Firstly - MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL!! A few relatives know that my interests revolve around ancient coins - so threw me a few bucks together for me to pick up a coin (super awesome). So usual disclaimers - not one of these "high rollers!!!! - many have $1000's X10 to spend ..........yadyada... So..... $150 to spend right now - limit .. what would it be?? And yes - waiting until I have more ($) is an option but I would like to show them my purchase and appreciation fairly quickly.
well, they know your passion, so shopping around for something you want at a fair cost shouldn't bother them i'd reckon..
I don't have anything to add specifically, but in this case I think the sentiment of them giving you that for a purchase would outweigh a value purchase and would be better off scanning everything you can and finding something you can show off
For $150 you could get an Alex Tet (not pristine though) or an Athenian Owl (ditto) if you have neither, and I consider both kind of "iconic".
Merry X'mas! The thread below is a little old (~ 2 years), but I think you'll still find a lot of cool coin pickup ideas in it. What Your Budget Buys - $150 Edition https://www.cointalk.com/threads/what-your-budget-buys-150-edition.302917/ A few of my purchases this year that came in at around $150... AUGUSTUS AR Denarius. 3.23g, 20.1 x 17.2mm. Pergamum mint, 27 BC. RIC I 475; RSC 28. O: CAESAR, bare head right. R: AVGVSTVS, bull standing right. ROMAN REPUBLIC. L. Cassius Longinus AR Denarius. 3.94g, 19.5mm. Rome mint, 63 BC. Crawford 413/1; Sydenham 935. O: Veiled and draped bust of Vesta left, C before, kylix behind. R: Togate voter standing left, dropping tablet inscribed V (for VTI ROGAS, "I approve") into cista, LONGIN.III.V downwards to right. POPPAEA AE17. 3.3g, 16.7mm. PHRYGIA, Acmoneia, circa AD 62. Loukios Servenios Kapito, archon, with his wife Ioulia Severa. RPC I 3175. O: ΠOΠΠAIA CEBACTH, Draped bust of Poppaea to right, wearing wreath of grain ears; before, forepart of lion to right. R: CEPOYHNIOY KAΠITΩNOC - KAI IOYΛIAC / CEOYHPAC – AKMONEΩN, Artemis advancing right, holding bow in her left hand and drawing arrow from quiver with her right; to left, monogram; to right, monogram above lyre. OTACILIA SEVERA AR Antoninianus. 2.82g, 23.4mm. Rome mint, AD 248. RIC IV 116b (Philip I); RSC 63. Ludi Saeculares (Secular Games) issue, commemorating the 1000th anniversary of Rome. O: OTACIL SEVERA AVG, Draped bust right, wearing stephane, set on crescent. R: SAECVLARES AVGG, Hippopotamus with head level walking right; IIII (officina) in exergue.
Nothing in my collection costs more than that, so you have many options. How about a small new sub collection of barbarous radiates? Or a set of the Tetrarchy from a specific mint? Or how about one of the Caesars that never became Augustus, like Aelius? The options are endless.
I suggest not buying anything that has to be suggested by others and looking at coins posted here and elsewhere to find something that really appeals to you rather than to me. For $150 you can get something interesting and moderate grade or something common and boring in high grade. Both at the same time may be harder. Exactly! You can't buy them all so you have to think first and decide based on your own preferences.
Here are some coins that I each paid $150 for in the past. When applicable, prices include shipping (to Europe). All of these made me very happy. AE27 Macrinus (217-218), Nicaea, Bithynia. Obv.: laureate head right. Rev.: Serapis standing left, holding grain ears and scepter. 27 mm, 12.86 gr. Coin Fair Leuven, May 2017, Tom Vossen 3270 A. Tetradrachm Maximinus I (235-238), Alexandria. Year 3 (=237/8). Obv. Laureate, draped, and cuirassed bust of Maximinus right. Rev. Bust of Hermanubis right, slight drapery, wearing modius; L Γ (date) to left, caduceus surmounted by palm frond to right. 22 mm, 11.81 gr. CNG auction Hermanubis Collection nr. 479, October 2017 4508. Denier, 9th century. Dorestad. Chlotarius or after (contemporary imitation). Obv. DOR/ES.TA/TVS in 3 lines. Rev. Short cross in circle +HLOTIARIVS IMP. 20 mm, 1.39 gr. MPO auction May 2019 (Nr. 6344) 4865. Lead bulla, Avignon, Pope Benedict XII (1334-1342). Obv. Saints Paul and Peter under text SPE-SPA. Rev. BENE/ DICTVS/ PP-XII. 35 x 40 mm, 49.22 gr., 12h. Ebay Nov. 2014 5407. Arab-Sasanian AE thin pashiz. Anonymous, ca. 680s-720s, anepigraphic. Obv. Facing crowned Byzantine style bust, diadem left & globus cruciger right. Rev. Nestorian cross-on-steps, ornate cross left & right, one chip missing. 22 mm, 0.79 gr. NM, ND. Not in Album or Gyselen. Appears to be unpublished, VF-EF, RR. Fabric suggests southern Iran, likely either Khuzestan or Fars province, possibly issued by a Christian community somewhere within the region. Medal aligned, chip missing probably from hanger. Possibly not a coin but a pendant? Several of these are known. See Zeno #129176 (420 pounds, Baldwin auction 83, nr. 5003), Zeno #194324. Steven Album Auction Jan. 2018 (Nr. 131) 6671. Base / pale AV dinar (mix of gold and silver), Great Seljuq. Malikshah I (1072-1092). No mint, AH 481 (=1088 AD). 23-24 mm, 3.69 gr. Album 1675. Ebay Stephen Album, May 2017 6334bis. Qarakhanid broad AE husami dirham, Marghinan. 602 AH. Husam ad-Dunia wa-d-Din Ulug Toghan khaqan. Obv. Central word Allah in a four-lobed cartouche/ quatrefoil. Three large lines between two small, in a circle, encircled by lettering. At the top the denomination, husami. 38 mm, 8.00 gr. Kochnev 1137. Album-3424. Zeno 46837. 2019
I like this one for the price. I know it is just another lower empire coin, but I think it is awesome. https://www.ebay.com/itm/AET-CONSTA...edia-Soldier-and-young-Barbarian/283505013857
Great question, @Clavdivs ! If it were I who received $150 to spend on ancient coins or related merchandise—I might purchase a few more Nabataean coins in the $15 to $50 range. Or—an item which is coin collection related—perhaps a mid-price digital camera with decent macro features. Or—I could give an informative demonstration/lecture to a school or Scout group or a seminar at a community or senior center focusing on ancient coin collecting. $150 would buy 15 or so inexpensive Roman coins that I could give to the kids and attendees. I found a dealer on VCoins. He’s selling these for $10 each. There are probably better offers out there.
That's a good question. I'd probably choose an upcoming mid-range auction where most lots will sell below $150 (think, for example, Artemide Kunstauktionen, AMCC, Tauler y Fau, etc.), pick one or more coins that I really like and might get for what I can spend, plan how to bid best, and spend some pleasant hours participating in the online live auction. I had a comparable situation last year, when I unexpectedly received a similar amount of money as payment for a very small translation job I had done ages ago and already forgotten about. I decided to spend it on a coin auction, and the final invoice for these two came down to $158 including shipping and buyer's premium: Roman Republic, moneyer: Sex. Pompeius Fostlus, 137 BC, Rome mint. Obv: head of Roma, helmeted, r.; behind, jug; before, X. Rev: SEX·PO[M FOSTVLVS]; she-wolf suckling twins r.; behind, Ficus Ruminalis with bird; in l. field, the shepherd Faustulus leaning on staff; in exergue, [RO]MA. 18mm, 3.87g. Rev: RRC 235/1c. Ex Artemide, e-live Auktion 10, lot 199. Roman Republic, moneyer C. Naevius Balbus, denarius serratus, 79 BC. Obv: diademed head of Venus right, SC behind. Rev: Victory in triga right, C NAE BALB in exergue; above, CLXXXX. Ref: Crawford 382/1b. Ex Artemide, e-Live Auktion 10, lot 256.
Most of the coins that I bought this year had cost to me something between 100-200 USD. So, there are a lot of coins (good things) that you can buy. Of course, this rule does not apply to collectors who do not accept a small dent at the edge of the coin.
Beautiful suggestions.. thanks to all who responded. I really appreciate it... they are wonderful. Our stove just went - so there goes the coin! Which at the end of the day is just a minor thing that is no sacrifice. 2020 will be my wife and I's 25th anniversary (in July). I still have trouble getting my head around the fact that 1995 is really 25 years ago! I send this out to @Justin Lee - a newly wed this year. You will break the jar more than you ever expect - but it's the journey together that counts - not things! Even the travel doesn't matter... just be together. If you can nab the odd coin here and there all the better!
$150 buys a lot of coin if you look in the right places. 3rd century ants in mint state aplenty! Rasiel
