Where do you buy your ancient coins?

Probably 80% auctions, 20% dealers, but probably 95% of them came from recent auctions all told. The coins I buy simply don't show up that often as dealer stock unfortunately.

And Greg, I bought a coin from Cerberus in Australia. Nice folks, neat little quinarius of Marc Antony with his wife Fulvia on the obverse and his age on the reverse. I didn't know that Antony was in Australia dropping coins during his travels.

 

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Roughly: e-auctions 25%, private connections 10%, eBay (from vetted contacts) 10%, dealers 15%, Vcoins/MA-Shops 40%.

LOL, I can see where a rankings analysis based upon Unit QUANTITY vs. SPENT monies need to be determined...

My monies spent would include all freight, auction fees, and any other transaction costs associated.

 

As far as recording my costs - I include it all as well. Just because I buy a $10 coin doesn't mean that's all it costs. $5 shipping makes it a $15 dollar coin.

 

LOL, agreed. In manufacturing, we call it "fully loaded standard costing". Of course, I did not burden the cost with overheads...

 

Ebay mostly, if you know what you're doing then it often works out far cheaper than dealers/auctions.
Still a lot of honest sellers/collectors on there despite all the scare stories.

 

Turkish sailors, but make sure you have protection. They don't take kindly to being told some of their coins are fake.

 

@Jwt708 Check your PM folder... challenge coins

 

LOL, luvit!

hmmm...after reading it a few times... lotsa different interpretations pop up...

 

I've looked on eBay before and for coins I was interested in they were from Vcoins dealers who had slightly higher prices than their Vcoins store. I stopped looking on eBay because of crummy photos and prices higher than I wanted to pay. I don't have the patience.

 

Now I know. I have a Turkish chairman in my class...maybe I should ask him if he's got any of them ancient coins...

 

hahaha...maybe to you.

 

Uh, no, nope...LOL

 

I am somewhat of a newbie when it comes to ancients and have a bit more learning to do before buying from ebay. I would say that 95% of my ancients are from Vcoins dealers. For me the advatage of the internet is the variety and price ranges available. It seems as if bricks and mortar coin shops in my area have started to focus on bullion and less on numismatics. The remaining 5% of my ancient purchases are generally from finding a trusted coin dealer while on vacation.

 

Vcoins dealers are asking more for the same coins on Ebay because of higher cost, it's as simple as that. I'm om Ebay for the auctions, not for the fixed prices.

 

[QUOTE="Carthago, post: 2344394, member: 76111"
And Greg, I bought a coin from Cerberus in Australia. Nice folks, neat little quinarius of Marc Antony with his wife Fulvia on the obverse and his age on the reverse.
View attachment 476671 [/QUOTE]

Is this fourree?

 

Like everyone else, I mostly purchase off the major auction houses and perhaps 10-20% off e-Bay reputable dealers or other internet sources...

And that Anthony/Fulvia denarius does seem to suggest a fouree (the exposed base metal on the reverse?)---and I LOVE IT!!

 

That's a good question, Doug. I just looked at my records and I don't have the weight on it. I don't have access to the coin right now as I gave it as a gift. I don't think it is. As I recall, it's some sort of hard black deposits but it sure looks like a fourree in the pictures doesn't it? I'll weigh it and look it over more closely next time I get a chance.

It would be pretty cool if it is as it's in great shape if so.

 

These days, I buy almost exclusively from a handful of auctions; really, just NAC and CNG. Every once in a while, maybe one or two coins a year, I'll find something at a show or in a collection we buy at HJB. I bought eleven coins all told last year. One was from a small dealer walking the floor at the ANA; one was from a CNG Esale, the MAT victoriatus I've shown here. The rest were all won at NAC.

Now, when I was building my RR imitations collection (since sold,) I found coins everywhere under the sun. I diligently examined Ebay and every possible dealer and auction large or small. That definitely was fun in a different way.

 

So far this year:
vCoins: 1
eBay: 4 (from three different dealers)
Auction (Frank Robinson): 4
CT (Warren): 1

I have not been to a coin show year this year but usually buy 10-20 coins each time I do (maybe 4 shows a year?). I rarely bid in big sales because you bid more than I do so it seems a waste of time. Every so often I see something that goes for less than I would have paid but looking at a hundred lots going for several multiples of estimate to find a couple coins is not fun. I'm in this for fun, not profit.

 

So far this year:
vCoins: 0
eBay: 0
Auction (Agora): 1
CT: 0
Private sale: 39
NYINC: 1
Trade:5