Thank you for your post in general, TIF. I love those old bromides and I like yours. Here are a couple more of my favorites: “There are three sure signs of growing old. The first is loss of memory ..... I have forgotten the other two!” And for the thinking person: “Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like a banana.” - Groucho Marx
Another recent “in country” purchase of mine is this Claudius Sestertius - again, he is my favorite Julio-Claudian Emperor and, being a Calligrapher, I am hopelessly enamored with the quality and completeness of the inscriptional lettering at the expense of portrait depiction and coin surfaces: RIC Vol. I, CLAUDIUS, SESTERTIUS, No. 112 Obverse: Claudius, laureate head right Inscription: TI CLAVDIVS CAESAR AVG PM TRP IMP PP Reverse: Civic Oak Wreath Inscription: EX SC P P OB CIVES SERVATOS (within wreath)
Here's a good one currently making the rounds on social media: One way to find out if you're old is to fall down in front of a lot of people. If they laugh, you're still young. If they panic and start running to you, you're old.
I wish I didn't have to purchase coins from abroad because of the many delays, but as a specialist I normally don't have a choice if its a long sought after type. I wish we had more CNGs here in the US.
I live in Thailand and buy most of my coins on ebay, from "foreign" countries, including the USA, occasionally. The US postal rates have gone up so high that now I rarely buy from there, unless I work out a good deal with the seller. So many times I click on a link and view some coin on offer, and see the red words "Does not Ship to Thailand". There is apparently very little in the way of coin shops or interest in numismatics here.
In Australia, I really have no option but to buy coins from overseas. Local dealers don't specialise in ancients, and their offerings aren't nearly as diverse. Coins have always arrived.
Wonderful addition @jamesicus ! I can't say I'll join you in not buying coins from overseas but I don't blame for doing so. I have definitely slowed down however. Here's my As I got locally (at the local shop actually)
Larger images and more detailed attributions: RIC Vol. I, CLAUDIUS, SESTERTIUS, Rome, No. 112, 50-54AD, (36mm, 28.2gm) Obverse: Claudius, laureate head right Inscription: TI CLAVDIVS CAESAR AVG PM TRP IMP PP Reverse: Civic Oak Wreath Inscription: EX SC P P OB CIVES SERVATOS (within wreath) RIC Vol. I, CLAUDIUS, AS, Rome, No. 113, 41-45AD, (29mm, 11.2gm) Obverse: Claudius, bare headed, facing left, undraped bust Inscription: TI CLAVDIVS CAESAR AVG PM TRP IMP PP Reverse: Personification of Liberty standing right holding pilius in right hand Inscription: LIBERTAS AVGVSTA - S C (left and right)
That is a great one, Terence - perfectly centered with full and clear inscriptional lettering - thank you for posting it.
I assume you intend to leave your coins if you ever decide to return to the US. I wonder how customs does with a private suitcase full of assorted ancients. Most countries that are on the 'don't sell' lists got there because of losses in previous sales. That is practical, not 'provincial'. Oops, I see you are posting in the ancients section but don't have posts saying you collect them so this may not be a problem.
With ancient Chinese coins, I have to collect from abroad. 75% on the material I need/want usually can only be found in overseas auctions and collections.
Doug, I collect about everything! Have 40 or 50 ancients, and thousands of other coins. My criteria is: If I like it, I buy it. I am all over the place in my collecting. As far as US customs goes, I will deal with them when and if I have to.
Like @dougsmit I really enjoy Coin Shows and I have made some of my best purchases at them. I much prefer to buy coins from dealers who are mostly very knowledgeable and provide reliable attribution for the coins they sell. And of course being able to handle the coins and discuss them in depth is an enjoyable and beneficial experience. All in all I much prefer to buy coins at coin shows rather than via mail but, except for very large shows, the volume of coins available and the choices you can make via mail (and especially in auctions) pales in comparison. But I do miss the coin shows that used to be put on by a consortium of local dealers/coin shops - very informal, but very friendly and relaxed. Not a great many (especially Ancient) coins offered for sale, but you could spend a very educational and enjoyable Saturday afternoon there. And tables were cheap: $20! So you could set up an educational display - and maybe sell or barter a few of your own coins. There is talk of resurrecting those kind of shows here - I hope so, for I will certainly attend - maybe set up my own table! Here is a Claudius Sestertius that I bought (pretty cheaply) at a local show many years ago. Again, a pretty nice coin of my favorite Julio-Claudia emperor - a decent portrait and pretty clear and complete inscriptional lettering. RIC volume I, Sestertius - Claudius - RIC 99 (AD 41-50) - Rome