed from time to time that you need to be careful about what you believe. This page gives a chart for 337 to 476 AD and I'll guarantee that it was not the same for that whole period. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_currency
Nice addition, my friend ... => hey, this was my first ancient coin "ever" ... $25 (delivered) Valentinian I AE19
Very nice coin Steve! @Doug, I am not satisfied with that chart on wiki. ( it does not take into account the reformed Siliqua or the shrinking Majorinas) Hopefully in the coming years we will get a proper answer.
