Post the first ancient coin you ever purchased

Wow "Q" ... I can't believe that you're willing to glue that cool Commodus to the pony's haunch? (you're a true coin-bro)

 

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I bought my first two from the same dealer at a local coin show back in early 2011 (same show I more recently got my Victorious from, but different dealer).

I would have given Steve two AMERICAN silver dollars. That's the equivalent of like 40 Canadian silver dollars right there

 

Sorry for being disapointing Steve, but that one I will be burried with !

When I turn to cold meat, you will have to break my fingers into pieces to get it

not Quite dead !

 

I was too scared to hit "play"

 

Around 1983, from James Beach.

 

I had been collecting British coins and had started to focus on pre-Norman pennies when I saw the following coin listed with a dealer I was buying from at the time. It had Mars on it, whch is the root for my name and so appealed to me at a very ego centric level. It was a fraction of the price of the coins I was buying at the time. I bought it and the very slippery slope into ancients began.

Severus Alexander denarius
Obv:– IMP ALEXANDER PIVS AVG, Laureate head right
Rev:– MARS VLTOR, Mars advancing right, holding a spear and shield
Minted in Rome, A.D. 232
References:– RIC 246, RSC 161a

This was my first ancient coin and is still one of my favourites

 

Why make a mistake with your first purchase when you could make uhm, ten?



I try to buy nicer coins these days, but these junky ten from my first purchase will always be sentimental favourites. In fact, one of them is currently in my wallet serving as a 'lucky penny' as I'm hazarding a holiday in the wilds of Australia (Melbourne). You don't have to guess which one... it's the Gallienus with the Fortuna Redux reverse .

 

These are not ridiculous at all, especially as a first purchase. Most of us have done worse (so did I when it came to buy the first coin)

Q

 

Z-- that's a pretty great group for a first purchase!

 

That's a nice Commodus. So you want to be buried with it? OK, could you let me know the cemetery and plot and I'll promise I'll grab a shovel and flowers and come pay my respects.

I like thinking of coins that we are not owners of these coins, but mere custodians of them, holding and preserving them for the next generation of collectors.

 

Hey, if you really feel bad about buying them, you can send them my way. lol

Just kidding but I think those coins are good for any amount of time you've collected.

 

My first ancient coin purchase, and it's long gone. I thought I wanted to collect Imperial Bronze, particularly large denominations until I realized how difficult nice ones were to find unmolested by coin doctors.

 

Still not my first purchase, but I found an earlier pic; Brutus as moneyer in 54 BC, purchased from Carl Subak in 1982. Pity the name is cut off; I like it, but I wouldn't buy this coin now.

 

You have very high standards! I'd take that coin in a heartbeat.

 

Absolutely!!!

 

+1. Beautiful and desirable coin IMHO.

 

my first coins, in 1995 10 pieces bought at somebodies home Roman, but where all fake..eheheheehe fooled big time......so trown away..ahahaaaahh

 

Which is why you should tell him, that it is nice and you agree, it is certainly not up to his standards. If he would someday like to get rid of it for a reasonable price, in order to purchase something more suited to his collection and it's exceptional standards, you would like to have first pass. You admire his collection, although you would never be able to recreate it.... and would love to have one of his former coins. You would be honored to have it in your collection. But you do have a budget and RR is not your focus.





It is easy to lie when the lie is the truth.

Nice coin P

 

It's a beautiful coin with wonderful detail in the lictors, but I agree that BRUTUS is important to the design. It looks like it's got wonderful surfaces from the picture.