Help, Beginner Ancient Coins

Depends entirely on what you're after.

If you want "cheap, ancient, and still looks like a coin", then Late Roman Bronzes are your thing. Coins from the period 300-400 AD are cheap and plentiful, as the Romans made millions of them to try to prop up their failing economy. By "cheap", poor condition unidentified coins can be bought for $5 or less. Identified and legible coins maybe $20 or so, and prices go up from there.

If you want coins from a specific time period, price and availability depends on the time period. "Coins from Emperor Augustus", are harder to come by than "coins of the Golden Age emperors" (Hadrian through to Marcus Aurelius).

Coins of specific emperors are likewise variable, depending on who you're after. Series that are popular with collectors, like the "Twelve Caesars", or famous early emperors like Augustus, Nero, Caligula or Claudius are pricey because of both low supply and high demand. As a general rule, the coins made to depict Imperial family members (their wives and children) are cheaper than the coins depicting the emperors themselves.

If Greek coins appeal to you rather than Roman, they tend to be more expensive - supply is low, because mintages were generally lower, and the territories that Greek city-states are found are today within countries that put strict restrictions on the sale and export of ancient coins, restricting supply further. Coins from the Greek cities in France, Bulgaria, Ukraine and Russia tend to be more commonly available than the coins from "Greece proper", or Turkey. "Hellenistic" coins, issued by Alexander the Great and his successors, tend to be more common and more readily available than earlier "Classical" and "Archaic" coins.

In between "Greek" and "Roman", we have Roman Provincial coins - coins struck during the Roman empire, but by local city governments for local use; they usually have the emperor's portrait like a Roman coin, but the legends are usually in Greek (hence the name "Greek Imperial" that used to be used to describe the series). Roman Provincials can be cheaper than regular Roman coins, but they are less well catalogued and fully identifying them can be challenging.

As for sources, find yourself a trusted dealer knowledgeable in ancients. I'd strongly recommend avoiding eBay, simply because there's lots of fake "ancient coins" for sale there, and some of the highest-rated "ancient coin sellers" on eBay are scammers. Even regular brick-and-mortar modern coin dealers can be confused and erratic in their authentication and pricing of ancient coins in their stock. Here in Australia, Romanorum is my go-to specialist dealer for ancients.

Prices for ancient coins have gone crazy since COVID.

Being a noob alongside OP, I really appreciate Sap, sel 69l and many others that make this a great place to learn and grow into the hobby. Not every place is welcoming of and patient with newcomers, which makes the ancient forum a special place inhabited by special people.

For a beginner into Roman coins, I think the best value for money and condition would be a Gordian 111 antoninianus in VF condition.
That is the sort of coin I have given away on two occasions, to other established collectors, but are beginners into ancients.