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 Replies: 14 / Views: 1,575 |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
686 Posts |
I am considering getting into ancient coins. A field so broad is daunting to someone with my budget and time (attention span). Greek silver seems the most attractive, but even that subset of ancient is extensive.
So where to start as a potential area of specialization? I don't want to jump in willy-nilly. Thoughts are Alexander III, maybe by mint, maybe Dionysus on Thasos coinage, maybe?
Thoughts would be welcome, thank you.
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Pillar of the Community
United Kingdom
2624 Posts |
First thing to do is bookmark Vcoins.com and look at their new stock everyday.
You will see types that you find interesting, or attractive and can try and find out about them. I started with an Alex III coin, and built my little collection up organically (exploring different area's etc as I chose) but we all collect differently... you might find something to specialise on or make a more varied collection. The choice is yours.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
6370 Posts |
Try the Roman Republic if you want to specialize in one area. The denarii are fairly inexpensive, as are the bronzes. If you don't want to stay in one area, try buying what you find interesting. When I use this approach, I buy a coin that I can tell an interesting story about.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
949 Posts |
I second David's suggestion: window shop at V-coins (ancients dealers) for a while to see what catches your fancy and correlates to your budget. Whether your interest is more historical than numismatic, or perhaps focused on art, nature, military, folklore, or religion, it won't make any difference because you get to explore it all and even pick up a few.
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Moderator
 United States
23731 Posts |
Along with the other suggestions I recommend you check out the Sticky section on Books, downloads and websites. It will help you learn about ancients. Ask questions here, we are more than happy to help.
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Rest in Peace
United States
17900 Posts |
You can get dozens of Roman in the 60-450 AD date range in NICE condition in the under $25 range to wet your whistle.
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Moderator
United States
34442 Posts |
@westwood arms, is there any particular time period or location in history that is particularly interesting? Sometimes coin collecting can reinforce one's interest in history.
"If you climb a good tree, you get a push."
-----Ghanaian proverb
"The danger we all now face is distinguishing between what is authentic and what is performed."
-----King Adz
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Pillar of the Community
 United States
686 Posts |
Looking through the Goldberg catalogue last night and noticed a couple things. None of the coins were notated as cleaned. Really? All of the coins must have been cleaned at some time in the last 2500 years. Why is this not mentioned?
Also NGC coins are terrible, obviously "conserved" but a shiny Tetradracham? Are slabbed ancients valued at a premium like they are with modern coins?
How important is provenance?
Echizento, thank you for pointing out the reference section, I am totally overwhelmed.
Spence, I dig the story behind the coin.
Traditional wisdom is to buy a bunch of coins from a reputable dealer at a good price, figure out the story and maybe get the book.
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Pillar of the Community
United Kingdom
2624 Posts |
There isn't any stigma on ancient coins being cleaned...you only worry when they are badly cleaned, otherwise it isn't mentioned.
As for slabs personally I don't care for the practice (I'm British) but its universally unpopular for ancients.
As for provinence, sometimes its nice for the coin to have previous collectors ticket (particularly if it came from a known collection) but as long as it comes from a trustworthy and reputable source thats good enough for most.
Edited by DavidUK
01/28/2017 1:21 pm
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Pillar of the Community
United States
7066 Posts |
Westwood Arms: I recommend picking up a copy of Wayne G. Sayles' "Ancient Coin Collecting" (2nd edition). I think you would find it very helpful. I've been collecting a couple of decades and I still often have my nose buried in that book. It covers so much - although mostly in a somewhat cursory way given the size of the volume: the history and manufacture of ancient coins, the history of ancient coin collecting, coin references, pointers for attributing the coins, ideas for thematic collecting (something it sounds like you'd be interested in), etc. Subsequent books in the series were specific to particular cultures or groupings of cultures, (Roman, Greek, Non-Classical, etc.). But this first book is a great general intro that you might get a lot out of.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
6130 Posts |
I would actually recommend that you dive in and get your hands dirty to find out what you really like. When I fist started about a year and a half ago, I thought I wanted a ratty bronze each of Alexander, Augustus, Nero, and Constantine.
Got my hands dirty, discovered whole new worlds inside of worlds, and now I have the better part of a thousand ancients, covering everything from Greece and Rome to obscure late classical Indian and central Asian dynasties.
What made you wake up one day and say "I want to collect ancients!" ?
There is something for everyone who has a reasonable set of goals.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
686 Posts |
Finn, I specialize in Mexican coins, however there are about five on my want list, some come up for sale every decade or so, one I have never seen, so what else to collect? Bored with US coins about 15 years ago. I am considering ancients, bought the Sayles book second edition. |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1549 Posts |
I advise the opposite of your opening thoughts. Start off 'willy-nilly' and let the education gained guide you to a specialty that fits you rather than one you thought was best because someone else told you it was. Right now, you don't know what will make you happiest. Along the way you will decide how you feel about matters like cleaning and slabbing and, for that matter, whether you really are cut out to collect ancients. I have many pages of my opinions on collecting available to anyone who wants to look. I suggest you start with the 'Vocabulary' section linked below and get a minor exposure to many things that might prove interesting or useful. Follow the links for a hundred other options. http://www.forumancientcoins.com/do...ith/voc.htmlOne point: Slabbed ancients are made for people coming from modern collecting with the opinion that it is good to be able to buy coins from any flea market. Old timers in ancients often prefer to patronize specialty dealers whom we trust and not pay an extra $40 for a box that keeps us from touching the coins. Ancients are not like moderns. They like to be touched. |
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Bedrock of the Community
Australia
21788 Posts |
I started into ancient coins by reading about Roman coins first, for about six months.
My first Roman coin was a denarius of Antoninus Pius, with modius & corn ears reverse, in VF. It cost me $4.50, in 1965.
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Valued Member
United States
202 Posts |
Collect around a period in history that you find most interesting.
I put together a three coin set of Roman Procurators from the time of Christ and Paul because I found their biblical ties to be fascinating.
Pilate, Felix and Festus are coins that I admire in my display case daily.
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Replies: 14 / Views: 1,575 |
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Posted 01/24/2017 6:42 pm
