A new addition to my collection is the tetradrachm of Nero featuring his wife, Poppaea. Its the only reason I bought it. Was surprised to see when it arrived it was a harlen j berk coin, priced at $150!!! My cost?, $37! Exactly my point in the older thread about paying high prices at auction and sometimes big name dealers. Really not worth it. Just patience for the bargain. Poppaea (63 - 65 A.D.) Billon tetradrachm O: NEPΩ KΛAY KAIΣ ΣEB ΓEP AY, radiate head right. R.ΠOΠΠAIA ΣEBAΣTH, draped bust of Poppaea right, date LI right (year 10). Alexandria mint 63 - 64 A.D. 12.5g 25mm Milne 216, Curtis 132, RPC I 5275, Geissen 157 Ex. Harlen J. Berk
Wow Mat, great coin and the price is off the charts, i need to get one of these some day, very nice!!!
Great lookin' coin, Mat .... wow, you really brought a pretty cool chick-coin this time around, eh? Well done, coin-chick boy ... well done!!
I wonder if the lower price has anything to do with the missing legend being the part that named her? I just upgraded mine with a similar coin also weak on that side and paid a very little bit more ($44). You have a better portrait of the lady; I have a few more weak but legible letters. My old one was $25 in 1991 but not half the coin. Perhaps many more have been found???
I don't mean to hijack this thread Mat, but is anyone else having problems getting onto the wildwinds web page? Sorry Mat.
Works for me And Doug, I mainly bought the coin for the lady, since I have a nero denarius, a tetradrachm wasnt something I was looking for. But seeing this going low the last few hours and the portrait being strong for Poppaea, I decided to bid. I had it maxed to $45, so winning it at the price I did made me happy. I didnt care about the legend. I know many of these have them off-flan. It does have a sandpaper texture in hand though. Still Berk price of $150? *shakes head*. Feel bad for the fellow who paid that.
I do not know if Berk does it or not but it is not all that uncommon to see coins in 'name brand' flips with prices that were never paid by anyone. There is one dealer in particular that places high prices on flips and then sells the coins he can't sell to other (smaller) dealers many of whom don't reflip the coins because it looks good to show you are selling the coin for half the old price. Sometime we see examples of coins that sold for high prices that later actually do sell for a fraction; sometimes it is just marketing. I enjoy reading Frank Robinson's list where he sometimes even mentions that a coin he is selling is in a flip marked some ridiculous number. Remember just because a dealer wrote a number on a flip does not mean he ever really thought he would get that price. He can dream, can't he?
Ive seen Franks quotes. Its just with Berk, I wouldnt expect him to be the type that you mention with another dealer who just marks things and reflips to smaller dealers. But I could be wrong.
