bidding on this coin and... ???

Hi all. I am bidding on this coin and I am wondering what it is worth for this grade ? This will be my first purchase for an ancient coin. let me know the value... thanks, Craig.

 

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I wouldn't spend more than 40-50 bucks for it. Those are pretty fun coins but not rare or special, plus it'd slabbed which I personally dislike. Good luck, but don't go spending hundreds on it, you'll regret it after you learn more about ancient coins.

 

Look on vcoins for something similar.

 

On average one would expect realistically to pay right about $100. One can find them cheaper, some higher, but for that example $100 would be what you would expect.

 

Good luck on your first ancient coin. The description for this coin did not mention size, but it is small = 10 mm +/- 2 mm diameter.
I think @Ken Dorney is right on price. I found 15 (ionia bee stag trihemiobol) coins on acsearch.info with a range of $43 to $123 hammer. The best one I saw was on CNG, see below, and hammered for $180.

Slab vs not slabbed is a choice ancient coin collectors face. I think most here are on the non-slabbed side of the street. I have one in a slab that I bought cheep, and left there figuring it might sell better that way. I want to see the sides of my ancient coins.
PS - most folks here do not post active online auctions. Feel free to PM those questions.

 

Good luck with your decision. I agree with most of what is said here but perhaps the most important point hasn't been mentioned in this thread: don't post active auction listings on the public board. Instead, ask a few people by private message. The reasons for this have been repeatedly posted elsewhere.

Minutes after you posted this thread I sent a detailed PM to you outlining comps and where/how to research further research, also explaining why it is bad to post active action listings.

(Just checked: yep, since you've posted this another bidder or two has jumped in and the bid is now 5 increments higher.)

 

spirityoda, if you like this type of coin look for a better one. The coin pictured has been over-cleaned & the obverse is way off centered. The CNG example posted by rrdenarius is the quality you should be looking for.

 

It's OK to mention an auction here on the forum but probably not to discuss specific coins you are bidding on, as that can drive the price up.

 

Personally I'd pass on this coin. A good portion of the bee is missing. You want your first ancient coin to be special so look for another bee.

 

Since size was mentioned, we might also point out that variations of the type come in larger sizes. The diobol is only a little larger than yours but has two deer heads to tell them apart.


The drachm is four times larger and has the whole deer.


There is the tetradrachm which is four times the drachm or 16 times yours. I don't have one to show. Going the other way, there are bronzes of the same city like this 12mm example.

Prices really can not be advised since little differences in appearance make big differences in price and big dealers get more for the same coins as do small time amateur sellers. We are regularly amazed at the irregularity in prices caused by who shows up at a sale both as seller and buyer. I do not advise buying for 'investment'. When you are ready for that step, you will believe you know more than the rest of us and won't listen to advice anyway. Pay what strikes you as reasonable and let the other guy pay too much. If he gets your coin, you might just have another chance when he tries to sell it.

 

I would prefer to have more of the bee on the flan.

 

This is why I like you ancient guys and gals. Your knowledge and experience is fantastic, especially to a new ancient collector like me.

 

There's no "should" about it: it depends on your budget, the priority you place on the type, the reason you're buying it (history? aesthetics? obverse? reverse?) and much more besides.

In my opinion, $50 would be a good deal, $75 would be OK, and $100 would be full retail.

 

I agree wholeheartedly. If you are really interested in a listing, PM a member or two about it. We like to help others, but you are hurting your own chances of winning by broadcasting a particular auction to a lot more people. Always remember many more people read and lurk in these posts than participate, so it is a lot more dangerous than you think.

I will again thank @TIF for the time I bounced an auction off of her. I was really interested in a lot, she looked at it for me and gave her opinion, and I was lucky enough to get it. I would suggest doing the same with future auctions, (but not just to Tif, as I am sure she does not have the time to help everyone as much as she would like to )

 

Lots of opinions to be considered here, but I thought I would say a few more words. Is this coin rare? No. But I just made a quick check and currently this is the only example offered for sale at the moment. Maybe some in Europe but I did not check there. Small denominations like this are more often off center than they are centered, so the missing part of the bees wing is irrelevant as it is what one would expect (and its not that far off center, honestly). No, I dont own the coin so my opinions are unbiased. I think its a fine coin, a popular type, and would be excellent as a 'first ancient'.

 

This is sage advise. Some members here feel it is bad form or rude to post questions about an upcoming coin in a sale. I dont think its as bad a situation as some do, but from a purely financial standpoint, dont post questions about them as you may invite competition to the coin you are interested in buying. You might add additional cost to your purchase or add to the price you end up paying.

I have my eye on several coins that are at auction this month. I wont say anything about them as I dont want to pay more than I have to. All are simply sublime, but if I posted something about them I might price myself out of a coin, or pay much more than I wanted to. Its best to simply post something about it after you have bought it. The Coin Talk Ancients section is more about showing off your coins than it is anything else, and we all love to show off our new acquisitions!

 

Interestingly, I agree with both of the quotes above. They're not mutually exclusive and here's why:

First, Al Kowsky's observations about the coin's centering and cleaning are accurate and good information, especially for a beginner's first purchase. Plus, I too recommend that you always purchase the best quality you can afford within your budget, since you're likely to be much happier in the long term vs. just settling for a coin that's available at the time.

But Severus Alexander is correct in pointing out that there's no "should" in a purchasing decision. Your decision really does depend on the factors that are important to you, and only you can make those tradeoffs and compromises. By all means, solicit feedback and opinions (preferably privately) but make your own decision about purchasing.

 

Hi all. Thanks for all the advice. I will pass on this coin. This Ebay auction ends on Sunday. I was mainly getting it for the bee on the coin. I have seen other bigger bees on bigger sized coins go for crazy high money. As 1 of my topical/themed collections is "coins with insects" I have always wanted an ancient bee, beetle, grasshopper and any other ancient coin with insects with aesthetics being the main reason for getting it. I think I will wait until I see a more centered bee and less cleaned version of any ancient bee. Thanks again for all the great advice. Craig.

 

All ancient coins are cleaned for the most part. It can't be avoided.

But there are the usual levels of cleaning like moderns, I.E. harsh, polished, and so on.

 

For the most part Ephesos will be (bee?!?) where you will will find an insect most prominently displayed. For most other insects they will be just a small part of the design, often as a mintmark. If you want one in which it is the primary design, stay after the Ephesos types. They also appear on bronzes, and sometimes inexpensively. If you wish to save your money and buy a better bigger type, look to the tetradrachm of Ephesos. A decent but cheap one might run around $200-500, a better one up to $1,000. It entirely depends on you, and I say keep after it. Once you find the right coin you will know.