Perhaps starting to dabble in Ancients. What is a good start?

This thread can use more coin pictures! I've posted everything before so no new surprises to regulars.

Super hard to pick favorites but here are a pair of military themed favorites:

Carthaginians in Hispania
AE 1/4 Calco, 1.5g, 13mm; mobile military mint, 218-208 BC.
Obv.: Wreathed head of Tanit left.
Rev.: Crested helmet left, with cheek guards.


OMAN REPUBLIC. M. Sergius Silus
AR Denarius, 19mm, 3.9g, 9h; Rome, 116-115 BC.
Obv.: Helmeted head of Roma right; ROMA and XVI monogram behind, EX•S•C before.
Rev.: Soldier on horseback rearing left, holding sword and severed Gallic head in left hand; Q M SERGI below, SILVS in exergue.

The above coin celebrates the military exploits of Marcus Sergius, who John Anthony rightfully described as the Roman Republican Rambo. I'm going to let Pliny explain this one:

Nobody - at least in my opinion - can rightly rank any man above Marcus Sergius, although his great-grandson Catiline shames his name. In his second campaign Sergius lost his right hand. In two campaigns he was wounded twenty-three times, with the result that he had no use in either hand or either foot: only his spirit remained intact. Although disabled, Sergius served in many subsequent campaigns. He was twice captured by Hannibal - no ordinary foe- from whom twice he escaped, although kept in chains and shackles every day for twenty months. He fought four times with only his left hand, while two horses he was riding were stabbed beneath him.

He had a right hand made of iron for him and, going into battle with this bound to his arm, raised the siege of Cremona, saved Placentia and captured twelve enemy camps in Gaul - all of which exploits were confirmed by the speech he made as praetor when his colleagues tried to debar him as infirm from the sacrifices. What piles of wreaths he would have amassed in the face of a different enemy!

Natural History, Book 7 Chapter 28

A large Ptolemy:

Ptolemy IV, BC 246-222
AE41, 38.6mm; 12h
Obv.: Bust of Zeus-Ammon right
Rev.: ΠΤΟΛΣΜΑΙΟΥ ΒΑΣΙΛΣΩΣ; eagle standing left on thunderbolt, cornucopia tied with fillet before, ΔI between legs

A tiny Greek:

Aiolis, Gryneion
AE11, 1.3g, 12h; 3rd Century BC.
Obv.: Laureate head of Apollo, 3/4 facing left.
Rev.: ΓYP-NH; Mussel shell.
Reference: SNG Ashmolean 1447–8; SNG Copenhagen 205–6.
Ex-Dante Alighieri collection, CNG 218 Lot 215.

Another animal:

Thessaly, Larissa
AR Drachm, 6.0g, 20mm, 12h; c. 380-365 BC.
Obv.: Head of the nymph Larissa facing slightly right, wearing ampyx, earring, and necklace.
Rev.: [ΛAPI]-ΣAIΩN, horse grazing right.

I mentioned religious imagery...here's one of the god of medicine Asklepios:

Caracalla, AD 198-217
AE30, 14.9g, 7h; Thrace, Pautalia.
Obv.: AVT K MAVP CEV ANTONEINOC, Laureate, draped and cuirassed bust right.
Rev.: OVΛΠIAC ΠAVTAΛIAC, Asklepios standing front, looking left, leaning on serpent-entwined staff.

 

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Finding a coin that really grabbed me and was in a good price range for me was what got me to finally pull the trigger. I did a bit of research on the coin just to see what was out there and I went for it.

Of course it did help that it was on a site through a member here. I think that maybe a good way to start.

 

Can you please pm me the sales website. I really like the coins you got!

 

I still believe in buying books on coins. I feel it is important to try to keep abreast of current thinking on subjects I find interesting. I also can say that I have noticed errors made by people including myself on the attributions of coins and it is useful to be able to correct those mistakes. Even books that cover unrelated subject matter can be useful in trying to understand an area of coinage you are interested in but is poorly documented. Books are very useful. If you can, buy the book before the coin and failing that buy the book after you bought the coin.

 

It's not against CT rules to recommend or post coin dealer info. It's only forbidden for dealers (or anyone selling coins) to use the regular CT boards to promote their shops

Victor has a Vcoins store: https://www.vcoins.com/en/stores/victors_imperial_coins-208/ancient-coins/Default.aspx?

 

Did I not make the dealer websites clear?

 

Ancient Chinese coins are cheap, plentiful, historic, often have lovely patinas, and have beautiful calligraphy. In the lower price brackets (below $15), nearly all the coins are genuine. And there is a TON of variety at that price level throughout 2300 years of Chinese history.

As a side note, I collected ancient Chinese coins for a few years before dabbling with other ancients. From these, I got the notion that all ancient coins would be cheaper than the US coins I collected. I was very wrong...

And if this is where you decide to start, buying the book Cast Chinese Coins by David Hartill is a must.

 

No, no, NO! You MUST start with acquiring the 12 Caesars. And only upon completing this task may you purchase 1 Alexander the great or Athenian Owl tetradtachm. "How can you have any pudding if you won't eat your meat??"
Just playing but seriously, it may be cliqued but acquiring the 12 Caesars is a worth while endeavor that helped me get my feet wet while learning more about the wonderful world of ancients.
Some favs of mine...

Alexander III The Great (336-
323 BC). AR tetradrachm
(15.98 gm). About VF,
countermark, graffito.Late
posthumous issue of Perga,
dated CY 27 (195/4 BC).
Heracles wearing lion skin


PONTOS, Amisos
(You can't triple stamp a double stamp Lloyd)


Roman republic
Manlius Sulla

Who-lius Geezer

 

That might be a little too pricey for someone depending on who you are.

 

Nice to hear you get into ancients ! I warn you it is highly addictive and demanding hobby I have been doing it for 4 years and I cant stop wanting more ancients from more rulers! My advice is start with eastern cultures mainly Sasanian coin they are very interesting in terms of having variety of mint / cities and bust and crown types they are also visually very appealing specially earlier coins (Ardashir I to Piroz I)

for me the second rank in terms of interest would be Seleukids , they have beautiful style and craftsmanship and the busts are simply beautiful (look at Antiochus I, II, III for examples)

the other domain would be early islamic (caliphate coins) I love kufic script style and these coins also display variety of stylistic writings in Kufic scripts.

As for where to buy, I simply trust CNG and steve album auction the most. They have been in this business for a long time and they author books articles etc they are expert and sell genuine coins. Also Forum coins is another good place to buy , VCoins could be an option too but recently I see some fakes show up there so for VCoins , it is very important you know the dealer ...

Arash

 

What's important on Vcoins is the code of ethics -

1. I will vouch for the authenticity of items I sell and will have no time limit on the return of items discovered to be non-authentic. I will offer a full cash refund upon return of any such item, including the cost of return shipping.

 

IMO this has been the most worthwhile and most destructive to the common good thread we have had in a long time. It shows that many of us are just a mite over the top enthusiastic about our hobby and, unfortunately, about the particular flavor of the hobby. We smelled fresh meat and even the vegetarians among us went into a feeding frenzy. I hope you, and the hundred lurking new collectors who happen upon this thread, will realize the people who posted here were all trying to help even though relatively few of them could agree on the fine details.

I do wish we could all get over thinking our personal definition of 'wonderful' was better than all other definitions but, otherwise, zumbly's 'feeling' is also the basis for my hobby for a long time.

 

Nice start @furryfrog02 ! Great coin.

I start much earlier in History... I got an Alexander III Drachma and 4 of the Athens-Owl Tets. However, I went on to focus a lot in the Roman Republic. So most of my coins are BCE. If it is CE (AD), it seem MODERN to me!


Athens Owl 16.8g 22x6-5mm Late Classical 393-300 BC, Sear 2537, SNG Cop. 63



Makedon Alexander III 336-323 BC AR Drachm



Roman Republic M Furius LF Philus AR Denarius 119 BCE Janus Sear 156

 

I'd love to own a BCE coin eventually I'm still working on photos and then on to ID'ing the others I have. I've read soooooo much today. Going to pause soon though to go to a baseball game and fireworks show with the family.

 

You can also start with nice Arab-Sassanian coins.. It is historically significant coins specially coins of early Umayyad rulers like Mu'awya , Yazid I, Ubaydallah Ziyad these are pretty hated rulers by Muslims (kind of same way as Nero is hated by christians) here is the pics of them.

These can be bought quite cheap depending on rarity and conditions I would say you can get a decent Ubayd allah Ziyad coin for 90 - 120 USD

1. Ubayd allah ibn Ziyad the famous villain in Karbala battle Basra Mint year 59 AH





2. Ziyad ibn Abi Sufyan (father of Ubayd allah above) year 47 AH This one is more rare and more expensive as it has interesting hephthalite counter marks





3. Abdallah ibn Zubayr (Anti-caliph ) who rebelled against Yazid I and declared himself Caliph for 20 years till he get killed at 80 AH by Hajjaj ibn Yusuf

 

I'm sorry I had just over looked it yesterday. Sorry.

 

Saw a post earlier mentioning that the thread needs more pics... I agree. Here's my first ancient purchase in honor of the thread topic.

 

Hope I didn't come off too strong...in that case my mistake! I just wasn't sure and wanted some feedback.

 

I had just made a simple mistake. When I went back it was easy to see the link.

 

ahaha!.. as Doug said, everyones trying to be helpful here with advice and info. but most here have their favorite lines of ancient collecting, all are good, interesting and it's a wide field. you might want to start where your interest in ancient history is now. you will go many places from that point. as one member said, it goes with your interest in history.