Advice and tips for younger/beginner collectors ??

Hey guys,
I have received an outpouring of tips and help with my previous posts and have already learned a lot.
I have a budget of about 200$ a month for ancients and in the 2 years since i started have gotten one random ancient coin each month, mostly impulse buys. I feel like i cannot find a certain era to collect and therefore feel a bit unsatisfied with my collection ranging from thrace 440 BC to Constantine II.

I live in Tennessee and the coin business is not that popular it seems. the small coin shop here and there that come and go over the years.

How did you find your specific era to collect ? Is it normal to just buy random ancients and have a broad variety ?

are there any coins i should look into buying in the next 5 years before they become scarcer or so ?

Any general advise and tips are appreciated

 

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My main goal is to collect as many Roman Imperial rulers as I can. I have 101 right now. You can read all about it here.

https://www.cointalk.com/threads/eric-ii-rarity-list-100-personal-milestone-celebration.263400/

Here is my Roman Imperial grid. http://www.tantaluscoins.com/coins/grid288.php

Here are my other coins from other regions.

http://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/index.php?cat=31399

You can also read this site to help you gain ideas to collect.

http://www.forumancientcoins.com/dougsmith/

Pretty much collect what you want and what you like. You'll find this out the more you collect coins. I know a lot of people that don't specialize at all. They buy whatever coin they like and when there is a good price for one.

 

i,ve been collecting ancients for less than a year and for now i stick to roman rulers as they are the easiest for me to attribute at this time...there is just so much you can collect with ancients that it can be overwhelming. heres a site i use a lot http://www.wildwinds.com/coins/index.html

 

I don't collect ancients, but your inquiry is such a general one, I feel I can offer an opinion.

Collect what you want. My only guiding principle for my collection is that I don't buy anything I wouldn't want to own for 5+ years. If I'm at all ambivalent about it, I don't buy it. I probably consider for purchase least 10 coins for every 1 I buy. Develop an eye for nice pieces and be particular about what you want.

I collect US coins primarily, and I love toners. But, I've got my eye on a couple of tokens right now, and, if you'd told me a year ago I'd be seriously looking at these tokens, I'd have thought you were crazy. I have untoned coins as well that I love, and there have been a few coins I let go that I kind of wish I hadn't. But, I don't worry about it because I know there are way more nice pieces in my price range out there than I can possibly afford.

When you find that area of numismatics that excites you, you'll know. I've seen some really neat ancients, but nothing that's really tripped my trigger yet. And, that's okay.

The point is, you don't really need a guiding principle other than "coins I like." Be discriminating and buy nice pieces. If that means you don't spend a dime on coins this month, carry over your $200 to next month and look at things you couldn't ordinarily afford.

I could go on, but I'll stop there.

 

you guys must be well funded because getting all the emperors (not even counting women and children) is like unthinkable for me. Some these guys like otho and niger cost a small fortune even for a runt of the litter specimen.

Was working on "nero getting fatter and fatter" series till I realized that was going to take two decades. So for now I try to complete the thorius balbus alphabets

 

Just carry on as you are. Gradually you will be drawn to a particular period or range of emperors, or style, or whatever. So long as you enjoy your coins, it does not really matter.

Stick with the forum for ideas and advice. There is only one drawback to this forum and that is you will want one of every coin that is posted here.

 

Geesh, I am still trying to figure-out what my coin-end-game is going to be ...

I have 326 ancient coins => 182 BC & 144 AD (fairly even split, eh?)

... more than half of them have some sort of animal on the reverse/obverse, so I supposed that is my main coin-theme? (however, coins with weapons, ships and other interesting reverses are also always in the cross-hairs)

I like collecting a very broad variety of coin-types, with occasional sub-sets tossed-in to keep my OCD in check ...

tobiask => good luck finding your own coin collecting strategy (getting there is half the fun!!)

 

I can recount my journey into ancients - if there's any advice to be had in it, you're welcome to take it, or not.

I bought a Falling Horseman bronze out of curiosity a few years ago and posted it on this forum. Doug directed me to his pages at FORVM and I read them avidly - there's an abundance of valuable information there.

Numiswiki also has many numismatic texts in the public domain as free downloads. Click here. There's enough reading material there to keep you busy for the rest of your life. I've discovered that in-depth analyses spur my collecting interests - personally I like to know A LOT about my coins and the cultures they came from.

I started collecting Late Roman Bronzes because you can acquire many of them in fairly high grades for not too much of an outlay. I continue to work on a high-grade type set of LRB's, and occasionally cherry-pick an interesting and rare variety.

I became very interested in Nabataean coinage and even created a website to consolidate the available scholarly material and document my collection. But I don't think it's necessary to specialize in anything to enjoy the hobby. I still buy completely random coins if they pique my interest, and lately I've been looking at ancient Indian coins with more than a passing fancy.

And I've been influenced by Steve to create a "miniature menagerie" collection - animals on coins of around 1g. So in the end, Paul M's advice, that you hear so often, applies as much to ancients as any other genre: collect what you want.

 

Like everyone else, I have no real strategy. I began by collecting the Twelve Caesars in silver which took some time. Not because of Otho, but Caligula and Claudius. If you are not familiar with the book The Twelve Caesars by Suetonius, you should get the book (take a lot of what Suetonius says with a grain of salt). Anyway, a lot of people begin by trying to put together a collection of the twelve. In the meantime while looking for coins of the twelve you will see other coins that strike your interest and thus find your own way.

I've been collecting for much longer than I care to remember, but I can see where I've changed my interests over the years. One thing Paul M. said I find was true for me. Find coins you will be glad to have for years to come. I now try to find interesting, well struck reverses within my budget, and for the past couple of years I have focused on Roman Republican. Not exclusively mind you. When I am looking through coins for sale, I am constantly reminding myself I can't have them all and to keep my eye open for those interesting/different reverses.

Like JA said, if you can find something out of this that helps you on your way, I am glad to help. Speaking for everyone here, we will be looking forward to seeing what you buy and what direction you decided for your collection. Good luck.

 

caligula isn't much worse than otho if one was willing to fill some gaps with AE. If denarius is all you wanted then vitellius actually seemed bit easier than galba and otho for some reason. People don't like him? Was it because he was fat?

Suetonius with grain of salt is an uber understatement. He bad mouthed everyone outside of flavian family like it was his job (actually it was his job, so umm...)
I'm sure vespasian sh*ted standing up and domitian wasn't the worst untalented control freak ever...

If I had to live somewhere during the 12 caesars then I'd chose Nero in a heartbeat. Augustus was ok but he was oppressive as hell.

 

I don't suppose it matters if the history of Suetonius was correct or not, many collections have been based on his writing of the Twelve Caesars. It's a place to start if it interests you.

 

My two obols/asses/Tetrarchic reduced folli...

There is no "normal" when it comes to collecting ancients. You have your own reasons for wandering into this part of the woods and your own unique appreciation for what makes a coin interesting or beautiful to you.

Keep looking at coins and keep reading about them. Window shop on Vcoins, Sixbids, etc. Browse the threads on this forum (many are very informative and entertaining to boot) and others. If there are categories of coins that catch your fancy, look at as many types in those categories as you can and read up on them - there's often a wealth of resources online which may help you determine if you'll find a 'theme' there for you to get truly passionate about.

Finally, think a little less about 'The Collection' and more about the actual coins you're going to be spending your money on. As others have said, you don't have to buy coins for the sake of doing so - look out for and buy the ones that speak to you and that you're going to love having in the years to come. I can't imagine you'll feel dissatisfied with your collection if you actually love the coins in it. Have fun!

 

I would echo others here OP. Collect what becomes of interest to you. Eventually you will find your niche you wish to pursue further. I practice this myself. Admittedly I am a hoarder of coins, but I actually have many mini collections going constantly. My main focus, I guess, would be sogdian and Persian coins, but also Byzantine and certain Roman periods.

Having said all of that, I buy what I can when I can. A few weeks ago a coin club member who has metal detected in England for decades wanted to get rid of coins. I bought an Alex III tet from Babylon and a ton London mint romans, some gXF. Then just this weekend I visited my local world coin dealer who keeps ancients for me and he had a group of coins for me. 13 total, two were Judaic coins but in B Max Mehl envelopes. The other 11 were mainly roman Egypt tets, Nero/Poppea, Nero/Augustus, etc. So, were these really in my specialty areas? No, but I liked the coins and the price. Buy interesting coins when and where you find them, don't get pigeon holed into only buying one thing. Yes, avoid buying low quality where you will not like the coin long term, but do not be afraid to reach out and explore new areas.

 

Heh, I stuck my nose in the wrong section of this forum...
I have no specific area of which I collect in. Just what ever floats my boat and interests.

 

Also, when you're starting out, I would urge you to buy coins with good, clean surfaces - no corrosion, or bronze disease, and stay away from "desert patinas" until you can discern the difference between ancient and modern dirt (it's not always possible). Honest wear, in my opinion, is always preferable to nasty surfaces.

That being said, I've bought coins with poor surfaces because they belonged to one of my erudite collecting niches - I've cleaned a few, cured a few of BD, etc., but I would suggest waiting on those kinds of coins as a beginner. Some surface issues just come with the territory, like the micro-porosity found on many fractional Greek silvers. But in general, there are plenty of coins to be had with clean, smooth surfaces.

 

I was the same way when I started. So much to choose from and where to begin. Like others, I started to buy what I liked and what I could afford. I eventually started the 1 emperor routine and eventually their family. I also gravitated towards the ladies of rome. They actually are my favorite and majority here know it too.

I also drifted into Roman Tetradrachms. They always appealed to me but some can be expensive. I have found bargains over the years.

And with patience, I am sure you will find bargains too. And if your budget is $200, thats plenty. I average $100-$150 a month and I am very happy with my collection.

 

This is why I don't post here too often anymore. There's just so much good advice in this thread that there's little I can add!

I have a slightly different perspective from many here, as I'm actually in the business. For starters, let's look at your budget - $200 a month is actually the exact same amount I can spend per month! You can make an incredible collection with that money, if you are patient and thorough. Even so, $400 or $500 would open up a whole new world of quality, rarity, and historical interest. Consider only buying a coin every other month, if you can. Another thing that many of us cheapos do is settle on two collections - a serious, more expensive one and a low cost area that we do just to keep busy.

But please, don't worry about specializing! Eventually, you'll find something that speaks to you and you'll find yourself selling off your other coins to get nicer and nicer examples in that area. Or you won't. It doesn't really matter, just have fun. Besides, specialization has its problems. It's a feast or famine world for us specialists. Months without any new coins, and then a massive collection surfaces, forcing us to watch so many nice pieces float away.

In the meantime, try to buy quality coins. That means good surfaces and at least decent grade, at about the right price. Look at everything you can. Go to vcoins, sixbid, numisbids, CNG, Heritage, Künker, ArtCoins Roma, EVERYTHING! I like to load a page and pick out the lot I think is the best on the page.

And did I mention about surfaces yet?

 

This.

 

Crispus AE3. 320-321 AD. Siscia mint, 3.4g, 19mm

OBV: IVL CRISPVS NOB C. Laureate head right.

REV: CAESARVM NOSTRORVM around laurel wreath containing VOT V, ASIS star in ex.

REF: RIC VII Siscia 161

This coin I purchased for $5. In the beginning I didn't want to spend much to see how much I liked this hobby. I ended up liking it a lot and got more expensive coins but also stick to budget prices most of the time. In 3 1/2 years I've spent about $2,800 including other things I needed. The average price I spend is about $15 a coin.

 

It's best to start collecting the easier and more affordable emperors when you are a beginner. That is exactly what I done after being advised this is what I should do. Some late Roman 3rd-4th century coins are usually the easiest.