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 Replies: 13 / Views: 2,149 |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
6130 Posts |
After noticing a generally uncertain attitude towards ancients and medievals from the general pool of collectors, I figured we could benefit from a thread to showcase and discuss coins that can be collected within a certain beginner's budget.
For this thread, the budget will be $10 to $25, not accounting for shipping.
Contributors, please feel free to share any coin from your collection that you feel meets this budget requirement. Price paid is not necessarily a factor, as long as the results would be repeatable; e.g. a mis-attributed coin purchased for $5 that is "worth" $50 would not belong here, because the coin may never be available for that price again.
In addition to the pictures of the coin, please also feel free to elaborate:
- When and where was this coin made?
- Who made it?
- How common or scarce is it?
- What is special about it?
- What level of experience would you recommend before pursuing a similar piece (How common are fakes? How available is literature on these coins?)
For those who are still learning (e.g. all of us here) please feel free to chime in with questions or discussion points!
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Moderator
 United States
23731 Posts |
Two small AE coins from Elaea, Aeolis for $10 each.   |
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Pillar of the Community
 Spain
2752 Posts |
Elymais coins can be picked up within this price range here's one of mine.  Kamnaskires-Orodes Early to mid 2nd century AD Van't Haaff 12.3.1-2A2 Obv: Bust with top hair tuft, upward side tufts, one crossbar on anchor, pellet within crescent at upper right Rev: Dashes with regular pattern |
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Pillar of the Community
 United States
6130 Posts |
Nice ones, Ron and Paul! Here is one of the few Greek coins in my collection, bought for about $15 if memory serves: Macedonia, AE18 of Antigonas II Gonatas 277-239 BC Obverse: Head of Athena right in crested Corinthian helmet Reverse: Pan standing right, erecting trophy, ANT monogram between legs. B-A in upper left & right field; helmet to left, Phi right.   Link to the full story behind this coin: http://goccf.com/t/260392Greek coins have never really captivated my interest, mainly because I have never sat down to make complete sense of the geography and politics behind them. A well preserved specimen sure can be eye candy though! |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1304 Posts |
Licinius I Bronze Folles. Minted circa 315AD Roman Imperial period Roman coins minted in London have a certain appeal, at least to me. Fairly common ruler and type. Not faked to my knowledge. Cost: $15  |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
582 Posts |
Thrace, Odessus. 4th - 3rd Century BC. 14.06mm, 3.88g. River-god reclining. $20.00  |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
6130 Posts |
Nice portrait on that Licinius!  I've obviously gotten a lot of these Indo-Sassanians, but I feel that this one was among my better deals for $13:   I'll copy the condensed version of the history: In the 400s, a nomadic people from central Asia, collectively known as the Hunas or Huns, migrated into the area today known as Afghanistan and Pakistan and began to settle, often violently expelling the native populations. Relations between the Huns and Sassanians were reasonably peaceful, until 469 when they betrayed Sassanian ruler Peroz I. He launched a campaign to punish them, but was captured in battle and held ransom for a huge sum, which greatly enriched the Hunnic tribes (Specifically the Hepthalites) and caused a great deal of financial headache for the Persians. In 484, Peroz launched a revenge campaign against the Huns, and was soundly defeated. The huge accumulation of Sassanian silver coins inspired the Huns to adopt their own imitations of the type. Early issues were purely imitative, but over time their engravers stuck to the Sassanian prototype while developing their own artistic flair. The Indian variants began around 500-600 AD when the Pratihara empire decided to adopt their own imitations of Hun imitations, and then they were overthrown by the Chavdas, and so on and so forth until these coins were nothing but abstract shapes by the mid 1300s. This particular coin belongs to my "series 3", made by a people in India who greatly abstracted their coins, and either practiced or admired the practice of infant cranial deformation, which was popular with the elite classes over most of the world around this time. This particular design is noy especially rare, but it is by far the best example I have ever seen. |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
949 Posts |
This one was in a group of silver antoniniani I bought that averaged out to $15.20 per coin, all about the same grade. It's a nice Trajan Decius with a common but interesting (to me) reverse type: RIC IV #11b  IMP C M Q TRAIANVS DECIVS AVG; (the "M" is split between the diagonals and the "N" splits where the diagonal meets the second upright) ADVENTVS AVG with emperor on horseback adv left holding flag/banner in left hand and hailing aloft with the right. |
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Pillar of the Community
Belgium
1194 Posts |
a cast AE limes denarius from Caracalla ( AD 198-217) obv : ANTONINUS PIUS AUG : laureated head right rev : VIRTUS AUGUSTOR(um) : Virtus seated lest in right hand a Venus figure , in left a parazonium,left arm resting on a shield 19 mm , 3,02 gr , 12 h , AD 206-210 cfr RIC176 and C499 for the silver one cost : €15,5 = $16,5 . albert  |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
6130 Posts |
I don't generally collect the flimsy, usually artistically lacking medieval European coinage,*ducks rotten fruit thrown by Spence* but this one I am very fond of: Hungary, Bela III (1172-96) Renzpenz ("Copper Coin") BELA REX, Bela III and Stephen III enthroned SANCTA MARIA, Mary holding staff and a very degraded baby Jesus Seller was asking $25, but accepted $20.   Bela III was one of the greatest and most famous kings of medieval Hungary. The second son of Geza II, he was sent to Constantinople at age 15 when his brother Stephen III came to power and sought a peaceful resolution to their quarrels. At Constantinople, he was made heir to Manuel I Comnenos, renamed Alexios, and betrothed to Manuel's daughter. During this time, he received a Byzantine education and became entangled in sporadic warfare with his brother over Croatia and Serbia. Manuel had a natural son in 1169, and Bela/Alexios' betrothal was annulled and his position downgraded. He moved back to Hungary in 1172 when his brother died. He was an effective and good ruler, credited with a cultural golden age and encouraging the keeping of records and histories throughout his kingdom. He allowed the crusaders to use his kingdom as passage toward the Holy Land, and at times helped mediate peace between the Crusaders and Byzantines. Bela III was the only medieval Hungarian king to issue copper coinage. This design was issued as both a scyphate (cup shaped) and flat coin, and is believed to have been made either for trade with the Byzantines, or to attempt to diversify his coinage. He also issued a copper "pseudo-fals" based on the Abbasid design used in the Middle East. Both are very common and usually found in high grades, indicating they were not used much. |
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
12057 Posts |
I paid $11 at auction for this Gordian III AR antoninianus. RIC IV.148 / Providentia w/globe, wand & staff reverse, Rome mint. Gordian III is fairly common emperor and can usually find many examples.   My suggestion for this entire price range would of course be LRB's of the Constantines, or the greatly debased or silvered AE antoniniani prior to Aurelian, such as issues of Gallienus. Member ANA - EAC - TNA - SSDC - CCT #890 "Most of the things worth doing in the world had been declared impossible before they were done." -- Louis D. Brandeis |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
6370 Posts |
I got nearly all of my ancient Chinese for less than $1 each, and in many cases less than 50˘ each.
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Pillar of the Community
Spain
2752 Posts |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
6130 Posts |
 I created a thread for coins that can be (reliably) bought for $10 or less, and I would love to see some of your favorites! |
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Replies: 13 / Views: 2,149 |
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Posted 03/08/2017 02:17 am
