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 Replies: 10 / Views: 1,831 |
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Pillar of the Community
Canada
1411 Posts |
I'm looking into purchasing my first ancient Roman coins soon... Maybe 3 or 4 for around $40... I need some advice on uncleaned coins...  like whether or not buying them is a good idea or not... Also, what books on ancient Roman coins would people recommend? |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1549 Posts |
I suggest buying cleaned coins first and learning about coins and their identification before adding learning cleaning to the mix. Commmon cleaned coins are no more expensive than uncleaned (you do miss the possibility of winning the lottery and finding something valuable). Beginning cleaners usually ruin more coins than they resurrect. I'm up to between 30 and 50% success but my definition of success is a bit harsher than some.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
3229 Posts |
I suggest getting late roman cleaned coins. V-coins is a good place to look. I have done the un-cleaned thing with mixed success; I lean to the already cleaned coins now. Late Romans are awesome, affordable, and there is great history to go along with them. I have been focusing on the Aurelian - Constantine era as of late.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
4253 Posts |
 too many culls in uncleaned lots makes it not very cost effective IMHO. Go for cleaned coins. And go for the best your budget will allow. |
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Pillar of the Community
United Kingdom
946 Posts |
Avoid uncleans for sale on ebay for now. As stated, it is a lottery. You will read a lot about the "wonders of electrolysis" for cleaning such coins. Most of the time electrolysis ruins forever such weak bronze, copper coins that are sold as "uncleaned". I have my suspicions that some sellers on ebay just buries a mix of culls and average bronze coins in the ground, leaves it for a while, digs the lot up, gives them a light rinse then smooths over the caked mud on the coins to make them look like they had been buried since Roman times. Technically they are uncleaned, as such. However they were probably bought cleaned then the sellers sorted through what was valuable and what were of low value, the latter then being created as "uncleaned". If you do want to buy uncleaned ancient coins, best to sort through them when you get them, what looks like it needs a lot of work, what looks like it does not. Sometimes an "uncleaned" coin is best left as it is, if it has a nice "desert" or "olive green" patina. Anyway the subject of cleaning is another thread. Just beware of what is often sold as "uncleaned ancient coins" on ebay. |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
4253 Posts |
There are certain sellers who seem to have some decent unclean lots and are sold as "Premium Uncleaned Lots". Without any doubt in this military mind, anything of true value has been removed, especially in these "Premium" lots since some of the obverse and reverse can be discerned without any cleaning. Most likely in any lot of uncleaned coins you will get what is left after many hands have gone through and picked out anything of real value. Obviously, there is that one shot in a thousand (probably worse odds then that) you might find a special coin.
Even though I get suckered into it once in a while, I do try to buy only cleaned coins I know I want. I know you are somewhat new on this forum, but I have been called everything from cheap to frugal (and a lot in between). My point is that there are plenty of cleaned coins you can find at prices not much higher then the unclean (lottery) coins.
Either way, good luck. It is a fascinating hobby.
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Moderator
 United States
23731 Posts |
Welcome to ancient coin collecting. I agree with what the others have said.
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Pillar of the Community
 Canada
1411 Posts |
If I bought unclean lots they would be from a dealer, not from ebay... Any book recommendations? |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
4253 Posts |
Even from a dealer.....
As for books, the first book I would recommend any collector is the third revision (1981) or fourth revision (1988) of David S ear's book Roman Coins and Their Values. This is a one volume concise book whereas the newer versions are three volumes and to me very clumsy, not to mention very expensive. I have a brand new set I'd be glad to sell anyone. I use the older one volume so much more.
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Valued Member
United States
209 Posts |
Welcome! I pretty much agree with everything here. When I started I bought 2 nice coins and a 5 uncleaned coins from ebay. Some sellers picture the actual uncleaned coins you are buying so you can shop around for a group with some decent looking specimens. You won't find anything rare or amazing, but you will have a great time cleaning them up and learning how to attribute them. You can get better lots from dealers, but they are priced accordingly. It is common to mess up the first coins you try to clean, so you may not want to start with ultra premium coins. |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
2596 Posts |
If you want to try your luck with uncleaned coins search around on vcoins for "as found" and you will have better luck then ebay but buying nicer coins is the best way to go. I also like to buy from a few UK metal detectors when I want uncleaned coins and have had some luck with them. |
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Replies: 10 / Views: 1,831 |
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Posted 07/09/2012 01:49 am
