Something very fishy about this. Sets usually go for around $1,000, at a minimum. I doubt that's a photo of what's actually being sold.
The text reveals the books are in PDF format. A rare chance to pay $12 to violate copyright instead of doing it for free.
Spink is selling pdf copies of quite a few books now, including RIC volumes, but they're not cheap: http://www.spinkbooks.com/index.php?route=product/category&path=107
I think it's rather humorous that the seller says "19 sold, 5 available" -- as if the number of times he or she can sell access to pdfs is finite, and decreases each time a sale is made.
I checked the link. Spinks is selling this: https://www.spinkbooks.com/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=696 Volume II, Part 3. This is the first I've heard of this. I guess it has just recently been published. So RIC vol. II.1 and vol. II.3 are both available, but no vol. II.2 yet, is that correct?
Yes - II.3 came out last October. Just Hadrian. In deadtree format, it's taller than the other RIC volumes (same height as RPC, not super-tall), so your bookshelf may complain. II.2 is coming in 2021 or 2022 (more likely the latter or later, probably!) ATB, Aidan.
I can vouch for the digital version of RIC III 3 -- fully searchable (a great advantage over a paper copy) and the plates are reproduced very well.
... following @Trebellianus 's comment, the number of my ancient coin reference books is down to about three bookshelves, but I have well over a hundred articles and books in pdf format. As well, I gave away my auction cataloques years ago, and haven't regretted it.
I find the four photos interesting because each was shot with different lighting but all four coins are Hadrian AE that would seem to have been best photographed in the same way unless we are dealing with four images made by four different photographers or a period of years. When I shoot coins, I use different lighting as I deem appropriate for the coin. I like the last two but the first two do not appeal to me. I'm an amateur but would prefer to think RIC would employ professionals who give thought to the situation before pressing the button.
Spink owns the copyright and the seller of the RIC CD is a criminal. I have reported such offerings to eBay many times. The eBay report site used to say that only the copyright holder had the right to complain, so I wrote Spink and they thanked me for notifying them and they reported the violation to eBay and to the seller. Spink has written me that they had that same seller served a "Cease and Desist" order before. Too bad eBay will do nothing about it. I wish some clever lawyer could figure out some way to make eBay criminally and financially responsible for losses due to criminal sellers who have been reported to them numerous times. As it is, they are "just a venue" and make sure they don't make any judgements so they are not responsible for any judgements.
Most likely this is the same set of PDF's that have been around since the early 2000's on ebay. They were produced by a CT member although I don't think he has sold them in years. he received quite a bit of criticism on Moneta and other Yahoo groups at the time. Barry Murphy
Unfortunately, I believe that there are still links from which people can download pdfs of all the (original) volumes for free. No need for anyone so inclined to purchase them on ebay.
Assuming that this is RIC II.3 (because the coins are of Hadrian), does this new volume have any color photos at all? It would be very disappointing (and unusual) if a relatively expensive coin catalogue published in 2019 by perhaps the leading numismatic publisher (at least in the Anglo-American world) contained only black-and-white photos. After all, Spink's annual catalogues of British coins have had all their photos in color for years now.
Thanks. I'm very surprised. How long has it been, after all, since photos in auction catalogs were generally in black and white?
I wonder if RIC is still under copyright? He is selling a pdf, probably on a DVD or some such. I am guilty of buying (years ago) a copy of some of the Krause books. On reflection, these are probably illegal.
