As mentioned previously, I have posted a sequel to my 2001 page detailing a visit to a large coin show in Baltimore. The page will be of no interest to people with no interest in ancient coins and will be of little interest to many who do share my interest. There are many ways to collect coins and my pages (2001 and 2011) are very opinionated regarding my personal ways of collecting. It is posted for those few who might enjoy the ideas. Coin Show 2100 The first line of the page warns that it will make more sense if you have read the 2001 original first. If you make it to the end of the rambling and care to discuss the ideas presented, please do reply.
Sorry to read about the friend dying. I enjoyed the page & you picked alot of good coins. I love the jabs you poke at slabs & things like mint marks on U.S. coins. I think thats why I enjoy ancients so much, no 2 are the same even if the same die was used. I hope to be able to select good coins among the junk ancients in bins in due time. Im very slowly learning to tell the difference with late roman mints. But reading your page and my first coin show experience at Long Beach in feb, it seems bargains for coins are not easily found. All junk bins I looked through with world coins, medieval & ancients were junk. I went to a local antique street fair today and a guy who usually sells alot of U.S. coins in cleaned & low grades had a section for world silver for once. He was selling silver dollars like hot cakes but no one was buying his world silver. I looked through them and got several 1940s Swiss 2 francs, 12 1910's & 1920's 5 & 10c candian silver and few victoria pences. He sold them way below melt for $50. I jumped on it and felt I got a great deal. Not a single one was cleaned or scratched but they were circulated grade. No slicks either. He seemed happy to unload some of his world coins and I was happy to get a bunch of coins, silver no less, for a great price. I asked if he had any ancients and he told me he has a few silver ones & would bring them next month. So we'll see how that goes. I so wanted to take pics but now my cell phone refuses to turn on so now I have to spend $80 for new cell phone battery & install since I dont qualify for a new phone till july >( Tried it today but easter, everything is closed.
Sorry about your friend as well. I'm glad you did a fallow up (maybe we'll see more additions to your site?). I have not bet to a show yet but would like too (even more now) but I'm also too lazy I guess I'm holding out for eventually one coming to town Thanks for sharing your trip!
Coin shows are good or worthless depending on what dealers show up. Baltimore could have been a completely different experience for me if just a couple people had skipped it. I have no idea where to send people to shows out West.
Also I wanted to point out I think it's great you've been expanding your area outside of rome & greece Doug. I have been trying from the start. I came close to buying 2 Samanta Deva AR Jital's for $12 each similar to your "M" coin last month but I didnt because they were off center & I remembered that beautiful one awhile back where the horseman was clear and not off center. I passed..... I have been eyeing Kushan's too. Picked up a cheap India Gold Fanam for a few dollars over melt. I thought it was neat. Its real....
Samanta Deva and the even earlier Spalapati Deva jitals are better silver and broader in the flan than the late one I showed as M but they still next to never show all the die design and you have to decide which end of which animal you must have to like the coin. To make it worse, the things circulated for centuries so many are worn slick. There are common coin but genuine condition snobs will have a lot of trouble finding the coin they want.
Well the condition of the ones I was looking at were slicker then the ones on in your photo second from left. I'll get one eventually, same with a better Sasanian. I like Indo-Sakas also. I look at Chinese cash coins the same way as wheat backs & Morgans...boring. Pretty much refuse to own any. Same with the very late roman empire coinage. I wouldnt pay $95 for something like this...http://www.forumancientcoins.com/ca...&fld=http://www.forumancientcoins.com/Coins2/
Doug, thanks very much for writing a sequel for us. As one of the people who specifically requested it, I just want to weigh in and let you know that your efforts (all of them) are greatly appreciated by the ancient-coin collecting community. You, sir, rock.
Love those old Afgani coins. I think they look a lot like ancient Celtic coinage, with everything in the abstract.
Thanks for posting the sequel and though there were some sad news this time, it was interesting to see that you were able to add some really nice coins in your collection. I specially liked the Vima's copper coin. It's a scarce issue for this king where he proudly shows his phallus. Ever wonder why a king will like his figure on a coin with his phallus shown so prominently? The answer lies in Indian mythology and it's mysteries. On Kashmir bronze coins, the coin "O" is identified as "Queen" Didda's coin. In reality, he was a "King". The nagri legends on the obverse are "Shri" and "Didda". On reverse, the legend reads "Deva". So, your coin shows the king’s complete name "Shri Didda Deva". "Shri" is a honoring title used for males in India (similar to “Mr.” in western world) Regards, Ballabh Garg
I would appreciate any reference quoting Didda as male. Everything I find refers to her as the widow of Kshemagupta, mother of Abhimanyugupta and daughter of Simharaja of Lothara.
