The remains of an Ancient Coin collection

James, I too am saddened to hear of your parting ways with the bulk of your collection. You have been an excellent caretaker of history and I suppose at some point in time all of us must consider the prospect of new custodianship. I would be interested in knowing where you are selling and which items are yours so that I might be able to acquire a piece or two. Of the above I think my favorite is the GETA Denarius. I've been looking for one with distinction for quite some time now, but many in upper condition seem to have issues (Cracked flans, missing text, etc.) or are overly expensive when compared to the other Severans.

Perhaps a bit off topic, but I am wondering if you have considered how to make your Roman coin Reference Web Sites and Pages survive in perpetuity? I don't know how this might be accomplished, but they are so fantastic that I hope they are around for the generations to come. I do believe @dougsmit 's pages are hosted at Forum Ancient Coins so perhaps he may have insight into migrating.

I much enjoy your posts and am certain you'll be around for a long time to come.

 

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@jamesicus, I'll echo what others are saying that it's unfortunate that you are parting with your coins and the few you are keeping are awesome examples.

Several times I have tried to pull out coins to thin out my collection. I only manage to get a small handful each time and they tend to just sit in a box. I've sold only a few (much less than what I paid) but gave away more. Recently I picked about 20 falling horseman coins that I consider extras, that I can part with but keep changing my mind on a few

 

Thanks Joe - I see @dougsmit and @Ed Snible responded to your post very well.

 

Thank you, Q - well I don’t whether I will be able to hold at twenty coins either, but I am going to try.

 

With classical numismatics, there’s the physical collection, and then there are the intangible relationships one forms and the information one passes along to others in the collecting process. I don’t want to wax too philosophical here—I do appreciate holding the physical coin itself. But collectors such as @jamesicus have amassed and disseminated many “treasures” other than coins, and these intangible treasures can’t be auctioned off. Kudos to your discernment as a collector and your generosity as a sharer of your insights.

 

I would be a happy man if I could hone my collection to my 20 most beloved pieces. And sell the rest for a nice sum. Even if it would be much less than I paid for it, because it gave me a lot of pleasure. My compliments, Jamesicus.

 

very noble jamesicus!..i salute you sir!..

 

A great generous attitude, @jamesicus . I really don't know if I could get rid of my collection, keeping only a few coins. Which ones would be chosen? There are many coins I love in passion, which are not exactly commercially valuable, nor are they so well centered, historical or in an excellent state of preservation, but which have a great sentimental value, which I have gained from loved ones who are gone. I have 2 small children and I hope they will interest about. Or who knows, my future grandchildren... The fact is that I have "breathed numismatics" since I was 5 or 6 years old when I discovered a "magic box" in my Oma's office. Since then, I've never been able to stop. And I really don't if I will could, or want to.

Your chosen coins are fantastic. All I can do is to applaud them.

 

A sad thought to contemplate...selling off/liquidating a collection. That's a fine 20 coins you've saved.

So what happens if you see something new and special? Do you let one of those go?

I think that would be my problem should I have to limit myself to a specific number.

 

James,

I'm saddened to here that you're parting ways with most of your collection. But, I understand why.

I'm incredibly honoured to have a coin from your collection:



I will continue to give it the best home I can in your honour.

Thanks so much for the awesome contributions you've mad and continue to make!

Erin

 

I am sorry to hear you are parting with the bulk of your collection, but the few coins you are keeping sure are beautiful! I fear I am in a similar situation as you - none of my family or close friends are much interested in my little coin collection. Sooner or later I will have to contemplate what to do with it. Your solution seems to me very appealing, although drawing up a list of twenty keepers will be a herculean task I am not quite ready for. Hopefully some of my future twenty haven't made it into the collection yet!

 

Thanks for this link Ed. I use ancients in my class and give them away in exchange for a good write-up for our school news magazine. My first ancient was an RR denarius that came to me at about 14 yo in a little box of old beat-up coins from an uncle. It changed my life. So I give that back with the few students I have who are interested. As far as giving the collection away. I did that - sold it for very little when I was in my twenties except for the original coin and a couple I had given as gifts. I had about thirty I figure. Besides the first coin that came as a gift I purchased most of them from Alex Malloy at coin shows and Stacks upstairs in NYC. My new collection I consider complete at 91 great coins that I can easily admire at one time. The image is of my original collection with a picture I took as a teenager. I do have some color slides of the separate coins that someday I will digitally scan. Glad I had photos at least. I still remember every coin. Thanks for this story @jamesicus of how you are handling this.

 

@jamesicus ,

I am very touched by your story and will add that the coins you have decided to keep are all fantastic. The collection that you assembled was not just important because of what it was but also because of what you chose to do with it. The resources, such as your website, that you built using the knowledge that you gained from collecting have helped (and will continue to help) people interested in those periods in history learn. They certainly have helped me. Add to that the fact that you are always friendly and willing to answer questions in your collecting area. Your contributions are much appreciated, sir.

I will also say that it is both an honor and a privilege to own coins that came from The Jamesicus Collection.


Roman Empire
Diocletian, AD 284-305
AE Follis, Lugdunum Mint, 1st officina, struck ca. AD 295
Dia.: 28 mm
Wt.: 8.5 g
Obv.: IMP C DIOCLETIANVS P F AVG; Laureate bust right
Rev.: GENIO POP-VLI ROMANI: Genius standing left holding patera and cornucopia /LA in exergue
Ref.: RIC VI 2a, Lugdunum Group I, Class II
Ex Jamesicus Collection
Write up:
Diocletian: One of the Earliest Post Reform Coins from Lugdunum

....................................​

This is another Jamesicus coin that I am currently working on a the write up for that I hope to finish and post in the next few weeks.


Many thanks James!
Curtis

 

Please let me start this reply with a statement: It seems I run around like a chicken with it’s head cut off these days! I am heavily involved with Cactus Cultivation (very popular at this time of year) and am a contributor to three online Forums - ditto with Calligraphy which takes up a lot of my time year round. In consequence I am away from Coin Talk quite a lot during any given day (and night). I enjoy this Forum best and make more contributions here than elsewhere. But I fret that I am missing many great posts and not replying to many of them or acknowledging some outstanding contributors. I get way behind responding to posts like this one. So please excuse my delays in responding.

Now to answer you @Jwt708: you have hit on a tough problem indeed. I shudder at the thought of having to make such a “Hobson’s choice”. I really do want to stick to my 20 coin limit. I suppose if I do encounter a coin I simply must have in the future, one of my present favored sons will have to go! Ah, the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune! But, nobody said life would be easy!

 

Well said sir!

 

Trying to trim your collection to only twenty coins? What a challenge! Of the keepers you've identified so far-- and all are great coins-- my favorites are the Titus, Claudius, and Caligula sestertii.

We appreciate your favoritism . The cactus cultivation forum sounds interesting. Can you provide a link?

 

I love how you 'ancient fellows' (Women not withstanding) keep 'catalog'....Only wish I had the same determination with my modern stuff...........I'm blasted all over the place, flatulent fellow........working on doing what is correct, but life eludes me. You guys do good work.........Librarians of the first degree.......

 

You got a great group of coin there @jamesicus ! I love that Caligula, but all are super.

I hope the sale goes well and you get lots of cash for your coins! You've been a great steward for those little guys.

 

Great collection! I am jealous.

Too bad the grandkids & great grandkids aren’t into ancient coins. I will say that my Grandfather was a coin collector, but it never interested me mainly because I was focused on sports and chasing girls. Then, after he passed in 2010, I received a few coins of his and I was excited to have a connection to him because I missed him dearly.

I think we all seek items of our ancestors to allow us to be reminded of them. Your coins may do just that even for the non-numismatists in your family. Maybe they don’t appreciate them now but they will.

 

Jamesicus - relinquishing the purstuit by someone who lived it so long and fully has to be a strange event.

My father got rid of his gun collection a few years ago and it was very, very hard for him. A lifetime hobby since he was a wee lad. Such is the cycle of life where it quits giving you things and then starts to take them away.

We will all face it so our hearts and thoughts are with you. Thank you for sharing this with us. Good luck and Godspeed.