Two Soldiers With Standard Reverse

This is a typical reverse of a coin struck by Constantine I, Constantine II, Constantius II, and Constans as well as in the name of a few minor caesars. These types were issued from about A. D. 330 to 346. This example was struck in the North Gallic city of Trier located in modern Germany.
These mid Fourth Century types with the legend GLORIA EXERCITVS on the reverse were struck in recognition of the important role the army played in keeping the emperor on his throne and the barbarians under control. The obverse usually featured a portrait of the emperor wearing a diadem and an inscription bearing his name. The coin is about 15mm in diameter and is referred to as an AE4 by ancient coin collectors. The abbreviation is from the Latin word for copper (AERVM) and the arbitrary size designation of 4 (15 mm or smaller). This example was purchased for $12.00 from Falcone's Coins and Jewelry in Willow Glen, California. Sal has a large stock of not only ancient coins, but coins from all periods of history in just aboout every price category. Buying coins from a reputable coin dealer who is knowledgeable about ancients is probably the best way for a beginner to get started. While some dealers offer coins at full retail, most who have a small shop will have some excellent bargains for beginners. In addition, most love talking about ancients and will provide the newcomer with a wealth of knowledge about the subject. They usually carry excellent books for the beginner as well as the advanced collector. It is HIGHLY recommended that the newcomer purchase aone or more books before plunking down large quantities of cash for an ancient coin. You may view another fine example of both reverse and obverse of a Two Soldiers, One Standard AE4 from the Antioch mint by clicking the link (2 jpegs, 29 and 30k).

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