I'm sure I'm not the first one this has happened to, but the following was my decision process recently for a coin. Me: Ooh, that coin looks nice Myself: Hey, it's in our pri 2 list. Let's investigate further. Me: Pricing searches indicate that it's exactly where it should be (fair). It's much higher than typical for the type, but the grade is much higher. Similarly graded coins sold for the same. Myself: But, the coin is common. This is a bit of money. Should I really be allocating it for a pri 2 coin that I can buy anytime? Me: Yeah, but it's really cool. Myself: But look at these other coins you want to buy. Me: OK, I'll hold off a few days. Me: (few days later) Let's take a look at this again. Yup, everything checks out pricing-wise as before. Can we buy it now? Myself: I don't know. That's a good deal of money. I need a reason why we should purchase this one vs any other. Me: Hmmm...Let me think about that. Me: (the next day) OK, here's the reason. It's a really cool coin and you know it will photograph well. I want to buy it because it's really nice. Myself: Fair enough, but it's late now. We'll buy it in the morning. Me: (the next morning) OK, let's buy it. Myself: Sure. Just make sure it's still for sale. Me: (checking) It is Myself: We can buy it, but first look through the seller's other coins to make sure there's nothing else we want. Me: OK (checks) Myself: %(*&#$#! The coin sold while we were looking! Me: I hate you. Myself: Hey, what are you doing? Me: I'm buying this other coin that we've been watching. I'm not going to lose that one too. Myself: I don't know. The inscription is mostly off flan. I think we should wait for a better one. It's also only a pri 2. Me: Sorry. Order already placed.
Been there far too often my friend. To sum up a quote from @Roman Collector , I've never regretted buying a coin that was a mark of mine going into the auction. Snacks on the other hand..." *Snacks are coins that we buy to ease the cost of shipping, at least in our own minds. Both of these coins were in last years top ten and I enjoy them very much... but they were consolation prizes for Greek and Roman Republic coins that I was blown out of the water on at the same auction;
I've purchased a few "snacks" too. Here's the last one I bought. Crusader States, Antioch (Principality). Bohémond III AR Denier 1163-1201 0.91g, 18mm, 7h. ✠ BOAMVD(retrograde)HVS, bust to left, wearing helmet and chain mail armour; crescent to left, star to right / ✠ ANTIOCHIA, cross pattée; crescent in second angle. Metcalf, Crusades 1995, class B, 368; CCS 66b. Ex Roma Numismatics This one was more of a "sympathy" coin, though. FWIW, here's the coin I did buy. I had tried for a copy containing more of the inscription in Triton, but I was blown out of the water. This one (for a third of the price) will still be a nice addition to my collection.
Lol. Not that these were snacks. They were marks. It's just that Roman Imperial Coins come much later in the auctions and I had both greek and RR marks as well that I really had my heart set on. That said, here's a perfect example of a coin I didn't need but recently added to the tab to lower the collective shipping and was happy with: CELTIC, Northeast. Gaul, Remi. Circa 100-50 BC. Potin AE Figure running right, holding torque and spear / Beast right; uncertain ornaments above and below. D&T 155; Depeyrot, NC VII, 29; CCCBM III 483–506; De la Tour 8124. 6,31gr. Purchased from Art & Coins #2 Jan 2022 As much as I love the groovy running man. The description of BEAST and uncertain ornaments is just pretty bad ace.
AWESOME! Is that an Obol? And I too often snack on crusader Coins. Again they come very late in the auction so it's easy to hang around and pick up some really fun stuff for favorable prices.
It's a Yehud gerah - which I think is a half obol. It's 7.2mm, .6g Those are some nice Crusader coins! My collection of crusaders is complete (1 coin). I just really liked the Bohemond III issue since it's the prototypical crusader coin. I'd bought one as a gift for a friend and then thought "why not get one for myself?"
At least the conversation that you have with yourself has a linear, logical, if not rational progression. The point and counterpoint seem generally constructive even if the outcome, as usually happens in human affairs, is less than ideal.
Since the coin is gone, would you care to share a photo and the price? I think you probably saved some money, you can hardly find any reasonable prices in fixed price lists. Auctions have gone wild but still not that wild.
Below is the coin that I was debating, listed at $385. Chalkis drachms usually go in the $100-$200 range, but this one was much better - with details on the feathers and snake on the reverse and jewelry on the obverse. It is a bit porous, which made me pause. A similar one sold on CNG not long ago for $320, so if you add the auction fees it comes to the same price. Admittedly, that's the most I've seen one of these go for, so this is definitely at the high end. In the end, it's probably for the best. The coin I wound up purchasing instead is definitely rarer and, given the current market, was probably a bit underpriced. This type is extremely common and I'll have many more opportunities.
You saved your money. I saw the coin and decided that I was bored to open Picard to look for a provenance as it wouldn't be worth the price even if it had one. Apart from the surface issues it's missing X from the ethnic and there's also a thin flan crack. I got one from these dies for 290$ a few years ago. As a friendly advice don't hesitate that much for coins of such value if you like them so much. I thought the coin was worth a few thousands.
Excellent post Very recognizable. However, there’s another inner dialogue when «Me» gets his way too often too... And perhaps also an external one with the spouse or electric bill involved.
By the way one of these dies soldf or 28.000 chf a few months ago so in FSRs logic you lost the bargain of all times https://www.sixbid.com/en/numismatica-ars-classica-zurich/8932/chalcis/7542584/chalcis
Thanks! However, I do have to be careful with my coin purchases. The general rule is I'm allowed to buy a few coins for some occasions (birthday or I get a promotion). I get a lot of flack for buying outside those windows. I'm hoping for a major promotion right around the time of the Roma + Leu auctions, and they may be expensive for me. Each has one pri 1. I currently have five other coins I'm eyeing. Four are with the same seller and total to ~$700. IMHO the prices are a bit high, but all are rare to find in such condition - so it may be right. All coins are a pri 2, which is why I'm holding back since I'd prefer to hold the budget for a pri 1. The last coin is a pri 1 for ~$600. Auction comps go for about $400, though acsearch lists the last sale about a year ago.
Someone here once wrote that we only regret the coins we didn't buy/ bid on, not the ones we bought. There's a lot of truth in that, I guess. If I had a budget to match that maxim life would be really sweet.
