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 Replies: 17 / Views: 1,922 |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
4778 Posts |
Just want to share my Vespasian denarius that I bought at the local coin show yesterday. Comments + opinions welcome.  |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1151 Posts |
Very nice! I dont know much about these but if you dont mind me asking, how much did you pay?
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Pillar of the Community
United States
4253 Posts |
Very nice detail, especially on the obverse. What is the size and weight? And is that green patina or just a trick of the image. I love patina. The more the better! Anyway, nice coin.
JW
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Pillar of the Community
 United States
4778 Posts |
I paid $55 for it (I basically paid with the money I got from selling some US 90% junk earlier to another dealer). This is one of the earlier coins, so prices can get a little high for them. And it's a silver denarius (90% I believe).
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Pillar of the Community
United States
4778 Posts |
Thanks, JW. It barely touches 19 mm (can't say about the weight - I don't have anything to weigh it with). And about the green patina... well, I believe it's from a combo of my photo skills and the type of light I was using, because looking at it with my own eyes, the obverse is greyer than it looks, but it has a slight tint of light green in parts of the fields. And the reverse has bits of dark green in a couple of the cracks and under the throne. In between the letters, it's just black patina. Again about the obverse, I forgot to move it into the light a little more, so that's why it appears a bit dark. Overall, it's just greyer than the pics show, but it's still a really nice coin in hand.
Edited by VisigothKing
09/19/2011 6:04 pm
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Moderator
 United States
23731 Posts |
Very nice looking coin. I get a little concerned when I see a green coating like that for two reasons. The coin could be a fouree and the underline copper is bleeding through, or the coin was in contact with a copper coin that has transferred its toning to it. In this case I think its transfer, that gives the coin a nice patina and will not harm it. I also think you did very well paying only $55.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
4778 Posts |
Thanks echizento. It's way greyer in hand, like pewter-colored. Just my coin photography skills need some work is all.
Edited by VisigothKing
09/19/2011 8:10 pm
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Pillar of the Community
United States
2269 Posts |
Nice portrait of Vespasian.
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Bedrock of the Community
Australia
21788 Posts |
JangoFett:
Quite a reasonable purchase for the price. I have a Vespasian denarius in about the same condition; I am happy with mine, so I guess you should be also.
If I am in a position to do so when considering an ancient, I refer to the the
VCOINS
website, for a comparison with similar coins.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
4253 Posts |
"If I am in a position to do so when considering an ancient, I refer to the the VCOINS website, for a comparison with similar coins."
Yeah, I do the same, but I take off 10% of the selling price for actual value of the coin. Some of Vcoin dealers can be pricey in the their offerings, so a minor adjustment is necessary in order to come close to actual value.
JW
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1549 Posts |
Comments + opinions
If it is worth photographing it is worth taking out of the 2x2 before shooting. While out, you can look at the surfaces, edges and details under a scope just to be sure it is OK. I don't see a problem here but I'd never buy a coin even at just $55 from such a photo. There is too much too easy to miss under that plastic wrap.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
4778 Posts |
If I were selling, yeah I'd take it out of the 2x2 and make more of an effort to photograph it better, of course, but I thought this was good enough to just share. And personally, I hate to have to take a coin out of it's 2x2 unless I really need to.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
4253 Posts |
I know I am not a classic ancient coin numismatist, but one of the reasons I like collecting ancients versus newer/modern coins, is that I CAN take the coin out and handle it, look at it, examine it, feel the heft of it, and just plain admire something laying right in the palm of my hand that has been buried for nearly 2000 years . In my mind its not like these coins are un-circulated or mint condition coins that the luster will melt away once the acid from my skin touches it. Most are used coins. Most have been handled over time. And most have a natural protective coating called patina.
If I were you, I would have already had this coin in my hand, if for no other reason than to admire it. If I ever feel like I can't handle these coins, I will give up on this hobby just as I have with modern coins (although I still have many, I just don't make an effort to collect them any longer).
As I said earlier, this is a nice coin. ENJOY it.
Regards,
JW
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Pillar of the Community
United Kingdom
2838 Posts |
 Its a very nice Vespasian. He helped in the invasion of Britain in 43AD, put down the Jewish revolt in Judea in 67AD and built the Colosseum - The least you can do is free him from the 2x2  I hate to see ancients slabbed, sends a shiver up my spine, sometimes I want to buy them just to crack them, I'm odd like that! Anyways, its your coin so do as you please, it is a nice pick-up though. |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
4253 Posts |
"I hate to see ancients slabbed, sends a shiver up my spine, sometimes I want to buy them just to crack them, I'm odd like that!"
I have bought the odd and end slabbed coin where I've freed them from the plastic surround. I'm odd like that as well.
Bobbyhelmet is correct, this is your coin. Do with it as you see fit!
JW
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Pillar of the Community
United States
4778 Posts |
Quote:
As I said earlier, this is a nice coin. ENJOY it. Will do, jw  It's just that, since I also collect modern stuff, I have the "touching it will damage the surfaces" mentality, and when I started collecting ancients (after years of just collecting moderns), that mentality just carried over. Even if I can't handle the ones in 2x2s (I have some in the plastic flips that I can take out), it still feels good knowing that I own great pieces of history. |
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Replies: 17 / Views: 1,922 |
Posted 09/19/2011 5:49 pm
