Why is this £1000?

Discussion in 'Ancient Coins' started by Gavin Richardson, Mar 7, 2018.

  1. Gavin Richardson

    Gavin Richardson Well-Known Member

    This coin is currently on VCoins. When it first appeared, I assumed the price was a “placeholder.” But it’s been up for over 24 hours now. Is the price a typo? The coin seems overpriced even at £100.

    Or perhaps there is some feature of this coin that makes it rare. Am I missing something?

    F521BE14-097A-4722-A894-67B21D078F0A.png
     
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  3. Nathan401

    Nathan401 Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?

    I lost a bid for an example of this coin with much better surfaces and eye appeal. It hammered for less than $100.
     
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  4. Sallent

    Sallent Live long and prosper

    Why is this perfume $5000?

    S116090_XLARGE.jpg

    Because they can charge that, and someone with too much money and too little sense will pay it. There is always someone like that, and people willing to help them part with their money.
     
  5. dougsmit

    dougsmit Member

    I see a $10 coin but I would not pay that much for it.
    +1 You only have to sell one coin every so often to make a profit. It seems to be a popular business model.
     
  6. Gavin Richardson

    Gavin Richardson Well-Known Member

    Gave $35 for this one in 2007. I think I’ve spent 3x as much for a decent cologne.

    D9CC61BF-F4C6-42FD-BDD1-2619FABF0725.jpeg
     
  7. Sallent

    Sallent Live long and prosper

    It used to be that vcoins had higher standards. But these days they look the other way as some dealers now follow the business model of "High ratings, higher prices" on eBay, as well as apply fake patinas to coins and blatantly get away with it.

    They've devalued their site by allowing some predatory dealers to use the vcoins name to lure unsuspecting buyers. Look, there is nothing wrong with a dealer wanting to make a profit and putting a coin 20% higher and then entertaining offers from more savvy collectors. But that's a far cry from marking a coin up 500% or 1000%. Imagine how a newbie would feel after falling for that trap...they'd probably abandon the hobby having been cheated by dealers they thought they could trust because of the vcoins guarantee. That's my opinion anyway
    Feel free to disagree.

    Personally, I don't think I would recommend Vcoins to a newbie these days.
     
  8. Gavin Richardson

    Gavin Richardson Well-Known Member

    Oh, I’m still quite positive about VCoins. I think strange pricing like this is the exception that proves the rule. However, I do agree that when I saw the pricing of this coin, I did think of that “high rating low price” eBay huckster who clogs up all of my searches with his nonsense.
     
  9. Victor_Clark

    Victor_Clark all my best friends are dead Romans Dealer

    I think that it must be a typo. None of his other coins are priced so ridiculously. Have you asked the seller?
     
  10. ominus1

    ominus1 Well-Known Member

    well, maybe he doesn't really want to sell it....that reminds me, i need to go look for mine...
     
  11. jamesicus

    jamesicus Well-Known Member

    I think I paid something like $75 (certainly not much more than that) for this coin a few years ago:


    [​IMG][​IMG]

    • Killingholme Hoard (Trier Mint) - 324 to 325
    • O: Fausta bust right - FLAV MAX FAVSTA AVG
    • R: Fausta holding two infant sons - SALVS REIPVBLICAE
     
    Last edited: Mar 7, 2018
  12. Gavin Richardson

    Gavin Richardson Well-Known Member

    No; I wasn’t interested in the coin. Perhaps the recent posts on overlooked LRB rarities made me think maybe there was something special about this coin.

    I agree, it’s probably just a mistake. I will send the seller a note.
     
  13. Gavin Richardson

    Gavin Richardson Well-Known Member

    That’s a really lovely portrait. I wish I had more hoard coins. Knowing a little bit about the burial context and a lot about the time really enriches a coin.
     
  14. Jay GT4

    Jay GT4 Well-Known Member

    Must be a typo.

    I have one of these too. Much nicer in hand than the picture present's. Not as pitted in the flesh. I think I'll let it go...

    Fausta001.jpg
     
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  15. Gavin Richardson

    Gavin Richardson Well-Known Member

    If they're fetching 1000 pounds, me too! ;)
     
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  16. Bing

    Bing Illegitimi non carborundum Supporter

    Unless there is something special I don't see, that's a crazy price. This one I paid $22

    Fausta 2.jpg
     
  17. Roman Collector

    Roman Collector Well-Known Member

    The coin in the OP is from the Thessalonica mint, which isn't particularly rare. Here's a Siscia mint one from a group lot.

    Fausta SPES REIPVBLICAE Centenionalis.jpg
    Fausta, Augusta 307-326
    Roman AE Centenionalis, 2.92 gm, 19 mm
    Siscia mint, AD 324-326
    Obv: FLAV MAX FAVSTA AVG, bare-headed and draped bust, right
    Rev: SPES REIPVBLICAE, empress standing facing, head left, holding two infants (Constantine II and Constantius II); in exergue: ·BSIS
    Refs: RIC 205; Sear 16570; Cohen 17; LRBC 730.
     
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  18. Johnnie Black

    Johnnie Black Neither Gentleman Nor Scholar

    Unfortunately, I’ve noticed this too. We should really start a Vcoins appreciation thread sharing our favorite vendors who offer quality, value, and most importantly peace of mind for the buyer. We can honestly share our best experiences so new and old collectors alike can expand their base of trustworthy vendors.
     
  19. Gavin Richardson

    Gavin Richardson Well-Known Member

    I’ve seen this happen a lot in various threads. Our own Victor Clark and Ken Dorney often get positive shouts out in this regard.
     
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  20. Sallent

    Sallent Live long and prosper

    I get 90% of my coins from the following dealers and auction houses, whom have proved honest, helpful, and friendly (based on my personal experience).

    1) John Anthony *
    2) Ken Dorney **
    3) Agora Auctions ****
    4) Ancient Imports ***
    5) Civitas Galleries *** (probably a tad pricier than the rest, but not excessively so, and the customer service is superb).
    6) London Ancient Coins **
    7) CNG Coins ****

    *Cointalk Dealer and/or eBay dealer.
    ** Vcoins Dealer Only
    *** Both on vcoins and run their own separate website
    **** Auction House
     
  21. Nerva

    Nerva Well-Known Member

    In the book trade there is a well-known business model where sellers use software to scan across different websites (Amazon in different countries, Abebooks, various private dealer sites) and cross-list books they don't own at fantastic prices. Sometimes people will have to have a book at any price, and if someone bites they will buy the book and ship it on. It doesn't matter if they rarely sell anything, because the costs are so low. If the book has sold and they get a bad rating they can just set up under another name. I wonder if that's coming to VCoins?
     
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