What kind of ancient coins collector are you ?

Elitist : you have less than 50 coins but all well centered and in perfect condition.
Barbarian : your collection is specialized in barbarous imitations.
Gatsby : you collect only rare aurei and medallions.
Fan : you collect only coins of a single emperor.
Inclusive : you collect any ancient coin you can find, and wonder wether tourist fakes too should be in your collection or not.
Miser : you just collect coins you could buy for less than $ 30.
▅▅▅▅▅▅▅ : you collect only rare mint state gold coins, all fakes.
Scholar : you collect all coins you can find from a single city, have already got a dozen unpublished ones and plan to write an article some day.
Leftist : you collect only coins with portraits turned left.
Monomaniac : you collect only specimens of the same coin.
Superstitious : you connect only coins of the 12 Caesars because a 13th one could bring bad luck.
Uncle Scrooge : the first coin you bought when you were 12 is dispayed on a cushion under a crystal globe.
Conspiracy theorist : you don't collect any coin because you think there are no actual ancients, but only well-made fakes.
Tyrosemiophilist : you don't collect ancien coins, but camembert labels.
Gollum : you have only a single coin, which is the sole known specimen and you call your precious.
Bruce Wayne : nobody suspects you're keeping a collection hidden in a secret basement.

 

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Ha! That's a great list @GinoLR! It's a blend of humor and reality. ;-D

May I add 3 other kinds of collectors?

Eclectic: You have no desire to restrict your acquisitions. If a coin strikes your fancy, you add it to your collection (despite the fact that other collectors see your collection as erratic).

Jack-of-all-trades: Your overarching interest includes such a multiplicity of eras & kingdoms, that your established knowledge-base is broader than most, but you never become an expert 'master' in any one area.

Slabophile: You have no certain concept of a central collection theme. Just as long as it is in a TPG slab -- and God-forbid you buy a dirty “raw” coin! (This is also known as Rawphobia.)

And... for what it's worth... I'm one of these three. :-o

 

Priest: You tend to collect things related to Biblical texts.
Art Aficionado: You only buy things with exceptional eye appeal.
Trophy Hunter: You only buy well-known, recognizable type coins, trophies to put in your case.

And for what it's worth... I'm one or two of these three:

 

Generalist: You accumulate what resonates with you, irrespective of its rarity or expense.

 

I'll echo the generalist theme.

 

I could be called a person who collects for no real purpose other then to have fun. My collection spans 27 centuries, most coins are from period 1200-1899. I like EL/ AV coins best, have 1550+ thus far. I try to collect FDC -EF+ quality.
I have 1100 in SAFLIPS/ rest slabs/ Proof boxes of issue. I also collect Roman Denari/ Antoniniani in MS. My non slabbed stuff is in 4 Lighthouse Binders/ slabbed in NGC/ PGGS boxes. I am thus the most unspecialized collector on this forum, just dabble in what catches my eye.

 

You are the most specialized unspecialized collector I know - you are the Croesus archetype. Everything you touch is gold.

 

Or electrum/ silver

 

Only collects the ancients that catch my eye. Whatever strikes my fancy.

 

(Unless I missed it) There's also the opportunity buyer; buying if some rarity pops up or is in some coveted category.

 

I would say in general I am both Eclectic and Jack of All Trades, but on the other hand I believe I know more about Sogdian, Hunnic, and Sasanian than 99+% of collectors out there, as well as Thai and a few other micro-collections like Byzantine Anonymous bronzes. So not sure what this is called besides being an old man collecting for over 50 years.

 

I am a generalist who has tried to collect at least one coin from each Roman emperor from Julius Caesar to ? The denarius has been my coin of choice until they went away. After that it was the antoninianus, argenteus, follis, siliqua and solidus at the end. You know you are in trouble when the cheapest coin is decent condition is made of gold. I buy coins grading Choice VF and better.

I am more interested in the history of each emperor rather than getting bogged down with collecting one emperor in great detail. I am far more interested in a coin from a tough to get emperor than a rare coin from an emperor whose representative coin is easy to get. Less you think that I am totally light weight, I do have denarii from Gordian I and Gordian II.

I have compiled “bullet books” which are loose leaf notebooks which have the history of each emperor in bullet form. I have also collected some copper coins although I am fussy in that regard. My experience with American coins has left me avoiding corroded coins.

My collection ends in the 400s. The coins really get hard to find toward the end of the Western Empire.

I also collect hammered British, but I know that is too late for this survey.

 

I recently bought coins from pontos-amisos because I thought wow thats a fun sounding name.

 

Coins from Mithradates the Great are fun no matter which city its from. Always a cool little collection, given the callbacks to classic Greek mythology. My favorite is the decapitated Medusa coin.

 

None of the above. I have only 3 or 4 ancient coins. I was given 2 and purchased the other 2. My interest is only blooming and I have too much to learn at this point.

BTW - this one isn't mine, but it did spark my interest in ancient coins. Yes, those are my grubby fingers

 

Oh yes thats the exact one I liked, I got two of them because I loved them, very chonky too.


double strike on the obverse.



PONTOS. Amisos. Ae (Circa 85-65 BC).
Obv: Helmeted head of Athena right.
Rev: AMIΣOY.
Perseus standing facing, holdig harpa and head of Medusa, Medusa's body at his feet.

 

For those unaware, this is the only gold Eid Mar legally allowed to be owned by a private individual. Any Eide Mar is HIGHLY desirable due to rarity and historical significance, but this one being the only one in gold is even more so desired.

 

It cost over $3 million