Billon centenionalis of Constantine the Great

The images of this coin were sent in by Mike Ruczynski, who wanted to check what it might be worth. Mike said a lady friend of his who makes jewellery needed a Roman coin for a pendant she is making. He had chosen this coin to give her but before doing so he needed to know if it was rare or fairly common.

The coin is a small (19 mm in diameter) billon centenionalis of Constantine the Great. On the obverse is a laureate head of the emperor and a legend that reads CONSTANTINVS AVG. Depicted on the reverse is a camp gate with a star above and the legend on this side reads PROVIDEENTIAE AVGG. Beneath the gate are the mint letters for London (PLON).

In volume IV of David Sear’s Roman Coins and Their Values coins like this one are listed as number 16237. This type was struck at London during AD 324-25.

This isn’t a particularly scarce coin and I’ve seen several examples as detecting finds. In its present condition it would be worth around £5. Therefore, Mike wouldn’t be giving away something that is rare and/or valuable. However, it is close to 1,700 years old so if it is going to be made into a pendant I would insist on it being mounted in such a way that nothing was permanently attached to the coin.

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