Elagabalus & Julia Maesa, good deal ?

I got this coin for 80 $.
Was that a good deal, considering the details and nearly all letters being fully readable ?
is it normal that it appears a bit silver or shined underneath the "coating" on Elagabalus and Julias hair ?? Could it be a warning sign of an (ancient) forgery ?

Thanks for the help. this hobby is still fairly new to me. (Under 2 years)

 

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The reverse on this coin is the the better of the two sides with pretty good detail in that snake. But overall, the coin is pitted and the details on the obverse are worn and not sharp. Personally, I think you over paid, but remember, I am a budget buyer. Take what I say with a grain of salt.

As an example, I do not have your particular coin, but I have a similar Macrinus which I paid roughly the equivalent:

 

you probably over paid a bit, but if you're happy with it...there is no reason for that to change.

 

Its a great snake! You can only look at one side at a time. I have paid more for less.

 

Total winner, tobiask => congrats on scoring yourself a nice cool snake with great character and eye-appeal ($80 for that sweet chunk of history seems like a good enough deal in my books => congrats)

 

It's an excellent piece tobiask.

 

I'd say you overpaid, alot. Despite the reverse being decent, the obverse is in very sad shape. Also its a pretty common coin. I wouldnt have paid more then $25 shipped for it due to the obverse.

 

tobiask: Please do not take offense at what Mat and I have said. We're only giving you our honest opinion which, I suspect, is why you asked in the first place. All coins presented here on CT are respected for what they are and they all deserve to be loved and adopted regardless of condition. But some dealers will try to over-charge in this hobby just like any other. Like I always say (but not always practice), be patient and the right coin with the right price will eventually come wandering along.

 

Well said, Bing.

 

I second what Bing just stated.

 

Thank you for your honest opinion, I will take it into consideration next time I come across another Elagabalus
No matter if good or bad, the truth will set us free in life.

 

Good sir, I appreciate your honest opinions very much and would never take offense in them
I really enjoy hearing and learning about this, and next time I come across another Elagabalus I will now be fully aware. I am now also fully aware that this certain dealer is over charging. That is exactly what I needed to know. Thank you very much !

 

If this particular dealer is overcharging, perhaps it is because he expects customers to make lower offers. I always make lower offers than the listed price when possible. Sometimes, even when the dealer has a set price, I will write to make a offer more in line with what I consider a fair price. Sometimes I win, many times I do not.

 

This, or make a thread and ask us on a potential purchase, we'd be glad to give our help. You can even private message if you dont wanna reveal a link.

 

You will note that we differ on opinions on such things as prices. Part of this is due to where we are located and what sources of coins are easily available to us. The chance of dropping in a local shop or coin show and finding a bargain is quite real for some of us while others are a thousand miles from such niceties and have to pay extra shipping not to mention dealing with customs etc. Some of us saw your coin as a nice snake reverse while others saw it as a rather poor obverse. Of course the coin is both but whether we pay for the best side or the worst is a matter of personal style. A few of us could get into a major fight over which of us is the biggest cheapskate. A few of us regularly pay twice for a coin what another would consider. This is normal in ancients where there is no 'RedBook' guide. We each decide whether we want a specific coin or not and whether we will survive paying a lot more than we have reasonable expectation of getting should we decide to sell. I have offended dealers with low offers but the coins involved were somewhat offensive themselves. I try not to do that too often but many dealers would accept $60 for a coin listed at $80 so you have to decide whether the risk is worth the money.

IMHO, the reason your coin is not 'worth' $80 is the surfaces were rough and then polished more than I find attractive. I have worse coins in my collection but try to buy them only when it is a coin type I really want and do not think I will find again easily. The Macrinus/Diadumenian coin below cost me very slightly more than you paid but I like the surfaces much better. These are the opinion matters that define our collections. Welcome to the group.

 

Thank

Thank you for the advise and information.

 

Thank you, i will

 

Wow, this place rocks, eh? (man, what a sweet place to collect ancient coins)

=> thanks guys

 

Sometimes when I try to talk about price and value with sellers they seem to get passive aggressive or just kind of let me talk without adding anything and it is usually awkward for me. Maybe I am just too nice and have a hard time bargaining and making offers. But I will try to deal next time.

 

Offer 70-80% .... if they say no, then you say no

Yah, it's a myth that I overpay (shhh!!)