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Author Topic: Campgate help: turrets and rows and exergues, oh my!  (Read 973 times)

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Offline EvaJupiterSkies

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Campgate help: turrets and rows and exergues, oh my!
« on: December 16, 2014, 09:17:08 pm »
After spending a few hours on acsearch typing in various combinations of everything I could find on this coin, and Wildwinds, and diving through Helvetica's spreadsheets (which I think gave me a mild headache), I'm submitting to a little ID help because I'm a bit vexed.

Things I know:
Pretty sure it's Constantius II, left facing bust
Obverse: FL IVL CONSTANTIVS NOB C
Reverse: PROVIDEN-TIAE CAESS
5 rows
Star
2 turrets
No doors
Exergue: Best guess is QAcrescentRL/Arles mint? (You don't want to know how long it took me to figure out that was a crescent... embarrassingly long)
20mm
Die axis 180 degrees

Here's the thing: getting a five row, two turreted, star above, QAcrescentRL exergue appears to be some sort of sorcery.  Most of the ones I've come across that fit most of this have too many turrets, or doors, or no star, or more than five rows.

So, can anyone who has more campgate experience point me in the direction of a solid identification?  I apologize for the slight fuzziness of the photo, the iPhone is good but not great.  

Offline BiancasDad

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Re: Campgate help: turrets and rows and exergues, oh my!
« Reply #1 on: December 17, 2014, 12:05:24 am »
Hello Eva,

All of the information you provided is correct. Your coin is from Arles with reference RIC VII 290.

The number of layers or "rows",  (in this case, between 5 to 12), does not change the RIC reference #

Here is an exact match to your coin from member "Hill132" who has an absolutely fantastic campgate collection: https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pos=-92804

If you didn't know, when using the spreadsheets, if you are sure about any of the particular details of your coin, you can then select those options at the top of their respective columns. In this case, you could select the Arles mint with QA :crescent: RL mint mark and your options would be narrowed down to only a few choices. This should keep your head from exploding ;D

Hope this helps.

Offline EvaJupiterSkies

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Re: Campgate help: turrets and rows and exergues, oh my!
« Reply #2 on: December 17, 2014, 06:52:53 pm »
Thank you!  One thing I'm finding that drives me a bit crazy is the minor things that can be different for coins under the same reference number.  Seeing things like " can be 5 to 8 rows" under one reference number made me want to flip a table.  I'm a perfectionist for the details, and I'm learning that's good, but not always the greatest thing with 1500+ year old coinage. :P  Got to give the ancients a little flexibility... like with their rows on camp gates.

Ahh, I'm glad I figured most of it out though.  Thanks for the tip with the Excel sheet!  I had them sorted by mint, which did help me find all the Arles mint entries, and did help narrow it down.  I think my vexation was trying to find an example of the few RIC numbers it might've been (I recognize RIC VII 290 as one of the ones I had shortlisted) that had five rows.  The headache might have been more of the "I stare and work with data all day at work, I come home, I stare at data all night looking for coin IDs" variety.   ::)

Anyways, thank you so much!  I'll get Mr. Camp Gate happily situated in my gallery after dinner, and then on to the next ID challenge!

Offline Robert_Brenchley

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Re: Campgate help: turrets and rows and exergues, oh my!
« Reply #3 on: December 18, 2014, 04:56:05 pm »
I don't think the exact number of rows is meaningful. Sometimes you can break an issue down too far, into 'varieties' which have no real significance at all, and it doesn't help anyone to understand it.
Robert Brenchley

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Offline benito

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Re: Campgate help: turrets and rows and exergues, oh my!
« Reply #4 on: December 19, 2014, 03:45:00 am »
I don't think the exact number of rows is meaningful. Sometimes you can break an issue down too far, into 'varieties' which have no real significance at all, and it doesn't help anyone to understand it.

What about  number of bricks ?

Offline Mayadigger

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Re: Campgate help: turrets and rows and exergues, oh my!
« Reply #5 on: December 19, 2014, 07:58:21 pm »
Ave!

Twenty years ago I posted the same concerning the number of rows and bricks...but no one seemed to care as to RIC number.

Best regards,

Kevin
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Offline Robert_Brenchley

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Re: Campgate help: turrets and rows and exergues, oh my!
« Reply #6 on: December 20, 2014, 04:31:52 pm »
We had a massive discussion about the subject, but in the end the details of rows and bricks just weren't significant.
Robert Brenchley

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Offline Sam

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Re: Campgate help: turrets and rows and exergues, oh my!
« Reply #7 on: December 20, 2014, 04:39:12 pm »
Ave!

Twenty years ago I posted the same concerning the number of rows and bricks...but no one seemed to care as to RIC number.

Best regards,

Kevin

20 years ago ?
Sam Mansourati

Offline Mayadigger

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Re: Campgate help: turrets and rows and exergues, oh my!
« Reply #8 on: December 22, 2014, 06:39:59 pm »
Ave Robert!

It seems too many years since we sent you your first lot of uncleaned coins. We recall all of the problems you had with the PO and the added costs. Yes, it was that many years ago. Can you refresh us as to the date?

20 years is just my best guess, maybe 15 years ago? FYI for newbies here. Robert and I were among the original members here on Forum way back in the day when there were only just a few of us and we knew all of us...perhaps only less than 15 members on this board.

Best regards and Merry Christmas to ALL

Kevin


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Offline bpmurphy

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Re: Campgate help: turrets and rows and exergues, oh my!
« Reply #9 on: December 22, 2014, 07:09:36 pm »
I was thinking joe started this site in 2002 but I could be wrong. Joe would know the answer to that.

Barry Murphy

Offline bpmurphy

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Re: Campgate help: turrets and rows and exergues, oh my!
« Reply #10 on: December 22, 2014, 07:15:18 pm »
Btw, there is a collector who was collecting camp gates by bricks and rows (basically by die) in the 1990's. he still collects but not with that same passion. I'm guessing he has over 20000 camp gates. I remember selling him over 2000 most EF's from a hoard in 1996 or 1997. He collected ae3's, provincials, Argentii and even a gold camp gate or two. One of these days that collection will come up for sale.

Barry Murphy


Offline *Alex

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Re: Campgate help: turrets and rows and exergues, oh my!
« Reply #11 on: December 22, 2014, 09:12:51 pm »
20 years is just my best guess, maybe 15 years ago? FYI for newbies here. Robert and I were among the original members here on Forum way back in the day when there were only just a few of us and we knew all of us...perhaps only less than 15 members on this board.

Hi Kevin,

FYI. You joined FORVM on  the 25th April 2002. Not quite 20 years but quite a long time ago nevertheless.

*Alex

Offline Mayadigger

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Re: Campgate help: turrets and rows and exergues, oh my!
« Reply #12 on: December 22, 2014, 10:37:40 pm »
Ave!

I believe that it was earlier after the huge Fourm crash.

Best,

Kevin
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Re: Campgate help: turrets and rows and exergues, oh my!
« Reply #13 on: December 25, 2014, 02:14:49 am »
Ave!

I believe that it was earlier after the huge Fourm crash.

Best,

Kevin

Hi folks,

What is the "huge Forum crash"? Is it similar to the stock market crash that led to the Great Depression in the late 1920s and early 1930s? :)

Meepzorp

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Re: Campgate help: turrets and rows and exergues, oh my!
« Reply #14 on: December 25, 2014, 02:17:06 am »
Btw, there is a collector who was collecting camp gates by bricks and rows (basically by die) in the 1990's. he still collects but not with that same passion. I'm guessing he has over 20000 camp gates. I remember selling him over 2000 most EF's from a hoard in 1996 or 1997. He collected ae3's, provincials, Argentii and even a gold camp gate or two. One of these days that collection will come up for sale.

Barry Murphy



Hi Barry,

20,000 camp gate coins???!!!

That's almost unimaginable in my brain. :P :o :)

Meepzorp

 

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