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Pillar of the Community
Australia
4411 Posts |
This is my first post in the ancient section of this forum although I have been reading and trying to learn for a while now. I have a few questions and little knowledge so please be patient.... very patient  I am looking to buy a few ancients in the coming weeks to be the basis for my collection. Of particular interest to me are coins with some biblical relevance. I don't have a lot of money to spend but am looking for recommendations of coins I should try and get a hold of up to about the $30 mark. This way I figure I can get a wider variety early in my collection and then move onto bigger and better as I learn. I would really like a few coins from the temple in Jerusalem but the only ones I've found are quite expensive. Is this right?  I'm also thinking about uncleaned coins but from what I've read they seem to be quite a bit of hassle. Maybe someone could post a link to a site which they know and trust and I can also give it a go? thanks  |
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Pillar of the Community
3352 Posts |
 ... ummm, I would go on-line and find a coin that you like, then bring a photo of it back here and post the pictures, then you'll probably get a few comments one way or another (I'm betting that your question is a bit too broad) ... NOTE => ... but my track-record has a few major wipeouts asociated with it, so take my advice with a grain of salt! => oh, but good luck starting your ancient collection! Edited by stevex6
04/06/2012 11:35 am
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Moderator
 United States
23731 Posts |
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Pillar of the Community
3352 Posts |
show off  |
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Moderator
United States
23731 Posts |
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
10045 Posts |
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Valued Member
United States
422 Posts |
 Enworb! Great collection of 'Widow Mites' DVcollector! One of my favorite sites is http://www.amphoracoins.com. This is David Hendin's site. He authored 'Guide to Biblical Coins.' I have bought several coins from him and he always issues a COA with his coins. The other area to look is on ebay, under 'Biblical/Judean coins. Widow mites go from $3-100. If your looking for a 'Tribute Penny' (Tiberius denarius with PONTIFMAXIM, Livia seated right, holding spear and branch; ornamented chair legs on reverse) your going to pay a pretty penny, pardon the pun  . And a Tyre half shequel used for the temple tax.. ouch... get out the bank loan! There are a lot of Herodian Dynasty coins in that $30 price range depending on condition. Of course the First and Second Jewish war coins that can set you back quite a bit as well. One thing I've found is when you attach 'Biblical' to a coin, you double the price. Anyway that just scratches the surface. Enjoy the journey!  Edited by oxos
04/06/2012 2:18 pm
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Pillar of the Community
United Kingdom
2838 Posts |
to the ancients section enworb. Dont worry too much about your budget, plenty of good coins can be picked up for the $30 mark as long as you 'give' a little on condition. In truth, I would say to anyone just entering the hobby (unless they have a lot of spare cash!) to keep their purchase prices low as often your tastes change over time. Quote:
One thing I've found is when you attach 'Biblical' to a coin, you double the price. Anyway that just scratches the surface. Enjoy the journey! oxos is certainly right when he says this, some unscrupulous sellers will attach the word 'biblical' to anything in order to get a better price for it. Starting with Constantine would not be a bad idea, many of his coins feature the chi-rho and are plentiful so can be picked up at reasonable prices. Collecting biblical coins seems to be quite popular so I'm sure other like minded people on the forum can point you in the right direction. Let us know how you get on  |
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Pillar of the Community
Canada
4227 Posts |
I'm bookmarking this post... thanks I'll be looking for tips too... ancients can seem daunting even to the experienced numismatist when you're not at all familiar with them. |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
4253 Posts |
Like bobbyhelmet said, stick with coins that are less likely counterfeited (3d and 4th century). It's not all that difficult and most of us here will be glad to help out in any way we can. I also suggest buying from reputable dealers, especially one's that give a 100% guarantee of authenticity. I think you will find this area of numismatics to be very exciting and rewarding. Regards, |
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Pillar of the Community
3352 Posts |
=> or dive right in, like a crazy Canadian in a polar bear swim!  NOTE => this method is not recommended for the faint of heart! |
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Moderator
Australia
16862 Posts |
Quote:
I am looking to buy a few ancients in the coming weeks to be the basis for my collection. Of particular interest to me are coins with some biblical relevance. Two pieces of advice to offer here, both stemming from the fact that "Biblical" ancients are a very popular subset of ancient coin collecting. First, because of their popularity, any coin that has a "Biblical" connection is going to be more expensive than an equally attractive and rare coin that lacks such a direct connection. Silver denarii of emperor Tiberius, for example, are just as common as silver denarii of, say, emperor Domitian. But because the Tiberius coin can be called a "tribute penny" and is mentioned specifically by name in the Bible, the Tiberius coin sells for $500 or more, the Domitian coin for less than $100. Second, "Biblical" coins, because of their widespread popularity, are among the most commonly faked. Some fakes, such as this fake Widows Mite, are easy for anyone familiar enough with ancients to detect. But type "tribute penny" into the FORVM fakes database search page and you'll find a pageful that could easily fool at first glance, or even second and third glances. Don't say "infinitely" when you mean "very"; otherwise, you'll have no word left when you want to talk about something really infinite. - C. S. Lewis
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Pillar of the Community
 Australia
4411 Posts |
Im surprised by the amount of responses seeing as my question was so general so thank you all very much. The links provided by oxos and dvcollector are especially helpful.
I have noticed attaching biblical seems to increase the price somewhat. The mites seems to be able to be picked up in decent condition for not too much so that might be a good starting point.
Regarding fakes I'm sure I will get burned at one point, hopefully its not a overly expensive coin. I am currently reading up on spotting fakes but it seems sometimes they can be very convincing. Would I be right in saying that by widows mites are less faked due to their lower value?
When I pick out a few I like I might post them up before I buy them just to check.
Thanks all!
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Bedrock of the Community
Australia
21788 Posts |
Start off with Roman coins. They are much easier to understand.
The first Roman coin I would acquire would be an
antoninianus (double denarius) of Gordian 111. These coins are of good silver, can usually found in quite nice condition, usually come with full flans and legends, and can be had for not too much money.
Have a look at the 'VCOINS' website search feature, under 'Gordian antoninianus' to get a handle on the market for these coins.
For a Roman coin catalogue on the subject, get a 1983 edition reprint single volume of 'Roman Coins and their Values, by David Sear.
Edited by sel_69l
04/06/2012 11:48 pm
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Pillar of the Community
Australia
4411 Posts |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
4778 Posts |
Thanks for giving the link; I just bought it!  Nah just kidding! Nice pick but a little overpriced in my opinion. $35-$40 max is what I would pay. Plus its of a common emperor. But don't let my opinion deter you if you really want it. |
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Replies: 51 / Views: 5,423 |
Posted 04/06/2012 11:43 am
