Affordable collecting options/themes

Since we're on the subject...




I bought these for about high retail (second and third ancient purchases and wanted to support the seller) which was under $100.

 

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$100 for budget coins? lol

I've never paid over $60 for any coin and I've been collecting for 4 years now. But hey, I realize everyone has a budget and $100 might be like me spending $10 on a coin. I am happy when I can get $5 coins and decent ones at that. I can score some fairly decent coins in the $10-$20 range as well.

 

For example, I scored big time when I got this coin for $4 and it's worth much more than that.



Constantine II, AE follis, Siscia, 337-340 AD, 3.7g, 19mm

OBV: CONSTANT-INVS IVN N C, Laureate, draped and cuirassed bust right.

REV: VICT dot LAETAE PRINC PERP, Two Victories standing facing one another, holding shield inscribed VOT-PR on an altar, decorated with the letter I. Mintmark BSIS star.

REF: RIC VII Siscia 99 var.

 

I bought all the below at the ANA show in Sacramento 2011. Price was $12 each, but there was a huge hoard at the time, and I had to buy 100 or more to get the price. Still.....good deals.

 

Very good deal for sure, Ken. I've also seen your VCoins shop. You have a nice selection of coins.

 

Under $50

MAXIMIANUS
AE Follis
OBVERSE: IMP C MA MAXIMIANVS P F AVG, laureate head right
REVERSE: GENIO POPVLI ROMANI, Genius standing left, holding patera & cornucopia, Delta to right, dot TS dot in ex.
Struck at Thessalonica, 302/3 AD
10.3g, 27mm
RIC VI 25b

DIOCLETIAN
AE27 Silvered Follis
OBVERSE: IMP C C VAL DIOCLETIANVS P F AVG, laureate head right
REVERSE: GENIO POPV-L-IROMANI, Genius standing left, holding patera & cornucopia, HTA in ex.
Struck at Heraclea, 296-297 AD
9.3g, 27mm
RIC VI 19a

CONSTANTIUS I
AE Follis
OBVERSE: CONSTANTIVS NOB CAES, Laurate bust, right
REVERSE: SAC MON VRB AVGG ET CAESS NN, Moneta standing left, holding scales and cornucopiae. Star in right field. Mintmark RT
Struck at Rome 302-303 AD
8.8g, 27mm
RIC VI 106a

GALERIUS
AE Follis
OBVERSE: IMP C GAL VAL MAXIMIANVS P F AVG, laureate head right
REVERSE: GENIO AVGVSTI CMH, Genius standing left, modius on head, chlamys over shoulder, holding patera and cornucopiae, SMNA in ex
Struck at Nicomedia 295 AD
7.6g, 26mm
RIC VI 54a, A

 

While I have nothing against Tetrarchal folles, I might suggest trying a theme or date collection where you find coins that relate to some historical event. Obviously the EID MAR belongs in this group but so would the final issue of Crispus or Geta, the Augustus Agrippa / crocodiles and Philip's Saeculares series. Unfortunately each of these can be over $100 if you want really pretty ones but $100 is not what it used to be. On a reduced budget, the best specialty might be 'whatever I can find that looks interesting and cheap'. That is what I have collected for years now. A one coin per decade set might also have some appeal.

 

Late Roman copper coins from Valentinian and later (364 to the end of the empire) are very interesting and among the least expensive of ancient coins. Some come in high grade, some are rare but have little premium anyway, and some are rare and do have a premium. You can see my site on them:
http://esty.ancients.info/ricix/

You'd have a hard time finding a type rare enough and nice enough that you had to spend $100 on it. Most types have nice examples that sell for $30 or less.

The page references the authors whose books cover the period. The original source, Ammianus Marcellinus: The Later Roman Empire (AD. 354-378) translated by Walter Hamilton, Penguin Books, 1986 is very inexpensive. Books 26-31 cover Valentinian I through the death of Valens at the Battle of Adrianople. This is 130 pages of an original ancient source. Highly recommended.


Theodosius. AE3. 18 mm. RIC Antioch 47c6.

Late Roman copper is a terrific combination of interest, availability, and affordability.

 

Some great inspiration here!

 

You like travel, why not do so numismatically as well? $100 will buy you a ticket to your choice of hundreds of destinations in the Greek and Eastern world.

The city of Himera in Sicily was destroyed by the Carthaginians around 400 BC... I visited for $6, albeit on a shoe-string tour.



$100 would get you at least 3-star accommodations in most places .

 

Well, coming from Australia, it's about $1000 to go anywhere. BUT I really would like to do a numismatic holiday some time. I was in Turkey last year - unfortunately their antiquities laws prevent taking coins out of the country - but it was a fascinating trip nonetheless.

I'm an adventure traveler, so my next trip is through the central Asian "stans", starting in Turkmenistan. I don't know much about the coins that originate from this region, but I am keen to find out.


<Edit> Oh I get you - sorry, i'm slow on the update. You meant "travel" as in collecting from all the different cities in the ancient world! That's a cool idea to explore.

 

I suggest Hadrian's Travel Series, merging your two interests. The denarii can get a bit pricey in higher grades but they're overall fairly available (just popular).

 

lots of great ideas for you greg! for me, budget coins are the 30 buck and lower types. it would be easier for me to show you the coins in my collection i payed more than 100 bucks for than to show you the ones i payed less than 100 bucks for!

 

When thinking at what I might suggest to Greg I considered Hadrian's travel series too, but nice example rarely show under the 100 $ he had limited himself. Should the 100 buck rule be broken another nice series to complete is the Trajan Dece's Divi series.

Posthumous issues of various emperors can be an option too

C

 

Just out of interest, are we talking about $100 per week, per month?

 

Just out of interest, are we talking about $100 per week, per month?

 

Just out of interest, are we talking about $100 per week, per month?

 

I checked out Hadrian's travel series on vcoins under $100, and there are indeed some reasonable pieces. Not EF, but I like my coins to "look" ancient anyway.

 

Oops! PC went funny, how do you delete????????

 

One $100 coin per paycheque, which is every two weeks.

 

So skip a paycheque and you can spend $200. Hmmmm.