Ancients: 12 Caesars Virtual Tray

Thats what my otho should look like, but yours didnt end up in dirt as fast as mine, lol.

A great set.

 

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Thx guys. JA, not just choices, sometimes you get what you find or what you can afford rather than actually "choose"

Q

 

My question is how much money did it take to complete the set? (pm me if ya want)

 

Approx 5700 to 6000 euro. But that doesn't mean a lot as these coins have been bought on a long period of about 30 years. The most expensive has been the Otho denarius, as everyone could guess, the cheapest was the Claudius as

Hope that helps
Q

 

My favorite is the Nero. That's a reverse you don't see every day.

 

Mine was $1100 total. Many were steals and lucky at being online at the right time. Of the set of course Otho was the most which I post the cost already, biggest steal was the Caesar and octavian. Cheapest was claudius.

 

Like Cucumber, my coins were purchased over an extended period, but I spent approx. $4k. The most expensive was my Caligula followed by Otho and Claudius.

 

Ugh. You guys have gotten me looking at 12 Caesars coins. Look what you've done.

 

Well, JA, at least it's only 12 Caesars. I'm presently laboring to complete my 'Forty-Six Caesars' set (the 46 rulers named by Julian II in his story The Caesars). I somehow even have to find myself a Vindex... wait for my post in 20 years or so.

 

Depending on your 12 Caesars goal, it's not just 12 coins. My own collection goal includes all 12 emperors in gold aurei (completed), silver denarii (completed), as well as 10 in large bronze (sestertii, have nine of 10) and 10 in small bronze (dupondii or asses, have eight of 10). Julius Caesar and Otho didn't issue imperial bronzes, although "provincial" bronzes of Otho exist.

That's 44 coins, of which I have 41. I'm currently still seeking small bronzes of Augustus/Octavian and Vitellius, as well as a Tiberius sestertius.

And even having acquired most of these, there are certain types that remain desirable, such as Caligula's sestertius "Three Sisters" reverse. I don't yet know whether I want to have more than one emperor in my collection, or instead extend my collection into the "good emperors" era. Such is the nature of collecting ancients.

Patience is required. I have been collecting for 6 1/2 years and my collection is still incomplete. During that time, prices on many of these coins has skyrocketed, so total investment becomes less meaningful since coins purchased years ago may have appreciated as much as 300% depending on the metal.

My advice is that if you see a coin that appeals to you -- "talks to you," as it were -- don't hesitate to buy it even if it stretches your budget somewhat. Rarely, if ever, do you regret these purchases. This doesn't apply to all coins -- as much as I like every coin in my collection, not all of them "speak" to me. But I would regret not having purchased those special coins, and indeed have passed up a few that I would now like to have acquired when I had the opportunity.