A Fine Aureus or several EF Denarii?

What an enjoyable post - I really like the various facets of collecting posted here. As for me, quantity over quality... and even as I say that I have doubts. As several have noted, starting out, just getting some low-grade coin in hand is a great education. Later on perhaps you yearn for something better.

Every once in awhile, while bottom feeding, I get something freakishly (for me) high grade. I got a Bavarian 1818 Constitution thaler a while back that is basically UNC - not a great rarity, but the photo on eBay was so poor I got it super cheap. In hand...it makes me nervous. I don't want to damage it with one of my greasy fingerprints. So it sits in its protective flip. I much prefer something that's been around the block that I can rub my thumb over.

There's no right answer. And many of us have quirks that can't perhaps be justified - but collector's quirks can be interesting (or at least fun). Just today - it is below zero here, everything is closed, including my place of employment - I was idly poking around my scattered collection and found three of my favorite off-center ancients in a photo I'd forgotten about. Few would find anything good to say about these, but I really like them.





P.S. I am glad Doug clarified the pants-wearing situation around his collection. It is so cold here today I am actually wearing two pairs of pants right now as the furnace in my old leaky house tries to keep off the chill.

 

Log in or Sign up to hide this ad.

I used to be disciplined enough to wait all year for the CNG Triton Auction catalogue/ no internet back then. So in January event I would go for 2 aurei in FDC/ MS. That was OK, but boring for the other eleven months. Nowadays, I remain active on the auction rollercoaster all 12 months, and add an average of 50 AV coins per year to my collection. Its in my DNA to want FDC/ MS quality Recently, I started into Denari, and added 20 last year, great fun. Since we all collect with different goals, standards/ that is why our hobby is so amazing. Also, once a coin enters my home, its there for life My most fav. month will be April, when Heritage has their "Central States Signature Sale". I can then use my $ from banknotes I consigned to getting some really cool coins.
John

 

I respect and admire everyone in this forum who has expressed that buying lots of coins is more rewarding than buying a few high grade examples. This logically makes sense for a collector. It has always been a balance for me because I'm fascinated by all areas of numismatics, but I also have limited means. A long time ago, I realized when I look at my trays, the coins that give me the most pleasure, are the ones that are not only cohesive to my overall collecting theme, but are also the ones that are nicest to look at.

I almost never buy a coin because it is inexpensive and seems like a "good deal". Sometimes I do, but these are usually the coins that I eventually regret buying.

 

Sometimes, you can score a really great deal, meaning an extremely rare coin in the highest quality. It happened to me many times. One such rarity was a MS AV 4 Tari from Messina Mint/ Sicily under the Holy Roman Emperor Konrad I 1250-54AD. At the time of the auction, it was listed in Friedberg at 2500US in EF. I won the coin for 2000 euros n MS. When Friedbergs recent edition came out, same coin listed for 10K in VF/ no price in EF/ just VERY RARE. I had the coin TPG and it came out as MS-65/ finest of 4 known. One in EF sold for 25K in Swiss auction.