New St. Helena

[David M3]

I got this on ebay and was advertised as SMTSG I think it is more likly SMTSA in ex which would be Thessalonica either way it is Thessalonica but I think it is RIC 159. 19mm 2.64grms. What do you think. PS only 32us. I like to collect the women, and she is a Saint. How can you loose on a deal like that. Also what do you think the condition of this coin is. I have been trying to buy the best examples I can afford. Some time I will buy a battered coin if it is very rare. If not I will shell out the money for the best examples I can find. I know this is not a rare coin but the price was right.

[dougsmit]

A is the more common answer but the part legend that shows makes G a possibility.  The coin is nice except for this factor and there are many of us who discriminate against a coin that is not perfectly clear in the mintmark.  The RIC number is the same either way. 

[rick2]

SMTSA for me

you can see the second vertical bar in the last letter which would exclude  and confirm A

[gavignano]

I think A
Its a nice coin IMO, I love the hairdos on her and Fausta. Sometimes she looks youthful, mostly its middle aged, this "do" says to me "older gal", almost manly facial structure in the portrait.

[David M3]

Thank you for confrimming my opion. A in ex. I never trust ebay listings but I still buy coins from them if they are not to expensive.

[David M3]

In hand today it is SMTSA Beautiful in hand. Nice dark patina. full legands except for ex. But enough to ID. An like I said before a woman a saint and a Roman coin. How can it get any better. Its coins like this that make me an avid collector. 1700 years old and affordable. I collected US coins for over 10yrs but had to sell off the collection due to divorce. The only US coins I keep was my buffalo collection of which I have almost every one mited or I should say an example of every coin mited. The other coins were sold off to pay for the divorce. But the good thing was I started collecting Romans at that time because it was more affordable. So much more history in Roman then US coins. I love US coinage but the price is prohibitive. Thank you all for the responses. This set of coins will go when I am dead not before.

[lorry66]

unless you find another wife who doesn't like you 

[David M3]

I don't see that happening I've been married for over 5yrs now. And this is my third try. So three triks and I'm out. Plus I wised up with age called a pre nup. I could loose some but not all this time. Plus we are happy and she has been married before also. So we know what were in for the long haul.

[rick2]

So we know what were in for the long haul.

isn t this what you said the last time ?



 

[David M3]

I have found that each divorce cost me more than the prior divorce. So I don't want to play that game any more.

PS
Do you know why divorces cost so much.
Because they are worth it.

[rick2]

all i know is that the wedding is grand but the divorce is one hundred grand........

[David M3]

My last divorce was 15 years ago and it cost me all of that and then some. Isn't wonderful.

[OldMoney]

David,
Umm . . . do you think those pits and undulations in the fields might be indicative of casting?
Also, do you suspect any smoothing has been done to the surfaces? Could it have been painted?
I have a very bad feeling about this item. Was it from a good (ie: non-Bulgarian, etc.) source?
I fear there's a lot to be concerned about on this one. I'd have someone take a closer look at it for you.

Walter

[David M3]

I bought it from a trusted seller, I have been dealing with the seller for at least 10 yrs. I have never gotten a bad coin or even seen one that was up for sale. I looked at the coin under high power and the pitting is due to age and no tooling from what I can tell. I had soaked the coin in acetone to clean the coin when I got it and if it were paint it would have come off. I then applied a coat of renasance wax. I have not doubt it is of the time. I have also compaired it to other Helenas that I own I have both AE3 and AE4s. I have seen fake patina and it is usually for lead solder liquid, and this looks very different and is a very thin layer. But this patina is thick. But all are wellcomed to look it over and give any thoulghts.

[Robert_Brenchley]

It looks OK to me. The way the hair is engraved looks at first glance like the work of a tooler scratching away, but on a close look, it seems ancient.

[Diederik]

I give you the picture of a rather bad coin, which has however all the characteristics of the Á'in the mintmark.


Frans

[David M3]

This is my SIS double creasant. An AE3 and AE4. The hair style is closer to this one. But I am sure there are many set of dies for these common coins.