Extra, Extra, Read All About It

I had read about this a while ago, but I forgot about it . Def a fascinating coin! Thanks for sharing this and refreshing my memory!

Seein how I'm relatively new to ancients, and that there is no standard price guide to refer to, I don't have any way to compare the price changes.

Do you have any examples?

I've noticed that things seem to be all over the place on the type I'm collecting right now.
For example , I had to pay close to 300.00 for a Chi Rho Constantinopolis in near mint that I wanted, but paid 1.25 for a SMKdelta Constantinopolis that ended up being listed in the Not In RIC.

I don't know if it's the internet or not, it's been around for a while now. Maybe there are just more collectors?

Of course higher end end coins are probably going up faster.
That's good for you long time collectors who bought years ago.


PS This post was supposed to be after echizento's post .......I don't know what happened

I know!

Good news and bad news for me!

Good news: I have been collecting ancients for 35 years! My collection must have some significant value these days.

Bad news: It is becoming prohibitive on my limited budget to buy decent ancients.

Many years ago, I had a nice Contatntius 11 solidus, a nice aureus of Claudius (Praetotian Camp), a silver cistophorus of Augustus, and very desirable argenteus of Constantius 1. These were part of a collection of about 140 Roman coins. My first ancient was a VF denarius of Antoninus Pius, which I bought for $4.50.

I had to sell them, at a time when needed the cash.

Fortunately, I still have a stater of Philip 11 of Macedon, an aureus of Augustus, and a solidus of Leo. Currently, I only have about 20 ancients.

No way I can afford to buy the likes of these coins now! But I had a lot of fun a few days ago, with the attribution of half a dozen late Roman bronzes.

Good examples are the Marcus Antonius Legionary Denarius issues. I purchased this one back in the 80's for $35. In this condition in today's market it would command upwards of $200.

Doucet, of course I don't mind and I would love to see the finished product. I too like the legionary denarius, but as you say, "fame and rarity rule the market". Still, I would love to have that Brutus coin if for no other reason then to say I could afford it.

Regards,

JW

The holed aureus sold in 2004 for 120000 CHF (~92865 USD). At the time it was said to be one of two known but there are quite a number of people who think both are fakes (and a reasonable number who question the denarii as well). Several denarii have sold for more than the holed aureus. I recall seeing a really worn one for $37500 and a nice one for ten times that. There is an old story about a UK dealer that had half a dozen fourree (plated) ones but was too ethical to sell them. I'd guess they would bring $10k these days.

The serious question to me is whether I would spent half a million dollars on one of these if I had it to spend. I'd rather have an Akragas dekadrachm (about the same price) or 10,000 $50 coins from my favorite dealers' junk boxes.

I must admit when I read that the BM couldn't afford it I was very surprised. They have enormous resources and the phrase 'an anonymous buyer bought the coin/item and donated it to the BM' seems to appear almost alarmingly often in the press, they certainly aren't short of the odd wealthy benefactor. (I prob have the Rothchilds to thank for a lot of the items I've seen in the BM good on 'em)

They have an almost un-paralleled collection of near unique coins so I think they just probably chose not to buy the coin in 1932 as they also had / have suspicions over its authenticity.

Akragas dekadrachms are beautiful coins but like JW 10,000 $50 coins would do me for life .