Howdy folks, So as part of my 2022 new year coin resolution I decided I need to narrow my focus. I've been a casual coin collector my whole life but alot of stuff is just folders of circulated coins. But I also have just bits and pieces of other stuff, totally random. I decided I need to pick a theme and stick with it. I love ancient Egypt, I always have and even took a class in college. I have a few Egyptian tattoos including one of the Goddess Isis. So i've decided I want to narrow in on Egyptian and egypt related coins (they don't need to be from egypt). Especially ones that depict anything from ancient egypt, Egyptian gods, pyramids, etc. So, aside from just sharing my excitement to get rolling on this (I have a few already) I also have some questions. My budget is always limited, which is why I collect alot from circulation and lower end coins, I do have an ASE, etc etc. Point is, that narrows me down a bit, obviously no gold, nothing with alot of silver, and so on. I know nothing of the going prices or what to look for so I wondered if you all had any suggestions on some affordable coins to keep watch for. I've perused the Numista site and added a TON to my wish list, but I know many are out of my price range....for now. So I'm open to suggestions on what to look for and where to look for it. Local coin stores don't exist where I live btw, so online sources are my best bet. Thanks in advance!
All my Egypt coins are in this thread... Link: https://www.cointalk.com/threads/post-your-egyptian-coins.227301/
eBay will be your best bet by far to find those. You might get lucky with some falling through the crack at Great Collections but with auction houses basically everything is graded and will very likely cost you more than you are looking to spend.
There are several examples from the 1950s through the 1980s of Egyptian coins featuring classical motifs. Here are a few quick ones I have photos of: 1957 10 milliemes and 1984 1 piastre. You can get these for a few bucks at the most. There were also several in the 1970s with other classical elements.
I have a single coin from Egypt - a 1978 Silver commemorative 1 Pound - "FAO - Food and Training for all," which supposedly emphasized training for women. I bought this years ago and the dealer didn't know anything about Gregorian and Hegira dates, so I remember telling him that the date was both 1978 and 1398. He looked at it fascinated for a while before handing it over. I know it doesn't completely fulfill the thread's request, but I really like the design of this one and wanted to share anyway. Numista
Awesome, thanks for sharing guys. So ok I kinda guessed eBay would be my best/only bet. Those are all great examples to add to my growing list
I don’t know just how limited your budget is, but some ancient Egyptian coins can be had for a low price of you are willing to compromise on quality. I bought this piece for $26 a couple years ago: Ptolemaic Egypt Ptolemy II Philadelphus, r. 282-246 B.C. Cyprus Mint AE27, 27.7 mm x 17.8 grams Obv.: Diademed head of Zeus right Rev.: [ΠTO]ΛEMAIOY [BAΣIΛEΩΣ]. Eagle standing left, wings open, Σ over shield over X before, A between legs Ref.: SGCV 7779 note that Egypt did not mint coins before Ptolemy I (there is one exception which is very rare and highly sought after, and thus very expensive)
ooooh, interesting. Ya that would be within budget on occasion and well worth it. I hadn't considered anything ancient because I don't know much about that side of coin collecting and also assumed they'd be pricey. That's interesting they did mint currency before that period, the economics and government of egypt isn't my strong point, I know more about the mythology and such - all pre Roman takeover basically. Anyway, very cool and something to look out for, thanks!
