These three coins do not quite compare with my avatar in beauty but they were a whole lot less expensive. As a matter of fact, never in my more than sixty years of collecting have I ever purchased ancients for less than this. At today's monthly show there was a junk box, three coins for a dollar. There were three what appeared to be ancients but the only thing I can determine for sure is that they are ancients. The larger bronze in the center seems to be (maybe) a circa 200 AD Roman provincial with faint outlines of some emperor (Septimius Severus?) and his buddy. The one on the right seems to be a Third of Fourth Century AD "Minim" of somebody like Tetricus or Claudius II, or some approximation of one of them. The third one on the left just may be a "widows mite". Anyway for 33 cents a piece I absolutely could not pass up the chance to liberate them from the ignominy of "junk" status. I just might give one of them to my brother-in-law for X-mas. I am sure most members here have some really cheap find from someone else's junk box. Please post them and let's see if your junk can be less attributable than mine.
I found this Probus coin in the bargain bin at an LCS and paid somewhere between $10 - $20 for it, which I don't regret for a second. I probably do have to keep my eyes on the green stuff on the reverse, though.
You might be right. I thought that protrusion was a beard but maybe it is his jutting jaw, in which case, maybe that's Titus on the other side which might make it an As or Dupondius. Whatever it is, it looks like it must have remained in circulation till Rome fell, and then some. It weighs in at a hefty 14.7 grams and must have weighed in at something like 16 or 17 grams before all that wear.
I don't know that your coin qualifies as "junk". Looks pretty decent to me, but as the OP of this thread I'll allow it to remain in contention.
That's fair and thank you. I probably should have added that it was being treated like junk by the LCS, as it was in a box with other very worn and nearly unreadable pieces. I did check with the dealer to make sure it wasn't a mistake. So maybe mine should be considered "labeled as junk" but not really "junk."
Picked this one up years ago for $4.....Wanted to try my hand at cleaning... 3 months later of soaking and picking...Voila! Galerius 305-311 AE FOLLIS Heraclea (dia 25mm) OBV- IMP C GAL VAL MAXIMIANVS PF AVG Laureate head right REV- GENIO IMPERATORIS Genius standing left,pouring out patera and holding cornucopia Exergue- dot-HT-delta-dot Heraclea 4th oficina RIC VII - 37a delta Heraclea
Here's one I got with a bent flan for about $1.50. If people (like U.S. collectors) knew how cheap an authentic "ancient" can be they would really be surprised. Now I am going to list it on Ebay as a "genuine" ancient coin for $60.
Most of a Carausius Pax ant for $1, plus postage from an AP auction in 2015 - from @lehmansterms - his photo', too! I think that's the cheapest ancient I've got. ATB, Aidan.
This $5 junk box find was probably the most difficult to attribute coin that I was eventually able to attribute. (I have others I am still working on that are harder...) 0.6g, square 13x11mm (I will add a bunch of lines so that you must scroll down to see my final attribution.) (keep going...) ndo-Skythian, early anepigraphic coinage (circa 110 - 100 BC), South Archosia?, 0.6g, square 13x11mm Obverse: Horse walking right with her head turned back. Reverse: standing figure Mitchiner ACW 2144? cf. PRE-ISLAMIC ASIA & NORTH AFRICA » Afganistan / Pakistan Area » Indo-Scythian Kings » Early anepigraphic coinage, 110-100 BC
Great post - I love other people's "junk." Here is a Postumus antoninianus I got on eBay for the opening bid of one US cent (shipping not included)
I no longer own the coin but I was at a show about 20 years ago and found a coin in an envelope marked '25 cents to you if you take it.' I took his quarter and 'sold' the coin for a profit when I gave it away.
.ahaha...i have a lil boxfull of non attributables...(well, several anyway 9_9)..let me hear someone complain they ain't got any ancients...Poof!...give me your addy and ones on the way....
