For some reason Roman coins seem very interesting to me. There doesn't seem to be places legitimately buy them like in a store or such. So I come on here and ask all of you who have loads more experience than me in this sort of stuff, how do you know Roman coins are legit? Is there any good books you can get maybe at a local library or a book store that could help me understand the history of these Roman coins without the extra heavy reading and scientific words my parents can't barely understand? Lol. Anyone know the best way for cleaning these 1500+ year old coins without damaging them. I know cleaning isn't the most recommended thing but if it's completely corroded and packed with dried dirt, what is there to lose? So if you know any of these answers or have some good advice you could give me, please reply . Thanks in advance. -Justin.
Some good sites for roman coins without the big worry of fakes is vcoins.com, & forumancientcoins.com. I prefer ebay then any other place but it takes some time to learn the basics of fakes & even then there is some that are so good, experts get skunked. Good place for fake references & to learn is below.... http://www.forumancientcoins.com/fakes/index.php If you dont want to hassle buying books, THE BEST site to check out below to learn about romans, greeks and more ancients. http://dougsmith.ancients.info/
I can second what Mat has written. Forumancientcoins has some great bargains on bid at Ebay almost weekly. These coins are well attributed, researched, authenticated, and guaranteed. (A lot of nice coins go for under $20, too.) Ancient Doug's site listed above is a great place for beginners and experts alike. There are also some other informative sites on the web, too. Just as importantly, however, I recommend learning something about Roman and Ancient history. I don't collect coins but I use numismatic evidence to enhance my appreciation and understanding of life in Ancient Rome. If interested, I can send you some of those links. guy
Another good, reputable place to shop from is http://www.bargainbinancients.com/ . As for cleaning, it's probably best not to get coins that you need to clean much when you start out, but if you really want to, there was a really detailed guide I found once that I can try to dig up again.
Thanks for the responses. All were helpful, been searching for books instead of reading from the internet but no luck yet. For cleaning, any advice or sites would be helpful too.
LOTS of books. Ancient coins books somewhat a specialty of mine. For beginners, Wayne Sayles makes some beginner books. David Sear has the standard Roman coins and their Values. He is doing a multi part set now, but for a beginner I recommend the 1988 version of Roman Coins and Thier Values. The prices are relative, but will teach you what is common and what is scarce. There is a TON of great information at the beginning of the book. That would be an invaluable book to own. Ebay has copies relatively cheap every once in a while. Its the version with the pink cover. Get Sear and maybe a Sayles and learn a ton. If you only buy one, buy the Sear. Let us know if you have any other questions. Chris
