[ancients] A disappointing mixed lot.

Guess my luck ran out.

Bid blind on another large mixed lot, this time from Stack's. No pictures. The description was

...which I apparently misinterpreted as containing mostly Greek bronzes... plus some Romans. I'm not very interested in Romans bronzes.

Received it today (took them over a week to get it in the mail, even though I paid within moments of receiving the invoice). Haven't looked carefully at anything, most have partial attributions (of which many aren't correct, at a mere glance), and there are only 17 Greeks. Most of the entire lot is in pretty bad condition, including the Greeks-- not the quality of coin I would ordinarily buy. There are probably a few of the Romans which are interesting or of more value, but overall, ugh. I really overpaid, since most of them aren't anything I would collect.

The first thing I pulled out made my heart beat faster. A Galba sestertius. Then I looked at the enveloped. "Fake".



Of the Romans, most are Constantine-era or later. Blah.

Guess I'll have to try to sell them, and I really didn't want to get into the coin selling business.

There are a few coins with some promise, but I wasn't really wanting to deeply study Roman Imperials right now. Sigh. Can't win them all I guess.

 

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Ahhh, that's too bad that you weren't more impressed with your new score (I guess that is merely a chance that you take when you bid on a mystery-lot, eh?)

... I'm hoping that you'll discover a winner as you look more closely at your booty

 

Yep, mystery lots are a risk. If I were an eBay dealer I'd do OK on the lot... but I bought them hoping to score many that I'd want to keep.

I'm sure there will be some goodies as I study them more closely. Just not any Greek goodies

 

Sorry for you, but it's the chance you take on such a lot. You have more guts than me bidding blind. I couldn't make myself do it. Again, sorry. Hopefully something good will come out of the lot.

 

Don't give up on that lot just yet, TIF.
Maybe the fake Galba is in fact a Paduan copy made by G. Cavino in the early 16. century. Those coins have a value on their own right, and people do actively collect those. It is of a different style than yours, but that would not be unusual, I think.
Here his one from acsearch.

 

Heh - that would be sweet. How would you go about determining the authenticity of a 16th-century replica?

 

Hi John, I would say one way would be to search for Paduans from the exact same dies as TIF's. That could be proof of its authenticity as a Paduan (unless somebody actually made copies of original copies).

 

I was wondering about that. Is it Paduan or is it a more modern copy of a fantasy coin? That will be fun to research. The fake Arethusa decadrachm is fun, since I'll never own a real one.

 

I am betting there are more winners than not in that lot still! I can see the confusion I read that as there would be more Greek than anything else in the lot as well.

It says it has a Sestertius of Vespasian and a new style Athenian tetradrachm. How do those fair? Those would probably be the first two I would have dug out of this lot!

 

Sorry to hear you were disappointed with this lot, TIF. But even if many aren't what you were hoping for, you could always hang on to them given that coins you may not want today could always lead to a new area of interest the next year. And who knows which of them may fit some cool new theme. I just hope there weren't too many toolies, and those that were weren't tooled too badly.

Z.

 

Sorry to hear it Tif. Like others, I won't bid blind on a group lot. Usually I pay for someone to represent me at auctions, and they can look the lot over, (or ask favors of friends ). Group lots without photos are too risky IMHO for the price they usually go for.

Don't get me wrong, I am a group lot junkie, I simply wish to see at least SOME of the lot, or have someone look for me, if I am going to bid usually.

I know of a couple of dealers who represent at European auctions if you are interested in references. For US auctions it should probably be easier to find someone.

 

I would say part of the fun is that you don't know what your going to get. It is a gamble sure but it would be slightly exhilarating for me. You win some you lose some!

 

I suppose it depends on your personality. I could never buy a lot sight-unseen, because I have absolutely zero gambling interest. The one time in my life I went into a casino, I lost $500, and it cured me of casinos forever. I keep complaining to my wife that I never win the lottery, and she says, "Well you could try buying a ticket."

 

Yeah, it's kinda hard to win if you don't buy a ticket. That seems to be my problem as well.

 

Thats one thing I would never do is buy a lot of coins unseen. Im too cheap & I like to know what I am getting. A simple description wont do it.

 

I have gone to the casino maybe twice and always end up coming out even. My friends and I will often go play VLTs at the bar when we want to get away from the SOs and leave them to chat amongst themselves. I am actually in the positive for those things. Of course I never really put more than 10 bucks into them. Usually win enough to pay for the night. Friend of mine came away with $1100 from a VLT after work when he was waiting for his ride to pick him up. Needless to say he bought the first round.

The lottery I never buy tickets because I never really carry and cash except the odd toonie for a cup of coffee from Tims (I think that may have been the most Canadian thing I have ever said). My GF buys them every now and then.

As for coin lots I could easy take a gamble on them. Especially the lots TIF has been receiving. I will most likely buy one from the near future. I don't know if it will be unseen because it will definitely be a purchase of opportunity. If I see a good price etc.

 

Got any pics of the lot? I'm very curious. Maybe you have 1 or 2 coins of Hanniballianus.

 

Genuine, original Paduans were struck. These coins are highly detailed and sharp. There are many cast reproductions which you will find described as "early aftercast", "later aftercast" etc. Early aftercast typically means whilst the coin is cast there is still some sharpness. These casts were cast leading to later aftercasts. This process goins on and on until we have a very soft casts and have no idea how many generations of casting have occurred.
The OP Galba looks like a "later aftercast" given the softness of detail. We will never know how much later.

 

Nothing Blah about late Roman bronzes TIF.... YOC

 

Forgive me, all you LRB lovers, but for the most part I find them artistically bereft.

Perhaps at some point I'll read more about the history of individual emperors of that era, or of certain specific coins, and then maybe the appeal will increase.

Not sure why I haven't bonded with LRBs though, since I like certain other artistically challenged coins. I guess the fact that there are just so MANY of them, so common, so similar...