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Message:: [QUOTE="Orielensis, post: 4956954, member: 96898"]This might not be the answer you want to hear, so I apologize in advance. I, too, have started collecting ancients by buying a few lots of uncleaned late Roman bronze coins. Only few of them are still part of my collection, and there are even fewer of them that I like. If you buy uncleaned lots, a considerable percentage of what you get will be unidentifiable slugs. Most of the rest will be heavily worn or somewhat damaged late Roman bronze coins. Those will be attributable to some degree but far from pleasant to look at. The number of emperors and reverse types you'll get will be limited – prepare to read the letters "CONSTAN..." more often than you care for and see a zillion speared barbarians on horseback, Roman soldiers guarding standards, and campgate watchtowers. And even if you get a nice coin in the mix now and then, chances are that you'll ruin it during your cleaning attempts. In my opinion, there are mainly two good things about uncleaned lots. First, they have some eductional value if you want to to learn about Roman history in the 3rd and 4th centuries AD. Secondly, coin cleaning is an interesting hobby of its own if you are into this. But if you want to build a fine Roman collection, buying cleaned coins is the better decision both financially and with regards to your collecting experience.[/QUOTE]