Ancient Starter Coin

I've come close a couple times to purchasing an ancient coin. Although it's not something I see myself collecting much in the near future (up to my eyeballs in US coins), I'd like to have at least one in my collection for now.

So my question is... what's a good beginner coin? I'm not looking to spend much. Below $50 is preferable, but would be willing to go a little higher if it's a better value.

Looking forward to suggestions. Thank you.

 

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Welcome! You have plenty of options in that range, but IMHO a good beginner coin is any one that catches your eye and your imagination. It's going to be different for all of us.

We ran a series of threads recently where members showed ancients that we bought in various price ranges. You could browse those threads to get an idea of what's available for what you're willing to spend. Here's an index to the various threads:
https://www.cointalk.com/threads/what-your-budget-buys-index-thread.303991/

I also recommend Vcoins as a good venue to search for and pick up your first coin. You can search by keyword or price range:
https://www.vcoins.com/en/Search.aspx

 

When people first start to buy ancient coins, they are surprised at how small they can be. Also if you go for silver, the pieces can be underwhelming. I am not a real ancient coin collector, but if you are just going to have one, I would go for a fairly good sized (quarter) bronze. Watch the diameter and weight when you buy one. E-bay is an option, but you might want to ask on here before buying. Have fun.

 

I forgot to mention, I'm going to buy something in an NGC slab. That's the only thing I know that I'm going to get for sure, lol. Now just need to figure which coin.

 

Please don't do that. One of the true joys of ancient coins is tactile.

 

$50 barely pays for the slab. You aren't going to have much of a coin in it at that price, but there are plenty of interesting raw coins in that range.

 

I just feel like it will ensure I am getting the real thing. I also find the label with all the information to be nice.

So now that you mention tactile... it isn't taboo to touch the faces of an ancient coin like it is with "modern" coins?

 

I just realized that as I was browsing ebay listings now. I'm going to need to increase my budget then.

 

Not taboo at all. Plenty of us touch our coins. As long as you buy from a good dealer(and ask here if you have any questions) you'll be fine. If you go for a raw coin you'll have a much bigger selection and more interesting possibilities.

 

Oh boy you are in for a treat! With ancients you get to leave behind all the "was it cleaned" or "has it been buffed / dipped / touched (God forbid )" that can make modern coin collecting rather tedious sometimes (I still enjoy my US and World Coins though).

All ancient coins have lived in the ground for centuries and have been cleaned... as weird as it sounds that is rather liberating from a collectors perspective I think. Nothing like actually holding history. enjoy

 

Maybe you can find a high grade late Roman bronze? A nice small bronze from Alexander the Great? A common but pleasing denarius from the Severance period? Lots of choices.

 

I would strongly suggest NOT buying from ebay but rather Vcoins for your first purchase, although some Vcoins dealers sell on ebay as well. If you are only going to have one ancient get the best one you can afford and one that you personally find appealing. Many Flavian's (Vespasian, Titus and Domitian) can be found for under $100. Domitian will usually give you a great portrait at a reasonable price. Or you could go later and get a Gordian III which are also found in great states of preservation and very affordable. But it's up to you! What time period are you interested in? The Roman empire spans several centuries!

 

Forget the slab! It will change your life!

 

You don't need no stinkin slab.
For $50 you can get a decent AS that you can hold in the palm of your hand.

 

TPGs like NGC DO NOT guarantee the authenticity of an ancient coin. It is right there on the website for all to read.

Also, the information given on these slabs is woefully inadequate. It is far better to read a bit and do the attribution yourself.

A coin that has been buried for almost 2000 years is not going to be damaged because you touch it.

Collecting ancient coins is not like collecting moderns. For one thing most collectors of ancients do not obsess over plastic tombs.

 

In my opinion we have the best, most helpful, and honest dealers of ancients as regulars right here on CoinTalk. I'm with you bud, I LOVE U.S. coins, and that makes up the bulk of my collection. So far. Lol. Wait until you hold a 2000 year old chunk of silver in your hands (you'll understand if you forego the slab). It really is amazing!!

 

Any of these good?

Coin #1
Coin #2
Coin #3

 

Saying you only trust slabbed coins and want to spend $40 on a box for you $10 coin really limits your choices. You could be different than most beginners and buy that first coin from a specialist ancients only dealer who guarantees authenticity rather than going to a flea market or US/bullion specialist dealer who probably knows as little as you do.

If I were suggesting a full $50 to be spent on a raw coin, I would suggest a Roman denarius of a ruler you have heard of or with a reverse that means something to you. Perhaps you are a doctor: buy a coin with Aesculapius or Salus. Perhaps you are Christian: buy a coin (not a denarius, too late for that) of Constantine the Great. Perhaps you like philosophy: get a coin of Marcus Aurelius. Perhaps you are a teenager: get a coin of a ruler who was your age when the coin was made. If you have just one coin, get one that 'fits'. In your price bracket you will not get Julius Caesar or Mark Antony.

BTW: When you say you only trust authenticity of the slabbed coins, you are slapping the face of every honest and knowledgeable coin seller out there. If you want slabbed coins, buy them but don't post your insults. Most slabs have 4-5 words. Will you be getting all wanted information off that label? If you want a coin with full ID, consider buying one with full description from the seller rather than what fits on a 1 inch label.

 

If you insist on eBay, our very own @John Anthony has coins on Ebay. If you contact him directly about the coins on Ebay he might be able to offer you a better deal.

http://m.ebay.com/sch/m.html?isRefi...3200-19255-0&rvr_id=1344229222157&_mwBanner=1

On Vcoins, lots of budget silver with lifetime authenticity guarantee from our very own @Ken Dorney at his vcoins store www.coolcoins.com

Another place I highly recommend is www.ancientimports.com

 

there are actually other members on this board that also sell on eBay