A Roman Coin Collecting Newbie.

Thanks Doucet, will do as soon as they arrive.

Lee.

Please post images anytime you want. Ask for advice because that's what we give even if its not requested . Seriously, you are in the right place. There is no one here who will demean you because you just started out on what I believe will be a journey of your life back into history. As for being a newbe, we've been newbe's at some point so we know what you are going through.

Let me tell you a little about me. I've been collecting Roman coins since around 1981/2 although I went a long period where I put it aside for personal reasons. I have around 400 coins in my collection and I just can't get enough. I'm always looking.

Now to your three coins. Since you do not have a picture, tell us something about them. Also, what made you purchase these three coins? Do you have a strategy in mind or are you just collecting coins that strike your fancy? There is no right answer to this question. I'm just curious. What amount of money did you pay? We can definitely give you our opinions on the cost and value. Also, and very important, did you know of the seller or anything about them? You need not ID the seller here, but there are some sellers you need to be weary of and to steer clear of. We can help in that regard as well.

If you have the computer savoy, can you copy the image the seller used on his ad? If so, we can take a look at that too. If you have any trouble posting an image here, let us know, we will show you how.

Again, welcome. This is a great hobby. It can consume you if you're not careful as it has me and a few others I know.

Regards,

JW

Welcome to the forum cosmokramer and welcome to the wonderful world of Roman coins.

Here's one of my first coins. First down to the cost, 5.50 uk pound, from a 100% feedback seller on ebay, top rated, if you want to know the seller please ask, not sure about posting ID on here.

The reason I bought it was first because it looks in good condition, and was a low price, no other reasons. I will be buying because I like the look of them, how good the seller is and then cost. I first went to buy this because it looked clear and crisp.
Let me know what you think, and how I did?

Lee.

First, let me ask what do you know about this coin? What information did the seller provide? If the paper I see in the background is any indication, the information I believe is wrong.

I'm pretty certain your coin is a Valens Siscia RIC 5b:

Valens AE3. 365 AD. D N VALENS P F AVG, diademed draped & cuirassed bust right / GLORIA ROMANORVM, emperor walking right, head left, holding labarum and dragging bound captive behind him, dot BSISC in ex.

As for the cost, that's about $9 U.S. and may be a bit high for this coin in this condition. Don't get me wrong. There is nothing wrong with the coin. Its a great coin to cut your teeth on. But it is rather common and you can get them in better condition for about the same cost. I have the same coin in my collection. I paid $6 for it. Here is the image:





Good start on the collection though.

JW

with jw, price-wise it was a bit high, but nonetheless still a nice coin. I like how clear the chi-rho is on it.

Hey, we'll all give our candid opinion on cost vs value. And we don't always agree. Take everything in regards to cost with a grain of salt, more or less anyway. Most of us know that these coins have gone up in cost in the past couple of years, but not necessarily in value. I believe the internet has a lot to do with it. What about the other two coins?

JW