Trip to Westchester, NY Coin Show Recap

A few days ago Collect89 asked me if I wanted to the Westchester, NY coin show and I reluctantly agreed. I really didn't want to risk driving the hour change only to find the hall lined with US and Bullion dealers. I suppose I could have looked up who was going and figure out if it was worthwhile to go. (A chance to hangout with a fellow Coin Talk member was more than worth it.) So together we made the journey.

We entered the room and there was maybe 30 dealers and there where many empty tables, I would say maybe half the room was occupied. After speaking to a few dealers it seems a lot of the big names with the big ticket items where waiting to go to the Bay State Show in Massachusetts next week. With that information the pickings were even slimmer.

The first table we went to was one of Collect89's bullion buddies, I smiled and nodded as they chatted about dings on cheeks of US Gold coins.
Then I had a very interesting interesting experience at the second table I went to. I found a dealer who who I have done business with before and has some stuff I am interested in." I spotted among his goods a very nice Shapur III and a very nice Naresh. Scarcer Sassanian kings. We spoke briefly about these scarce emperors and he wanted reasonable money for the two. Then after I had isolated the two pieces and obtained prices for the lot and each one individually, I explained that I wanted to look around a bit. Then the dealer informed me that there were only a few crappy ancients being offered on the floor and that he had the good stuff. I nodded and in my mind sought to confirm his assessment of the floor. I shook hands went on my way.

I went around the show and saw many very crappy ancients, complete with BD and a lot of lower grade LRB. Then after about an hour Collect89 and I headed over to Eye Appealing Coins. I have done business with these guys several times before and they aim to please. We pretty much hung out with these two guys and Error Dealer next to them. I went through many, many, many ancient coins of all kinds and levels of quality. We certainly had very mutually informative conversation on ancient coin types, cultures, conditions, market and collector interest changes. At the end of the day I would have just bought of each been done with it, but it doesn't work like that when I am awake.

I spotted about 6 coins that had an awesome price vs. condition vs. appeal factor. 2 were out of today's budget, and one found a good home.. Out of the four remaining coins 1 was a high grade SMATA Posthumous Constantine reduced follis and the other was a high grade FEL TEMP, with guy on the ground in a seated position. These two where throw backs.

That leaves us with the two coins Ancientnoob went home with...


Drum Roll:

The first one I spotted was the first coin I saw in the box.

Asia, Bactria
Kabul, Afghanistan
Antialkidos (BC 115 - 95)
AR Drachm 16 mm x 2.12 grams
Obverse: Diademed bust of king right, Greek legend around: BAΣIΛEΩΣ NIKHΦOPOY ANTIAΛKIΔOY
Reverse: Zeus enthroned three-quarters left, holding sceptre in left hand,
Winged Nike holding wreath in right hand, forepart of elephant at left
monogram at right, Kharoshthi legend around: maharajasa jayadharasa amtialikidasa.
Reference: MIG 275b, Bop 9A
Note: Dark Toning. High relief coin.


The second coin is a Roman Coin for those of us who appreciate the east. This is a ruler whom there seems to be no shortage of.
Roman Empire
Valerian I (AD 253–260)
Samosata, Turkey (Submerged by the Ataturk dam. AD 1992)
AR Antoninianus (s. AD 255/6)
22 mm x 4.22 grams.
Obverse:Laureate, draped and cuirassed bust right.IMP C P LIC VALERIANVS P F AVG Reverse.The Orient standing right, presenting wreath to Valerian, standing left and holding scepter. RESTITVT ORIENTIS
Reference: RIC 287. C. 189.
Note: Dark toned. Nice portrait.



It was a very interesting and worthwhile show. Fun was had by all!!!

 

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Sounds like you had some fun at the show afterall. The Bactrian is gorgeous! The Valerian ain't too shabby either... nice potrait, like you've noted.

 

Must be nice to meet a fellow forum member. I doubt any of you will be in South Florida anytime soon... Glad to hear you got a couple of things from your show, the Valerian def being my favorite. I myself will be going to my local coin show next week! Can't wait!

 

Not any here in l.a that I know of so I know how You feel.

Great coins, I like them both.

 

yeah, that bactrian is very pretty , super detail and pretty blue highlights.
the valerian is also cool...this cat is on my list. after he got that wreath from "the orient", he should have turned the heck around and went back to the occident.

 

Yes, I absolutely love the toning on the Indo-Greek. I think I got it for the tiny elephant on the reverse. I was pleased to see such high relief on such a small coin.

Valerian really should have stayed in the West where he was emperor rather than going to the East becoming this guy's furniture.

Persia, The Sassanid Kingdom
Ctesiphon, Iraq
Shapur I The Great King Shah of Persia (240 -272 AD)
AR Drachm 24.5 mm x 4.11 grams
Obv. Bust of Shapur I right with earring; crown with ear flap. Pahlavi script- "The Mazda Worshiper. the divine Shapur, King of Kings of Iran whom descended from the Gods.
Rev. Zoroastrian Alter with Two Attendants.-Pahlavi script-"The Fire of Shapur"

 

Very nice coins never seen congrads.

 

Sounds like a good time. Coins look good too. I'm not certain when the next FUN show is in Orlando, but I'm thinking I will try to again. Perhaps we can meet VK?

 

The Westchester show sounds a lot like a little show we have down here in Lancaster, the Red Rose Coin Show - very small, mostly US and bullion. But I only have to drive 15 minutes to get to that show, so if I don't find anything interesting, it's no great sacrifice.

I'm glad you found something to take home with you. The social aspect of talking to dealers that are knowledgeable about ancients is certainly nice, but it's even better when they have coins you want to buy.

 

Super looking pickups, A-Noob (the Bactrian baby is my favourite out of the two additions)

Your big adventure at the coin-show sounded like it was fun enough, so congrats on a great day!! (I spent most of the sunny afternoon picking-up dog poop that is now surfacing as the last of the ice and snow melt in our backyard) ... so we both had awesome afternoons?!!



Have a great Sunday, fellas

 

A-noob,

Both coins are winners to my eye, including your Coin of Shapur I...All are variants I rarely see, let alone have ever owned.

My sole non-coin show acquisition of a Meander/ Bactrian coin.

I hope to see some of you at a future coin show.

 

The Bactrian coin is really a superb example of Indo-Greek imitative drachms. One of the best I've seen in terms of style and strike. I would have jumped at that coin, and I don't even collect Bactrian.

 

What fun going through all those coins and finding these two gem's. totally awesome Masternoob. both are super..

 

Apropos to your coins, AN, I only have one of Valerian to share, this provincial of Alexandreia, Troas.



And the last great king of the Sassanian Empire, Khusrau II, found at the Baltimore show. I need to take this coin seriously and do some research on it, as I would like to acquire more Persian in general...

 

Incidentally, your show report reminds me of the experience I've had at small shows when it comes to ancient coins. At the last Red Rose show, there was a guy who had four trays of ancients with a very nice variety, but they were all common and in low grades - some corroded and over-cleaned and otherwise unacceptable. AND they were marked up 4 or 5 times their market value.

Another dealer had one coin, a lifetime bronze issue of Alexander III, which was a beautiful coin in XF, but he was asking $280 for it, and refused to go below $200. I tried to explain to him that that was still twice the market value, but he gave me a "lecture" on the difference between posthumous and lifetime issues, and then told me, "You can't expect to get a coin this old and nice for $100." So either he was trying to swindle someone who he presumed knew nothing of ancients, or overpaid for the thing himself. Regardless, I gave up and found some nice Hard Times Tokens at a decent discount. Fortunately, if I come up empty-handed where ancients are concerned, I do have some modern collecting interests.

 

Nice additions. Do you remember the mint on the FEL TEMP?

 

I believe Siscia, Croatia.

 

Nice report and pickups AN.

 

JA for correctness sake, this coin is pretty cool but not imitative but an official issue of the ruler. There are a lot of late King Hermaios billon drachms / tetradrachms minted around this time and continuing into the early AD. It seems that these two guys really enjoyed the Alexander the Great (ish) Zeus reverse.
AR Tetradrachm
Lifetime / Early Posthumous issue (??)
Hermaios 80-75 BC
26.8x 9.44grams 12h alignment
Obverse legend in Greek: BASILEOS SOTEROS HERMAIOU (of King Hermaios the Saviour)
Reverse legend in Kharosthi: MAHARAJASA TRATARASA HERAMAYASA. Monogram. Radiate Zeus enthroned making a gesture and holding a spear.

 

Yes, I didn't mean "imitative" in a barbarous sense. But they are very intriguing renditions of the Greek designs.