Triton

http://issuu.com/cngcoins/docs/cng_...or=%23222222

One of the things that has changed a lot in my collecting life is that I am no longer on the mailing list of major sellers of ancient coins. There was a time that I bought a few coins every so often that kept me on their lists but as the catalogs got nicer and I did not get richer, we went out separate ways. I miss seeing those catalogs. Now, technology has reunited us. The Internet has made it possible for me to see the newly released Triton XVI catalog (link above) which is largely filled with coins we as a group can't afford. The number of coins with 5 digit estimates is offensive. On the other hand, buying a copy of the catalog ($150/year subscription gets several smaller sales as well) could be a better investment than some books I know in the way of an educational aid if you collect some periods. The collection in this catalog is weak in late Roman bronzes but those emperors are represented in gold. The sale has two coins of Septimius Severus from Rome and not a single Eastern denarius of his but there are a couple Alexandrian tetradrachms of Severus and Domna that made the book only because they shared a reverse die (and should have been offered as a single lot (IMHO). Greek and Early Roman is better represented because more coins in those areas make the price of admission.

I am in no way suggesting you bid in this sale or buy the catalog in hardcopy. If you have that kind of budget you should be paying someone better than me for advice. (opinion: Most of the estimates are low.) I am suggesting that you should read every page of this beautiful online free resource. Don't let the fact that you will never own some of these coins stop you from enjoying them.

Unusual in this catalog is a very small sub-selection of interesting coins lacking cash value to be sold separately so they are grouped in large lots. Despite most being Julio-Claudian, the AK collection consists of the sort of coins I do buy when I can but I'm not ready to buy so many at once. As an educational device, this sub-catalog (AK collection) is a good resource for the collector of the period they cover. There are few listings of some of the 'odd' categories available otherwise. I suggest you scan over the lots and see if you can figure out what it was about that coin that made it appeal to the person who formed the collection.
http://issuu.com/cngcoins/docs/ak_c...or=%23222222