Hi, I'm a new collector and im interested in umayyad and abbasid coins, and coins from the caliphate of cordoba. ive been looking on vcoins but i was wondering if there was any other places i could find islamic coins. i tried ebay but a lot of sellers didnt have many reviews and i dont really have the expertise to detect fakes
Steve Album (https://db.stevealbum.com/php/home.php) is good for these types of coins and I would also approach some of the Zeno.ru posters. They actually sell coins (Mervin for instance)...
Welcome to Coin Talk. eBay can be a dangerous place, but over the past few months I have gotten some early Islamic fals for cheap in lots there - usually when I was going for a Byzantine or a countermark, but the Islamic coins came with the lot. Although I wasn't aiming for them particularly, as it turns out, I have had quite a lot of fun trying to attribute them - but it is not easy. Here's a batch I got recently, and they came out to about a buck apiece. I think they are genuine. Most of them are Umayyad (or so I've convinced myself).
Greetings @aleppo and welcome the Ancients Forum! I’m not very familiar with Islamic coins but I do admire them for the beauty of the letters and characters. I collect coins of the Indo-Scythian Kingdom and I obtain many of them from “Coin India” on the “VCoins” website at: https://www.vcoins.com/en/Default.aspx Coin-India appears to have a rather large selection of Islamic coins at: https://www.vcoins.com/en/stores/coinindia-36/ancient-coins/Default.aspx? and https://www.vcoins.com/en/stores/co...tfield&countitems=2&changeDisplayList=&page=1 Pankaj Tandon, the owner of Coin India is a very reputable dealer and authority on ancient coins. http://www.bu.edu/articles/2017/ancient-indian-coins-pankaj-tandon/ I’ve always found him to be assessable online and will answer your questions quickly. Happy collecting!
Where to get Islamic Coins? If you have to go to Islam to get them, you'll be looking for an awfully long time . . .
Are you wanting large lots to build up a collection quickly, or are you looking for very specific issues? Many auction houses will offer literal piles of Islamic bronze and silver coins, and they often go for wholesale prices, but they are never identified. Stephen Album is of course a good source for individual coins, but expect to pay premium prices because anyone serious about Islamic coins will be competing with you. Ebay is a good source, and from my knowledge, as long as you stay away from extremely valuable pieces, fakes are infrequent. Shredplayer is a knowledgeable and trustworthy seller who usually has lots of good early material. For Islamic coins of the Iberian peninsula, I have found that Spanish auction houses usually have some very nice relevant material. For example, Tauler y Fau has a few Cordoba pieces up at the moment... https://www.biddr.ch/auctions/tauleryfau/browse?a=934&l=992781
I’m right there with you as far as not trusting myself to spot fakes. That’s why I only buy from trusted dealers who offer a money back guarantee with no time limit. Ancient Resource has some interesting offerings. This dealer is trustworthy and dependable. http://ftp.ancientresource.com/lots/islamic.html
My choices would be.... Steve Album rare coin auctions Morton & Eden Baldwins of St. James Cayon Aureo & Calico Taufer & Fau The last three Spanish auctions are great for Al Andulus/ Umayyads in Spain/ North Africa John
Thanks guys. In regards to auctions, how does bidding work online? similar to ebay? I also tried signing up on aureo & calicos website but they asked for references. How do i gain references for auction houses in the first place?
Usually, I just list auction houses that I have used in past for references. Best is to sign up on www.sixbid site. Once signed in, you can place bids via sixbid.com. John
Aleppo, I agree with the previously mentioned Tauler & Fau auction house and will add three other Spanish houses: Ibercoin, Pliego & Soler Y LLach. Good luck with your hunt!