I also need a Basiliscus - so realistically it's either a tremissis or a solidus. This one is on the market at the moment. It is not disclosed as ex-jewellery, although it clearly is ex-jewellery, and therefore i will negotiate on price. I need a Basiliscus, and he is quite rare, so I could settle for this: Any thoughts?
Between about 10:00 and 11:00 on the obverse near the rim, there... do I see a plugged hole? Or is it just a die-cracky anomaly? I see a circle there. It touches the top of the first "I" in his name. See what I'm talkin' about? Interesting clashmarks at the top of the reverse. The ex-jewelry attribute doesn't bother me, really (and even an expertly plugged hole wouldn't necessarily be a dealbreaker)... IF the price was right.
Yeah exactly. I don't mind "rough-around-the-edges" as long as it's attributable and the price is right. So a pristine Basilicus solidus sold for $2,200 at last CNG. For an ex-jewellery piece i'd expect to pay half that. I'm negotiating with the seller. He didn't like my first offer, but I'm not going to go much higher. The coin does appeal to me. It's not like it's been tooled or anything. Ex-jewellery is fine - part of the coin's story, really - as long as the price is right, like you say!
It is an attractive coin. I like the portrait and the reverse. If this is not a ruler who is a special interest of yours then I would say its a good fit. If this is one of your favorite emperors then maybe see if there is something with a clearer portrait.
Nice one. Whether or not it was jewelry is probably a nit, but not a deal breaker. Hope you can agree on a reasonable price.
Although a soft face on the portrait, it has a fine inscription. I hope you can get it at a price that makes you happy. I do not have him in a solidus, but I do have a semissis of the joint reign of Basiliscus and Marcus and a tremissis of Basiliscus alone. I've attached their photos.
Those are excellent gold images. They show a good balance of both the beauty and the character marks most coins will have.
