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 Replies: 22 / Views: 4,996 |
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Pillar of the Community
3352 Posts |
A couple more coins from 450 B.C.
=> $85 combined (not bad, "for me") ... Apollonia PonticaSilver Drachm 450 - 400 BC 11.24 mm 1.26 grams Obverse: Anchor Reverse: Gorgoneian face  Thrace, MesembriaSilver Diobol 450 - 350 B.C. 10.10 mm 1.16 grams Obverse: Facing Helmet Reverse: META within the spokes of a radiate wheel  => okay, "that" is definitely my last coin!! (yah, yah, I know ... even I'm starting to grow tired of my lies) 
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Pillar of the Community
 3352 Posts |
Geee => as of this moment, "44" people have read this post, yet "0" people have replied ... hmmm, that's kind of odd, eh? (ummm, maybe I should have added-in => "please reply, and I promise that my feelings won't be hurt if you tell me that my coins are ugly")
... honest
... well, kind of honest
... okay, I might be mad, but that's not gonna be your problem => that'll be my problem ... I think?
anyway => "please respond" ... good, or bad
Thanks
Hey, for the record => our local golf course opens this weekend ... yeeeehhaaaaa!
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Moderator
 United States
23731 Posts |
Nice coins for a great price. I don't know where you are geting these all from, but I would love to find these at that price.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
4253 Posts |
Soooo, you're the one who was outbidding me! Nice coins (I thought so when I was bidding and I still do). Good pickup.
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Pillar of the Community
3352 Posts |
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Pillar of the Community
3352 Posts |
oh, but I must also toss-in that you are certainly straying out of your Roman-zone-of-comfort lately, no?
=> you have definitely caught the Greek-bug!
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1549 Posts |
These are the two types that made up the infamous Black Sea Hoard fakes. The fakes were so good that they fooled the major dealers until people started putting together the evidence. To this day, many of us are gun shy about buying these coins and I am less than 100% certain of my abilities to separate them. I am reasonably comfortable with your Mesembria and do not say the Apollonia is bad - I just can't say with what I see. I warn all to buy only from trusted sources and these types should only be bought from people who know more about this subject than I do.
I own and cherish to this day an original mailing I received from a major dealer (you would recognize) offering one of each of these (but nicer) for $500. Shortly after that he ate a lot of crow and refunded a lot of money. I keep it to remember that we need not get to sure of ourselves but that ad might be worth more than the coins someday.
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
10045 Posts |
Steve, I see you're busy again!    I'm also careful about Black Sea coins--it takes me a lot of research and trust in the seller to buy from that region. The Apollonia coin is interesting. While the face is described as a Gorgon, it looks more like an Apollo with the laurels versus snakes. |
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Pillar of the Community
3352 Posts |
I have David Sear on speed-dial!!  Edited by stevex6
05/10/2012 9:02 pm
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
10045 Posts |
I missed how you just spent $85 -- you did well (again)! |
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Valued Member
United States
422 Posts |
I wish I knew more about these coins, but I'm having a hard enough time learning about Roman's and Biblical's Steve! I love the artistry of ancient Greeks, but don't have the cash and would be fearful that I would buy a fake (wait a minute .... I buy fourrees ... um  ) Ok I think there is a difference  . Nice pickup for the money though. |
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Pillar of the Community
United Kingdom
2100 Posts |
Just for educational purposes, here are some examples of the "Black Sea Hoard" coins that were examined by the IAPN and published in the BOC.    Martin (Images used with permission of IAPN.) Edited by maridvnvm
05/11/2012 06:47 am
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1549 Posts |
While I continue to tread lightly on all coins from this region, I do not recall seeing and condemned coin of Mesembria that had the letters (NI) below the helmet. There are good coins without them but I have not yet seen a known fake that had them. The Apollonia coin is quite damaged and all the original fakes were high grade. I would say that the crack looks real but I also know that there are folks out there 'aging' (aka scraping on bricks, hitting with hammers etc.) pretty fakes to make them look real.
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Pillar of the Community
3352 Posts |
Well, I'm still feeling pretty good about the coins, especially for $85 (even if one of the two are real and the other is a "good fake", then I'm still feeling okay ... if both are fake, I'm not feeling too okay about my purchases!!) ... it's a tough call, for sending them for a second opinion costs almost as much as the coins themselves!! SUMMARY => I think that they are gorgeous and interesting and I don't plan on selling them either way => so they're "perfect"!! Edited by stevex6
05/11/2012 10:05 am
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Pillar of the Community
3352 Posts |
NOTE => regardless of their authenticity, "thanks for the heads-up"!!
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Pillar of the Community
United Kingdom
2100 Posts |
I am not questioning their authenticity and have not studied the types enough to know either way. I added the Black Sea examples for illustrative purposes so that people can appreciate why these types have been poisoned for many people. I have thought about obtaining examples of both types several times but have never taken the plunge due to small nagging doubts.
Regards,
Martin
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Replies: 22 / Views: 4,996 |
Posted 05/10/2012 6:52 pm
