(I'm pasting this same intro into all my first posts to level set. Thanks for your patience) ----------------- Hello all, I'm new here. Please be kind So I recently found out about auctions for ancient coins and artifacts. I've mostly just been buying things that feel interesting or give me a good feeling. I have always loved archeology and history, and also been a minor coin collector since childhood. I'm not really collecting as an investment, more as a form of time travel. I just love touching and holding these objects and imagining who may have held it when it was newer. Having some kind of historical context to these objects is what I am mostly after. Also, I am strongly interested in attempting to restore everything to as close to what it looked like when it was new(er). I don't want to destroy anything, but I also do want to be "aggressive" in the restoration efforts in an attempt to do so. ----------------- So with this (potentially Tiberius) coin ($61) I'm looking for 1. Any info you all might think about it. a. The only description was "AE As. Low Grade- unidentifiable type. Scarce ruler." b. TBH there is almost nothing except maybe 10 letters visible on one side. The rest is just blank. c. Is there any chance this is actually Tiberius? 2. Best advice to attempt to restore it. a. Is there any hope at bringing out any further details? Thank you for reading and I really do appreciate your time and look forward to learning more and being part of your community. All the best, JJ Walker
This is exactly what I warned you about in another thread. Pieces of corroded, worn, round, old metal such as this can be had for less than $2 and I'm being generous. What a knowledgeable ancient collector could buy for $59 ($61 - $2) would make you drool. With some study and limited spending before then - one day, you'll appreciate the comments you'll receive in this forum. I'll let the ancient experts help you further as I have nothing else to add except this: I REALLY LIKE THE IDEA OF POSTING WHAT YOU PAID FOR THE COINS YOU HAVE POSTED! I wish everyone did. I don't consider anyone buying a $10,000 ancient any better than the collector posting his $40 prize!
I bet it’s Augustus. Coins like that are a dime a dozen m, especially in that condition. Even if it was Tiberius, still not that valuable in that condition
Believe me, I appreciate the comments very much on this day. My best friend's daughter has recently shown a strong interest Christianity and the connection of Tiberius should be interesting to her. I'll give him this coin to gift his kid. Thank you. I figured as much. I know that it's something that would be interesting to me, so I figured it would help others. I plan to do that for all of them
Where do you guys usually buy this kind of thing? I figured I need to find auctions that aren't directly related to ancients to find gems since there would be less chance of competing with others and maybe even unknown to the seller.
I've had good luck with Roma Numismatics. Shipping is really high though, and sometimes the prices get out of control. Sometimes it works out.
I think you're more likely to get burned with a dealer who doesn't specialize in ancients because they may not be familiar with the market and tend to overprice their inventory. I recommend you go to vcoins -- the dealers are well-vetted and there is something for everyone's budget.
I'll consider that, but I really need to stop buying coins I have almost 40 now. HOWEVER I do have the OK from my daughter to buy her some ancient jewelry. Do you have any suggestions where to look for this sort of thing?
You better stick to major established dealers. When it comes to antiquities, most ancient-coin dealers do not have the expertise to authenticate ancient jewelry and it is commonly thought that a majority of "ancient" jewelry offered on-line is fake. My strong reaction is, if money matters to you, you need to slow down and not buy in categories you have not studied. That "Tiberius" for $61 makes me cringe. I agree with @Insider . I would have passed on it at $2.
Welcome to CT @JJ Walker Ancient artefacts and jewellery are nice. Just a kind word of caution, though: there are a LOT of fakes around. This is true for coins, but, sadly, even more for artefacts and jewellery. So, unless you are really experienced and knowledgeable in either field, stick to trusted dealers. @Roman Collector's advice about VCoins (or MA shops) is sound. Some of them sell antiquities as well. Personally, I'd love to collect antiquities. But I know and accept that I'm just not knowledgeable enough to be able to distinguish a genuine item from a half-decent fake. So, unless I'm 100% sure that the dealer knows his stuff and is absolutely trustworthy, I steer clear of them.
JJ Walker, posted: "I'll consider that, but I really need to stop buying coins I have almost 40 now. HOWEVER I do have the OK from my daughter to buy her some ancient jewelry. Do you have any suggestions where to look for this sort of thing?" Serious question: Are you J.J. Walker the comedian?
This is good advice guys. So whom is an established dealer? I'd love to know just where to start. I mean I have seen a few cool things on Christie's Auction House. Is that what you mean?
I have an unpopular opinion. If you want to learn about ancient coins, especially attribution and coin Latin reading, then go buy large lots of 100+ junk coins. You will learn a TON at a very low cost per item.