diff --git a/src/com/jacob/com/Variant.java b/src/com/jacob/com/Variant.java
index 172ef79..4d4836d 100644
--- a/src/com/jacob/com/Variant.java
+++ b/src/com/jacob/com/Variant.java
@@ -813,7 +813,7 @@ public class Variant extends JacobObject {
      * @param pVariant
      * @return
      */
-    private boolean objectIsAConstant(Variant pVariant){
+    protected boolean objectIsAConstant(Variant pVariant){
     	if (pVariant == VT_FALSE ||
     			pVariant == VT_TRUE ||
     			pVariant == VT_MISSING ||
diff --git a/unittest/com/jacob/com/VariantTest.java b/unittest/com/jacob/com/VariantTest.java
index dfb6fda..879cb8a 100644
--- a/unittest/com/jacob/com/VariantTest.java
+++ b/unittest/com/jacob/com/VariantTest.java
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ class VariantTest {
 		testJig.testSafeReleaseBoolean();
 		testJig.testSafeReleaseConstant();
 		testJig.testSafeReleaseString();
-		
+		testJig.testObjectIsAConstant();
 		System.out.println("Testing Complete");
 		
 	}
@@ -91,7 +91,35 @@ class VariantTest {
 					+"has survived SafeRelease()");
 		}
     }
-		
+	
+    /**
+     * verifies objectIsAConstant works as expected
+     *
+     */
+    public void testObjectIsAConstant(){
+    	Variant v = new Variant("d");
+    	if (!v.objectIsAConstant(Variant.VT_FALSE)){
+    		System.out.println("did not recognize VT_FALSE");
+    	}
+    	if (!v.objectIsAConstant(Variant.VT_TRUE)){
+    		System.out.println("did not recognize VT_TRUE");
+    	}
+    	if (!v.objectIsAConstant(Variant.VT_MISSING)){
+    		System.out.println("did not recognize VT_MISSING");
+    	}
+    	if (!v.objectIsAConstant(Variant.DEFAULT)){
+    		System.out.println("did not recognize DEFAULT");
+    	}
+    	if (v.objectIsAConstant(new Variant(true))){
+    		System.out.println("confused a boolean with VT_TRUE");
+    	}
+    	if (v.objectIsAConstant(new Variant(false))){
+    		System.out.println("confused a boolean with VT_FALSE");
+    	}
+    	    	
+    	
+    }
+    
 	/**
 	 * tests put and get methods looking for obvious defects
 	 *