What Your Budget Buys - $200 Edition

Some really nice and enjoyable stuff in this thread.

Those fall in this category (bought the last five years)


L. Aemilius Lepidus Paullus, Denarius Rome mint, 62 BC
PAVLLUS LEPIDVS [CONCORDIA] diademed and draped bust of concordia right
Trophy with Lepidus Paullus on the right and three captives on the left (king Perseus of Macedon and his sons). TER above and PAVLLVS at exergue
4.00 gr
Ref : RCV # 366, RSC, Aemilia # 10



Claudius, Dupondius
TI CLAVDIVS CAESAR AVG P M TR P IMP, head left
CERES AVGVSTA, Ceres, veiled and draped, seated left on ornamental throne, holding two corn-ears and a long torch, S C in exergue.
11,20 gr
Ref : RCV # 1855, RIC # 94



M. Plaetorius M.f. Cestianus. Denarius Rome mint, c. 69 BC
Male head right (Mercury ?) with flowing hair. Behind symbol
M·PLAETORI – CEST·EX·S·C Winged caduceus
18 mm, 3,86 gr
Ref : RCV #344, RSC Plaetoria # 5, Sydenham # 807, RBW # 1453, Crawford # 405/5



Marcus Aurelius, Sestertius Rome mint, AD 173
M ANTONINVS AVG TRP XXVII, Laureate bust of Mercus Aurelius right
VICT / GERM / IMP VI / COS III / SC in five lines within a laurel wreath
20,50 gr, 30 mm
Ref : RCV # 5015, C # 995 (15), RIC #1090

Q

 

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Great coins! The Marcus Aurelius, Sestertius patina is amazing! I've never seen such a variety of colors on one coin.

 

IMP DIVI F

 

Solid

 

What for a other is budget, could be for another not

 

example is 200 dollar coin , for another one is it a budget coin for an other one not

What is budget

caracalla sestertius mars

 

I'm jealous. Congrats on such a nice example of such an iconic coin.

 

My turn...I have a few coins in this range...not many more above this rage though.


Seleucid Kingdom, Demetrios I Soter, 162-150 BC
AR tetradrachm, 16g, 32mm; Antioch mint, 162-155 BC
Obv.: Diademed head of Demetrios I right within wreath.
Rev.: Tyche, holding scepter and cornucopia, seated left on throne supported by tritonesses right, monogram to outer left. In two vertical lines, BAΣIΛEΩΣ ΔHMHTPIOY (King Demetrios).
$250


Caracalla, AD 198-217
AE30, 14.9g, 7h; Thrace, Pautalia.
Obv.: AVT K MAVP CEV ANTONEINOC, Laureate, draped and cuirassed bust right.
Rev.: OVΛΠIAC ΠAVTAΛIAC, Asklepios standing front, looking left, leaning on serpent-entwined staff.
$235


ROMAN REPUBLIC. M. Sergius Silus
AR Denarius, 19mm, 3.9g, 9h; Rome, 116-115 BC.
Obv.: Helmeted head of Roma right; ROMA and XVI monogram behind, EX•S•C before.
Rev.: Soldier on horseback rearing left, holding sword and severed Gallic head in left hand; Q M SERGI below, SILVS in exergue.
$225

 

Amazing stuff, everyone.

 

Someone has to do this. Here is an example of overpaying for a coin at the $200 mark. I was more of a newbie then and didn't do my homework. Not as big a deal as I don't plan to sell, but if I ever upgraded this coin for a better example, I would probably still have to hang onto this for another 10 years before I could get the $200 back.

Do your homework before buying so this doesn't happen to you.


L. Thorius Balbus

 

Your Arab-Sassanian bronze rocks! (first that I see with that funny art)

 

Here is one more:



IMP CAES M AVR ANTONINVS PIVS AVG - laureate, draped and cuirassed bust of Elagabalus right
VICTORIA ANTONINI AVG S C - Victory advancing right, holding wreath and palm branch
Sestertius, Rome 218/19
30,22 mm / 20,15 gr
RIC 377; BMCRE 362; Cohen 297; Thirion (Le Monnayage d’Elagabale) 66; Sear 7582



This Sestertius was struck at Rome early in the reign of Elagabalus, probably even before his arrival in the capital from the East. According to David Sear, the obverse portrait is of conventional Roman style, quite unlike the representations on coins issued in the East and at Rome in the latter part of the reign. The reverse celebrates the “Victory of the Emperor Antoninus” and is a clear reference to the defeat of Macrinus in the battle fought near Antioch in Syria on 8 June AD 218.

 

Sometimes you go to a coin show and have plans but not specific ones as to what you are looking for to add to your collection. Today was one of those days. And one where I took a whole lot less $$$ than would have been necessary to find something really nice that I 'needed' to add to my collection. As a result, when I found one I liked and it was at the upper reaches of my budget today, I did what I do when I get a chance. Offer a pretty low price, take it or leave it, with the caveat that my offer has nothing to do with actually trying to get something over on the guy. In other words, it is my only offer and if I get the coin, fine, and if not, fine also. Depends on how eager the seller is to unload it or how much they are trying to avoid more 'work' in selling for a higher price. The strange part is, depending on how much I actually 'bring', it seems that if I have the $$$ to pay the higher asking price, I'm less willing to state a lower one..... I guess, because some people might be offended at a lower offer. But if I have less, I'm more willing to go out on a branch and offer it anyhow. Psychological, I'm sure.

I did get a new coin today. Did not plan on this one but it was there, and it evidently had my name on it. Gold Tremissis, Sear 58, Justin I. Cuirassed bust right and Victory Advancing, 518-527 A.D. I am very happy with this.

The guy who sold it to me evidently thought, based on what he was telling me about his coins and how he approached it, that I must not know anything about coins, and I did not dispel him of that notion. Though, on consideration, it could just be his style for someone he's not dealt with before. Why assume knowledge, and rather be more 'informative' up front. I did mention that someone had sent me some ancients once and that I had a Romulus and Remus one, and I kind of liked it. But I don't do that to all the dealers. In fact one of the dealers and I had a really nice convo about cherrypicking error coins, and some of our finds. He said that his cherrypicking actually 'bought' him his car. The coins he had definitely did have that aura about them. And he mentioned he once got an AU 1955 doubled die cent that way (either in rolls or by cherrypicking someone). Photo on my camera for my newp, so not the best. Thinking I might just set aside next year to go through and try to take better pics of my favorite coins, if I don't already have any.
Paid 210.00

 

Not in hand yet but recent purchase from CNG that comes in just under $200 with premium and shipping. Might have paid a little too much but I can’t find a lot of these for sale. I like the centered owl and that it’s a denomination that would have been used in and around Athens.



ATTICA, Athens. Circa 353-294 BC. AR Hemidrachm (11.5mm, 2.07 g, 9h). Helmeted head of Athena right, with profile eye and pi-style palmette / Owl standing facing between olive branches. Kroll 19c–h; HGC 4, 1642. Near VF, toned, typical compact flan for issue, area of weak strike on obverse.

 

Well, I got three AV coins from Heritage auctions, all were under $250 #32/33 AV 10 Kroner 1913 Copenhagen Mint/ King Christian X of Denmark MS-66 $170 #34/45 1/4 Cedid Mahmudiye 1834 Constantinople Mint/ Mahmud II Ottoman Empire MS-64 $200 #35/36 AV 1/2 Zeri Mahhub Misr Mint/ 1830 Mahmud II / Egypt/ Ottoman Empire $228

 

VALENS
AV Solidus
OBVERSE: DN VALENS PER F AVG, pearl-diademed, draped & cuirassed bust right
REVERSE: RESTITVTOR REIPUBLICAE, Valens standing right, holding labarum in right hand & Victory on globe in left, cross to left. Mintmark star ANTE star
Struck at Antioch, 364 AD
3.6g, 19mm
Antioch RIC 2d,xxxvii-5
Price: $263

 

$200 on the dot.

Ptolemy II, Ptolemaic Kingdom
AR tetradrachm
Obv: Diademed head of Ptolemy I right, wearing aegis
Rev: ΠTOΛEMAIOY BAΣIΛEΩΣ, eagle standing left on thunderbolt, monogram in left field, shield in front of eagle
Mint: Alexandria
Date: 285-246 BC
Ref: Svoronos 574

 

Really? How, how were you able to score solid Ptolemy II Tetradrachm for $200, what’s the secret?

 

...and Roman gold for $263?! Take me to your dealer.