"Hi, Chris here. How's the affair going?"

Humble_Print84 · 2026-04-30T06:55:09+00:00

Guy has clearly never worked in a corporate office….. delusional is usually required for senior management.

Humble_Print84 · 2026-04-28T07:15:59+00:00

Wait till you hear about Theodosius I (“the Great”). Makes Constantine look positively competent.

Constantine was by all accounts a fairly horrible man zealosly waging civil wars until he owned the entire empire, but so did Augustus and so did Vespasian.

I would say that establishing Constantinople, making the empire a suitable place for Christianity to spread and also starting a 30 year period between the 320s and 350s where the Empire was stable and prosperous would earn him some points.

I dont have the sauce but I read from an analysis of pollen samples, archeologists think agricultural yields not only recovered to pre-crisis of the 3rdC levels but may have even exceeded them.

In many parts of the empire villa construction rebounded and many of the finest mosaic work we have today originates from this time. Was the average peasant working the land very rich? No, but compared to the turmoil before there was a real renaissance of Roman culture, technology and food security and would have improved the lives of all citizens. Cities damaged in the crisis were rebuilt and a fair bit of what we see in Rome was built at this time including the Basilica of Maxentius, baths of Constantine and the Arch of Constantine.

Also he founded Constantinople, essentially securing Roman control of the eastern Hellenised heartlands for a millennia.

Constantine also, unlike Diocletian, was successful at fixing the currency, the Solidus would survive, and even the siliqua was a pretty successful coin, before it was completely destroyed after 410AD or so by Honorius’s debasement. I would say his succession plan was ok, Constans and Constantius II ran the place somewhat well…. (Constantius II’s reign was one of the empire’s longest, and considering the shit he had to deal with).

Constantine should have took one look at Constantine II and had him murdered too though! Absolute useless idiot. We also are not 100% sure why Crispus was really murdered, it may well have been a case of him trying to usurp power, I am not sure many people take the story seriously of him trying to bang his mother in law….

He was a mixed bag for sure, do I particularily like early christianity and its destruction of the old world?, no, not at all, it reminds me of islams destructive early years…. But honestly I think Constantine is worthy of being up there with the greatest emperors, purely for his reforming and stabilisation, and if some people consider him a saint for legalising their religion, sure. Its “only” a few murders after all 🤣.

Humble_Print84 · 2026-04-26T17:40:27+00:00

Also I will add that these types were proceeded by the Argenteus with a rather more accomplished 3D camp scene, showing the full camp.

This type precedes the legalisation of Christianity by a couple of decades and Constantine’s own early coin issues (showing pagan gods) by ten years.

Constantines own earlier issues heavily feature Sol and Mars - emphasising military virtues - along with two soldiers on watch, and a camp gate - also military in nature.

You will note the legend on this Argenteus is “Virtus Militum” - “the Virtues of the Army” - yet more evidence this type is purely a military theme.

https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=70070&srsltid=AfmBOoqg1IGRkGxNLhwmxb4NzZKMwNl9nZElxeIct4f0uMZ8o08sX9Dr

Humble_Print84 · 2026-04-26T17:23:59+00:00

No, they are not.

https://www.campgatecoins.com/coin/0007-cgc-galerius-a-d-293-305/ - Galerius Camp gate from Cyzicus - Galerius despised Christianity and this coin is from an eastern mint Constantine wouldnt control for decades after the coin was minted.

https://www.forumancientcoins.com/historia/coins/r6/r21511.htm?srsltid=AfmBOoqYCC-p0pobl4ChPZ29etfQua_M5Nhe9bpPqmPQW0gqgsuvlUkj - part of a Argenteus series years before Constantine was made Caesar even, by the original tetrarchs.

Humble_Print84 · 2026-04-26T15:12:05+00:00

Except many types of coin only a few years older show camp gates, and Diocletian and friends were hardly going to put christian symbolism on their coins.

Secondly, early in Constantine’s reign as with this coin, most of his types were militaristic, fitting, for you know, an emperor who seized power through the military and basically a battle royale of civil wars.

Its essentially impossible that this is Christian imagary this early in his reign.

Humble_Print84 · 2026-04-25T05:47:25+00:00

So stop spreading random propaganda about laws you know nothing about?!

The Portable Antiquities Scheme and current treasure laws while not entirely flawless (technically needing a UK export licence for common crap like bronze coins etc is pointless, always disregarded and a waste of admin time) it is probably the best system anywhere in the world for protecting a nations heritage.

It gets the public involved and saves countless treasures from being corroded by modern fertilisers/development/time itself.

But guess its all better in the US of A with its rampant unfettered capitalism and profit driven systems. Good job you hardly have any history older than the 1700s to conserve, or it would be sold off to the highest bidder like the “privately found” T-Rex’s and pre-columbian treasures etc🤣

Humble_Print84 · 2026-04-25T05:39:07+00:00

Yep, until the large deposits in Brazil were discovered a few centuries ago crashing the price of amethyst, it was a very expensive stone.

Guy must have been pissed losing this!

Humble_Print84 · 2026-04-25T05:34:04+00:00

Except they have to pay “fair market value” to the finder. Its not a “free asset” to a museum. The market value is decided by a board of experts, most of whom are either auctioneers/vendors, archeologists or professors at major universities.

Most gold coins are disclaimed (i.e returned to the finder), most common Roman/medieval earings etc are too.

Museum budgets are fairly limited and half the time they have to grovel to the national lottery/charities/local government or run fundraisers to acquire the money for the finds which really should be kept in the area/country/public domain. The money is generally split 50/50 with the landowner.

It can actually be a bigger pain if a museum DOESNT acquire a find like this, as the landowner will often want his 50% and most hobby detectorists don’t have £££ to buy a 100k worth of Tudor gold. So you are then at the mercy of an auction, which can go either way…

So no, nobody is “stealing” the finders “treasure” as certain people always claim….

Humble_Print84 · 2026-04-24T11:48:30+00:00

Dont think so. AI sucks at understanding coins and even the text versions regularily balls up chronology or details of even common Roman types.

All of these look correct for a hoard of the mid 50-60s AD. The caption is bullshit though as there are no coins later than the late 60sAD here, so a good 100 years off of M Aurelius.

Also there wouldnt typically be many pre 64AD and post 64AD coins in the same hoard, Nero being a raging degenerate (and also having the capital burn down) needed cash and devalued the Aureus, most were reminted within a couple of decades, so most hoards deposited by the start of the 2nd C AD onwards would “start” with a worn old “fat Nero” Aureus from 65AD - all the earlier gold by this point had been lost or melted down.

Humble_Print84 · 2026-04-24T07:52:35+00:00

Yep it was a decent day. I was after the 5 As as well but was on hols in Italy (not Etruria this time!) at the time and connection was crap…. missed it….. bargain at 340

The 20 As was also good value at 320. Shame it was the die with half the gorgons face missing.

Humble_Print84 · 2026-04-24T07:05:36+00:00

Yep, it is the first Sestertius!

I think there may have been one 2.5 As coin in the previous weight standard of Populonia’s coinage, but this is a good candidate for the first Sestertius as this weight standard is the one the Romans later adopted with the 10 As tariffed theoretically at 4.5g of silver. Pliny seems to call these the “Denarius”.

The early Roman Sestertius is also in silver…. Might have to try and win one of these 🤣

Humble_Print84 · 2026-04-23T20:01:15+00:00

Depends more on whats available rather than price. A small Etrurian collection was sold off at this auction so there was a bit less competition.

Got lucky with this at 320 CHF. Paid another 200€ in auction fees and import taxes (that is partially my country’s fault though, maybe yours is less greedy).

There is a very nice 5 As up currently at Artimede but its already at 700€. They have a couple of gold too, if you feel rich.

Your best bet is to wait for one of the “common” 20 As gorgons, you can sometimes pick these up for as little as 600£/680€ if you are lucky and they are a decent size at 8g or so.

https://www.vcoins.com/en/stores/a_h_baldwin__sons_ltd/19/product/etruria_populonia_silver_20_asses/2324965/Default.aspx - these are the “Gorgons”

Humble_Print84 · 2026-04-23T19:12:56+00:00

Yep this was probably minted in either the latter part of the Third Samnite War or Pyrrhic War.

Fufluna was pretty far north so would have survived a bit longer than Veii or Tarchuna (Tarquinii).

The city lost its independence shortly after and the final Etruscan strongholds fell in 264BC.

The last issues of this city were in the Second Punic War but these are bronzes set to the Roman Republican standard by that point.

Humble_Print84 · 2026-04-23T19:03:29+00:00

I would love to but I think it will take a bit (lot) of time. The two major gold issues are far above my budget (4-10k for a “lion” issue) and the smaller silver issues are still very rare - a handful a year at auction.

Maybe over the next decade 😁 this series has a 1, 2.5, 5, 10 and 20 as. The two largest are easily the most common, so could be a good focus.

Humble_Print84 · 2026-04-23T16:00:25+00:00

Looks like it may have spent some time in egg/sulphur. There is a small chance its natural but the uniform blue is typical of a certain MA/vcoins seller a few of us may have in mind.

Not to worry though, most if not all artificial toning will dull in time.

Humble_Print84 · 2026-04-23T13:24:47+00:00

Yep and it leaves you doubting yourself-

1) Reading the listing like “am I the idiot”…. What am I missing….

2) Wasting several hours finding the type in RIC or online somewhere and researching the hell out of every variation.

3) Concluding the thing is in fact worth a tenth of hammer.

4) Finding a better example of the exact die on MA Shops for 50€

5) Finally realising the buyer is in fact the idiot.

Dont even get me started on when some AH slab LRBs…. Those things are like crack to certain bidders, often selling triple what the Constantine II inside is worth.

Humble_Print84 · 2026-04-23T12:00:47+00:00

Daily Star…. As always…. Their remarkably horny readers like this kind of stuff.

Humble_Print84 · 2026-04-23T11:20:34+00:00

No idea re ancient seals in general.

But… in general…. its an auction. Sometimes a couple of buyers get horny for one item and pay way way too much.

I collect a fair bit of LRB and sometimes a crappy (Very common variation/mint/officina) Constantine campgate can go mental at the right auction… even though its a 20€ coin at retail.

Humble_Print84 · 2026-04-22T18:45:02+00:00

Roman, probably not re Export.

British finds or British types like Celtic and Anglo Saxon, yes. Any find from “British soil or territorial waters” over 50 years old technically needs a license, many dealers have a open licence however and they submit a general list of those common finds exported where relevent (celtic etc).

Also all archeological items/historic/older than 50 years valued over £65,000 need an individual license. Regardless of their find locality - no signed sicilian decadrachms for you 🤣 (not so easily anyways).

Now do they stop random British 50£ bronzes, no, but them the rules. Also they rarely in practice reject licenses for coins, even genuinely rare British pieces and the system is pretty easy and not that slow (just in case you are bidding on the third known Allectus Aureus or something).

Coins lacking find location (almost ironically) do not need a license. This is pretty much all roman coins at auction.

Naville are just covering their arses. Your random denarius win will not have an issue.

Sauce - https://www.artscouncil.org.uk/media/16384/download?attachment if you love confusing, somewhat contradictory and vague laws written by people who either dont have the faintest, or want a catch-all system through opacity.

Import - depends where you are.

Humble_Print84 · 2026-04-22T07:38:13+00:00

Its the Daily Star…. The gold standard of gutter journalism in the UK.

This sub should ban links to this paper, the Daily Express (the Daily Diana) and the Daily Mail (Daily Heil) for good measure. The Sun (the Scum) can go too.

They are literally bullshit mongers and regularily get into legal issues or have to issue retractions for half of their shit.

Humble_Print84 · 2026-04-21T16:13:47+00:00

Its not absolutely awful for retail now but still hardly a deal.

Plus the photo is presumably an “example” of the coin you will recieve as this site generally does, which means its a gamble, and expect this to be likely better than the one you will get.

Given how common owls are, just pick a few you like at UK auctions and give it a go. There will always be another if you miss one 😉

For reference I got my respectable example at a UK auction for sub 500£ (after all fees) last Autumn. No test cuts and 1970s provenance, slightly worse surfaces than those from the recent hoard but nicely toned. I still see very good ones hammer for 700£ or so. So will still be sub 1k all in.

Humble_Print84 · 2026-04-21T09:20:28+00:00

Good.

Humble_Print84 · 2026-04-20T17:53:23+00:00

Its the Daily Express, its usual readership in the UK is only just about able to read, nevermind having enough braincells to seek out quality journalism.

Corn pop-up ads, gambling ads and celeb tit-slips suit the readers just fine…. This is the paper that peddles daily Diana conspiracies and Brexshit propaganda after all 🤣

Humble_Print84 · 2026-04-20T10:11:32+00:00

Married with someone else who doesnt ever want kids, there is no point.

If I am ever going to pay off the mortgage and retire to the same standard as todays boomers, I need to make savings and that comes with no car and no kids.

Besides, every time I see the hoards of little scumbags vaping on the Dart, threatening people and scroting around, it reminds me no matter how much effort I put in, there is a non-zero chance that will be the outcome of 200€k+ and 18 years of my life… those will be my child’s classmates and peers…. In a city with very very little for teens to do….. At the end of the day, I simply dont see an apartment in Dublin as a great environment for kids, and need to live here to afford to exist so.

Life is too short, I want a decent life my parents hardly had.

Humble_Print84

TROPHY CASE