Considering buying a coin with problems...

I've spotted a coin that I am quite taken with, but it has a few glaring problems. There is a flan crack that travels a substantial distance across the coin, ending towards the top of the obverse portrait, and there is also some corrosion across the top of the portrait.

That said, the overall image and coin is strikingly attractive. Also the price reflects the problems, and without the issues I would expect the coin to go for three or four times the price.

It has got me thinking about what I should accept, and what i should refuse when it comes to purchasing a coin. We've had threads in the last few months about priorities when purchasing a coin, but what about things that stop you from purchasing one?

Do you have any strict things which makes a purchase impossible for you? What things make you less likely to purchase a coin? Obviously this is a question framed around mid to lower end collectors, but I'd also like to hear from people who aim at EF or thereabouts .

 

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@thejewk

Before my wife and I got married, we had our share of problems. I thought they would go away after we were married. I was wrong. They continued to interfere with our relationship, and after seven years, we got a divorce.

My point is that if you notice the problems with that coin, now, time will never change things. It will still be the problem coin that it is today. My advice would be for you to wait until the right one comes along.

Chris

 

I can tolerate a wide range of grades-- it all depends on the style and various other factors and some of those factors are simply personal preference-- and budget.

If you are smitten by the coin and after searching for comparisons, feel like you aren't able to get one without the problems which you prefer or like equally, I see nothing wrong with buying a "problem" coin. Almost all ancient coins have one "problem" or another, especially if viewed through the lens of a modern collector.

However,

This sounds worrisome. As I've pictured your description, the crack goes almost all the way across the coin? If that is true, unless you'd be okay with it should the coin break into two pieces, I'd pass.

Once in a blue moon a broken coin is about all that is available for some super rare coins, but it doesn't sound like that is the case here.

 

Sorry TIF, poorly worded on my part. The crack comes from the top of the coin and goes just in to the top of the head, so definitely not severe enough to cause a potential break without some real encouragement on my part.

 

Oh, good!!

Different people tolerate different flaws, but if there is something special about the style that you haven't found in another of the type, if you don't want to wait, and if you're happy with the price after looking at comparable coins and their sale price, go for it .

 

I think a coin with "problems" can be worthwhile if 1) they don't bother you too much (but @cpm9ball has a good point. If you think they would bother others, but not you, that is much different from actually bothering you.) and 2) they are much cheaper than similar coins without the flaws. Flaws do lower the value significantly. But, you mentioned "three or four times the price" which makes it a huge discount. It sounds like a coin I would buy if I wanted the type.

 

I think it's quite possibly a bit of a noob trap issue. I'm a new collector and I'm a sucker for a good portrait with nice style, which I think is probably quite common for people early on.

This coin has a really nice and pleasing portrait. Beautiful hair detail and profile.

 

I can tolerate minor problems but things like massive cracks or that horrible greenish tone i wont buy.

Id rather get coins that are decent shape and clearly readable.

 

I agree with cpm9ball that the 'problems' will not go away but I probably have more problem coins than most people because of my definition of what is a problem. Wear does not bother me; corrosion does. Portrait detail does not impress me enough that I want to buy coins with poor legends or centering. However, I am willing to buy any grade or situation if the coin has not proven available in a condition I would prefer. That means that a common coin I can get better gets left behind while a coin I want that I have never seen before has a really good chance of getting a place in my collection. I advise not buying a coin that you don't like now. Those will not improve. If you see the beauty of the good points more than you are bothered by the faults, go for it.

 

If it will bother you and distract you whenever you look at the coin, pass. If it’s something that you can subconsciously overlook since it is part of the coin’s history/minting, then go for it.

 

Here's a coin I have that sounds a lot like the one you're considering. Notice the crack (how could you not?). Doesn't bother me in the least...



Who is the Emperor on the coin you're considering? Are others of the type available and can you afford one without the issues?

 

It's Faustina the younger under Pius, but it has one of the best portraits I've seen. I've looked through many of them over the last month or two, and only a denarius for Diva Faustina with a very sorrowful expression has come close.

 

She does have some great portraits but her coins aren't that expensive. I would wait for a nice one with no issues

 

Just last month I bought this one for $69 from Valentinian's listings because I lacked a young Faustina. Is your proposed nicer than this and cheaper? Jay GT4 posted what I would call a nice young portrait above. How does yours compare?

 

The criteria of what strikes one as a beautiful or irresistible coin most likely vary as much as the number of members on this forum. Beauty truly does lie in the eye of the beholder. There are many intangible factors that make us fall in love with a coin: history, where does it come from, style, toning, can I find a better one. In general I look at how well the coin has aged. I tend to avoid graininess or corrosion. Small flan cracks don't really bother me. In the end, I think if it pleases you , and you don't think you can find a better one , grab it. Here is a coin of Vespasian that is rather worn down, but when I saw it, I just "bonded" with it and could not explain why and I never regretted it.

 

Interesting discussion - I like the "what I like" theme. Faustina (I or II) is of particular interest because the style of the portraits can vary so much. I would put up with a lot of damage for a nice portrait.

Case in point: recently I got a sestertius of Faustina I with a lot of wear and some antique scratches, to the point where the reverse legend is missing. On the plus side, it has the Temple of Antoninus & Faustina on the reverse, a lovely black patina with some sandy stuff here and there, and one of the best Faustina I portraits I've ever owned.

Some would find this uncollectable, but it is currently one of my favorites. And it is all a matter of opinion...


Faustina I Æ Sestertius
(c. 141-146 A.D.)
Rome Mint
DIVA AVGVSTA FAVSTINA draped bust right / [PIETAS AVG], hexastyle temple façade; pediment decorated with figures; quadriga; figures with billowing veils at ends; SC in exergue.
RIC 1148; BMCRE 1454.
(25.63 grams / 28 mm)

 

@octavius that is a wonderful coin of Vespasian. I'd love to have it in my collection.
@Marsyas Mike it's always great to have a coin that you can point to and say "this building is still standing 1900 years later" Very nice!

 

Question: Of all Roman women, whose issues spam the greatest period of time? We all know the long, long term emperors like Augustus and Constantius II. We enjoy watching little boys like Caracalla grow into men. What Roman woman had coins showing a greater age range than Faustina II? We have a couple boy Caesars that were very young when their first coins were struck. What Roman woman was shown at the youngest age? How many First Daughters can you name?

 

@octavius To my eyes, that's a stunning coin, and if it was my collection area and I had the funds I'd have grabbed it without hesitation.

@dougsmit My knowledge is patchy, especially after the Severans, but I would presume that the greatest spread of coins for one female would likely have to be a daughter of an emperor that was then married to another emperor and then deified, just like Faustina II.

The coin is question is just under $50, and the discussion here has made me resolve to buy it when I have the funds next month (if it is still available of course). My collecting focus is small, and I have room for more Faustinas in the future, and most importantly the coin brings me joy when I look at the picture.

 

I caved, and purchased the coin, so here it is:



And I added my first provincial coin at the same time, an Antioch Antoninus Pius AE25: