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Bedrock of the Community
13014 Posts |
Hi guys this is my first time posting in this section of the forum.
My question is does anyone know of any reputable websites to buy ancient Roman coins without having to worry about fakes?
Ive always loved the history of ancient rome and have decided I would like to start adding some coins to my collection but so far have struck out on my web searches or was to unsure about authenticity to make the purchase.
Really have no clue as to where to begin for this or what to look for and would appreciate any help
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Valued Member
Netherlands
409 Posts |
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Bedrock of the Community
 13014 Posts |
eddop thank you for the links.
I guess as a follow up do you have any suggestions as to the best way to store the coins to keep them looking their best. I usually get my better modern ones slabbed but not sure if thats an option for coins this old
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Bedrock of the Community
Australia
21786 Posts |
basebal21: You would love my niece! Not many weeks ago, she was awarded a pHd for a thesis on Roman socioligy. Already had a Masters degree. Have a look at the 'tesorillo' website, and translate from Spanish into English. This is by far and away the best website I have found to educate yourself against fakes. You will need A LOT of time (many hours) to read it all, but it is well worth the effort. Have a look at the 'VCOINS' website for what is currently available in ancients. have a look at the 'WILDWINDS' website for assistance int the identification of ancients, as well as posting here in the CCF. Always go to a reputable dealer who knows his (ancient) stuff or a leading auction house for big ticket ancient coins. You can always buy much lower grade coins or late Roman bronzes for not much money, which are also lots of fun. The guys who research LRB's are the ancient equivalents of those who research LWC's. I have a dozen or so ancient coins that would be valued at $ hundreds and a three or four that would be valued in the low $ thousands. I acquired my first ancient coin way back in 1967, a denarius of Antoninus Pius. Even so, ancient coins comprise only about 15% of my collection, the vast majority of the coins in my collection would be worth less than $10. Edited by sel_69l
04/27/2012 02:44 am
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Bedrock of the Community
13014 Posts |
sel it sure sounds like it. I feel like I say this a lot but here it goes. I would love nothing more than to see coins like this especially in person and find a dealer but in my area the only coin shop deals with US coins only so the internet is my only option. I appreciate the info about what to look out for with fakes, I usually stick to the old adage if it looks to good to be true it is. With how limited the internet can be sometimes for checking out fakes, especially good ones from the listings I dont think I will be making any purchases unless its from a dealer I can find with reasonable prices that is very trustworthy and wouldnt risk their reputation on trying to make a quick buck. Nevertheless I do appreciate the info and will check out that website to at least get some basic things to look for in the coins to help narrow down my dealer search |
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Pillar of the Community
3352 Posts |
basebal21 => it would probably be bright if you posted the first few coins that you're considering "before" you actually buy them ... that way, the ancient coin pros will be able to give you their valuable opinions "before" you blow a bunch of cash on a fake and/or avoid having you over-pay for your coins!! => man, if only I could follow my own advice every now and then, eh!!?  |
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Bedrock of the Community
13014 Posts |
steve lol, that actually is a really good idea and I will do that. Right now I'm still in the process of browsing and seeing which ones I really like and of course want. So far one of the series (not sure if thats the proper term but there seem to be several different designs) I have found that I love the look of is the Marc Antony Legionary Denarius ones.
I have a feeling I will end up liking almost any of the coins that have the old legion references or designs on them.
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Bedrock of the Community
Australia
21786 Posts |
Some of my better ancient coins have come from the other side of the Planet, rather from within Australia.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
2044 Posts |
Here are a couple other places you can buy ancient coins. http://www.forumancientcoins.com/http://www.dirtyoldcoins.com/Of course there is ebay as well, but this can be very risky if you don't have an idea about what you're doing. For now, I'd avoid getting any silver or gold coins. I suggest purchasing late Roman coins from the Tetrarchy period and later. And yes, make sure you post here before purchasing. It's also a good idea to do some reading and educate yourself. Here is a site you can read, the guy who runs the site also posts here. http://www.forumancientcoins.com/dougsmith/Here are a couple of coins that I purchased to get an idea.  Maximinus II  Constantine I - Posthumous Issue  Constans |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
4253 Posts |
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I usually get my better modern ones slabbed but not sure if thats an option for coins this old You will find that collecting Ancients is much different from Moderns. For one, most of us hate slabs. I have purchased a couple of coins in slabs only to have liberated them as soon as I received them. I own around 500 Ancients and the vast majority are in 2x2 flips. These are not coins that have been untouched by man. They are coins that have seen 2000 years of circulation and burial. So the need for such precautions is unnecessary. I take them out of the flips once in a while just to admire them and to hold a piece of history in my hand. All the sites and sellers identified are good places to look to buy coins. But, perhaps contrary to my fellow collector's opinions, I would also recommend ebay for non high end coins. Most sellers on ebay seem to be honest, but it's the few bad eggs that give it the bad rep. I have compiled a list of my favorite ebay sellers and so far I've not been disappointed. For starters, I would look to buy base metal coins from the third and fourth century. These seem to be less faked. You can post them here prior to buying and we will give you our honest opinions. Once you have a few of these coins, you will begin to be more comfortable with how an Ancient should look and feel. Good luck. I, for one, am looking forward to your postings. Regards, |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
4778 Posts |
Yeah, when you are collecting ancients, you kind of have to leave behind some of the mentality you have when collecting moderns. For starters, like JW mentioned, most ancients can be handled by your bare hands, since their surfaces aren't as delicate as those of modern coins. These are coins that you actually want to take out and feel to fully enjoy.
And another issue: cleaning. I bring this up because the vast majority of the clearly detailed, nice-looking ancients are cleaned! Yes, cleaned, because usually those same coins came out of the ground looking like dirty lumps, so for the sake of improving it's appearance, and to successfully ID, cleaning dirty ancients (like those in uncleaned lots) is OK. Some people though like to leave a bit of dirt remaining when they finish cleaning a coin (personally I don't mind a couple spots of dirt on an ancient, as long as they are small and not too distracting). So I just want to put it out there, for anyone that is considering getting into ancients: if you aren't comfortable actively buying and keeping cleaned coins, collecting ancients is not for you.
Finally, if you are really worried about fakes, you'd be better off not starting with silver and gold coins (but silvered Roman antoniniani of the 3rd century are usually ok), because that's what is faked more often. But don't worry, ancients aren't riddled with fakes. Like gil-galad said, late Romans of the 4th century are generally safe to collect authenticity-wise. And they are plentiful and usually cheap (many can be found for under $20).
Edited by VisigothKing
04/27/2012 2:12 pm
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Bedrock of the Community
13014 Posts |
those are very good points about why slabbing wouldnt really matter considering how old they are. The cleaning doesn't really bother me at all as long as its standard practice, in fact it almost is a positive to me since it is one less thing to worry about to try to figure out for how it affects the value. Some of the modern cleaners have gotten very good at making it look legitimate. Does anyone have any thoughts on this coin http://www.forumancientcoins.com/ca...g=67968&fld=http://www.forumancientcoins.com/Coins2/ ? Came across it browsing the site and the design just kind of jumped out at me. Thanks guys |
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Bedrock of the Community
13014 Posts |
Gil lovely pictures. I really like the Constans coins imagery
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Pillar of the Community
United States
4253 Posts |
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Does anyone have any thoughts on this coin Very nice Dupondius and if you buy from Forum Coins you can rest assured about it's authenticity. The price tag seems a little high to me. If you look on Vcoins under Marcus Aurelius, there are a ton of coins for sale, some better quality, some rare at this price. Having said that, the coin you are talking about is quite nice and I would love to have it in my collection. |
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
10045 Posts |
 It's a nice coin, and I've also looked for a Marcus Aurelius dupondius. FAC is 100% trustworthy, although I find their prices are a bit higher than other sellers on vcoins. |
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Bedrock of the Community
13014 Posts |
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Replies: 59 / Views: 41,935 |
Posted 04/27/2012 02:11 am
