the_Thing ®

A scarce follis of Constantine.

Constantine the Great AE3, Trier mint, 320-321 AD, RIC 291 Obverse: CONSTANTINVS AVG, Helmeted, cuirassed bust right; Reverse: VIRTVS EXERCITI, Banner inscribed VOT / XX, T left, F right, Two captives seated below, STR in exergue.

Another coin I just pruchased. Scare issue and sometimes referred to as the "Eyes to God" obverse. As I'm sure some of you know, Constantine was the first Roman emperor who converted to Christianity. This coin has a lot of eye appeal with a great patina.

Constantine I 307-337 A.D. Follis Heraclea Mint Æ Follis 2.75g. 19mm. 327-329 A.D. Heraclea Mint Diademed head, r., looking upwards. CONSTAN-TINVS AVG

VOT/ XXX in laurel wreath; In ex.: .SMHA D N CONSTANTINI MAX AVG RIC VII 92

A bronze follis of Constantine I. I've decided to start a collection of nice bronzes of Constantine, uncleaned, with nice natural patinas. They can be had pretty cheap.

CONSTANTINE I. 307-337 AD. Æ Follis Treveri Mint. Struck 320-321 AD. Ticinum mint. CONSTA-NTINVS AVG, laureate head right / D N CONSTANTINI MAX AVG, VOT/XX in two lines within laruel wreath; ST. RIC VII 140.

So there is no reason to pay a premium for it. Anyone who wants to pay a premium is basically doing so for the certificate which frequently accompanies them.

Saying there is no reason to pay a premium for it sounds a lot like the toning debate. I'm surprised you think people are paying for the certificate. Thats not the reason I think people do it. I think people do it for the history. I could show you images of reales from shipwrecks and you would have no idea they were from a shipwreck unless someone told you or you saw the paperwork. Mint state reales that have been in the ocean for almost 400 years. The "H" series of Atocha coins were found still in their chests. The coins deep in the chests are some of the nicest reales you will ever see. Of course the coins scattered across the sea floor will show the the wear of the sea, but to say they are all that way is way off base and not true.

but serious collectors would not pay any premium at all

Who gets to decide what a serious collector is? I know a collector who recently paid over $25,000 for a 1715 fleet Escudo. Call me crazy, but I would bet he is a bit more serious than you. As far as Sedwick goes, his father really knew his stuff, but Jr. buys most of his inventory off of ebay. Anyone who knows anything about shipwreck material coinsiders Dan Jr. a joke.

Ya know, I might be wrong about there being a larger market for shipwreck reales. Just depends on what you collect. I do know if you have a VF Pillar and Waves reale worth, lets say, $150.00, that same cob would be worth more if it had provenance to a shipwreck from the 1715 fleet.

NGC has graded shipwreck/salt-water corroded coins. They coined the term "shipwreck effect". And, in regards to marketability, if a reale is from an ID'd shipwreck, it adds a premium. There is a larger market for shipwreck coins compared to other cobs.

Which wreck? Did it say?

The thing about that Pilate coin is the seller didn't know what he had and didn't list it in his description. People just saw a crusty coin and didn't bother looking at it. And, it is a fresh find, recently dug up in Israel.

This was a major score on ebay. I was the only bidder. It looks like another crusty ancient, but it is in fact a very rare error. A totally retrograde Pontius Pilate prutah. Only one other coin from this die is known to exist, and this one is the best known example. Paid $50.00. I'd say its about a $500.00 coin.

Not quite as rare, or nice as the previous, but still an important error on the legend and retrograde date.

Picked up two new coins for my Pontius Pilate collection. I'm pretty much just specializing in these now. My goal is to have the best collection of all of the rare variants and best examples in general on the market. I'm about 1/2 of the way there now, and should achieve this goal within a year.

How did I miss this thread?

The standard reference book for "Biblical" coins is

Guide to Biblical Coins by David Hendin

When you see biblical coins for auction or in catalogues, the will usually have a number, like Hendin 650.

The standard reference book for Byzantine coins is

Byzantine Coins and Their Values by David Sear

Just like biblical coins being ID'd by their Hendin book number, you'll find Byzantine coins listed as "Sear 295" or sometimes SB 295.

The standard reference book for so called "Crusader" coins is

Coins of the Crusader States by Alex G. Malloy

And as above you will see these coins ID'd, for example CCS16

For all 3 of those catagories, there are a few highly specialized reference books available, but in general, those will be the only reference books a collector would need. They can usually be had for about $60.00, you can buy directly from the authors and have the book inscribed. Make sure you buy the current editions, becuase they have all been updated.

The ultimate, must have holy grail reference book for Roman coins is

Roman Imperial Coins by Mattingly et al

This is a 10 volume set. There are some sets out there, but be prepared to pay between $1200.00 -$1500.00 for one.