Falling off the wagon

Discussion in 'Ancient Coins' started by jamesicus, Aug 6, 2020.

  1. jamesicus

    jamesicus Well-Known Member

    Last year I announced here, with great fanfare, that I was downsizing my ancient coin collection to just twenty coins that I especially treasured - ones that I took great delight in fondling, admiring and researching above all others I owned. These would be the coins that I would keep until I depart “this mortal coil”. I did retain my favorite ancient coin reference books. I also disposed of my collections of antique flintlock firearms, vintage woodworking hand tools and Japanese Samurai swords. My intention was to spend the rest of my days writing - Calligraphy: Roman Majuscule {Capital} lettering & Italian Renaissance Chancery cursive {italic} handwriting - fondling and researching my twenty ancient coins - visiting and nurturing my eight grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren - having occasional informal lunches with my “cronies” and romancing my wife/soulmate Beverly.

    I announced that I would not buy any more coins: twenty would be it! There were some skeptics here who said I could never exist with just twenty coins and I was determined to prove them wrong.

    Things went great for a while coin wise - I set out to re-read all of the introductory chapters of BMCRE, Volumes I and II - Harold Mattingly has always been my favorite author - and RIC Volumes VI and VII. That has been a great experience: I learned so very much from that. I came to the realization that my “true love” has always been Julio-Claudian Aes coinage: Sestertii, dupondii and asses - I was returning to my roots!

    I was also enjoying the stress-free, relaxed, lifestyle we were now living.

    Then the accursed coronavirus hit! That changed everything. Our doctor put us on home quarantine because of our ages and medical conditions: I am a 90 years old (soon to be 91) diabetic with advanced lower leg edema, neuropathy and diminished kidney function. Beverly is a double heart bypass surgery survivor with associated cardiac problems. For me, except for doctor visits, I have been essentially house-bound for many months now.

    Talk about being “stir-crazy”! And now I come to my “falling off the wagon”

    TIF first coined (pun intended) that label for me. She has helped me enormously by editing and re-formatting many of my archived coin photos - they were in various formats, sizes and with many different backgrounds and she used her enormous skills to make them all uniform for me. I had rashly set-out to try to do it myself by installing Photo Shop and trying to use it. I was overwhelmed by its complexity. In addition, I no longer have a photography set-up and sometimes I am unable to even walk across the room to test my efforts. So I turned to TIF for help. Of course, as always, she came to the rescue! I have said many times that she is a real treasure here on Coin Talk! She did not manipulate any of my photos (I hate that) but she did give them the uniform dense black backgrounds and size that I wanted. I have taken some pretty poor photographs in the past - most of the decent ones I took were a result of following Doug Smith’s advice that he frequently contributes here. TIF noticed there were now some newly purchased coins in my collection - “James”, she said, “ you have fallen off the wagon!”.

    So, I have now recently purchased 12 additional coins (all Julio-Claudian) and my “end-game” collection now consists of 32 coins. Why that number?

    Well, the original 20 filled the spaces in an old Abafil tray I had. The second tray in the case - not being used - was for 12 Sestertii, so now I am using the entire spaces in the case. (Group photo of my new collection to follow).

    So please excuse this long, rambling post - I just wanted to explain all this so everyone will understand my situation when I post and explain new coins in my collection.

    One thing for sure, I going to refrain from posting information relating to my “long ago, in the past” coin collecting activities, etc. - my memory is getting a lot worse these days and I am constantly mixing up dates and coin information and thus confusing myself - and others.

    Edit: just to keep it “coin-centric”:

    3351DAE2-F36A-4B0C-9288-176D4204012E.jpeg
     
    Last edited: Aug 6, 2020
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  3. -jeffB

    -jeffB Greshams LEO Supporter

    I'll offer you one tip: It's not just you. The present day is plenty confusing all by itself, even to those of us who (supposedly) aren't yet old enough to worry about our memory. :wacky:

    Please take care of yourself, and keep posting as much as you want/can here. I'm not an ancients collector (yet), but I consistently enjoy your posts, and I learn a lot from them!
     
    cmezner, DonnaML, Justin Lee and 2 others like this.
  4. offa the saxon

    offa the saxon Well-Known Member

    I could never pick just 20 coins from my collection, it would be an impossible task as I change my favourites on a near daily basis.
     
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  5. Alegandron

    Alegandron "ΤΩΙ ΚΡΑΤΙΣΤΩΙ..." ΜΕΓΑΣ ΑΛΕΞΑΝΔΡΟΣ, June 323 BCE

    Thank you for your contributions. It is always fantastic to read your posts and enjoy your coins. With a long history of coins, in my heart I felt you would not keep to your purse of 20 coins. I looked at my collection / database MANY times, thinking of your discipline. Nope. No way for me. Since I enjoy the history behind my coins, I saw there were too many historical junctures that my coins represented. I will either have to KEEP them all or SELL them all...cuz, there is no way that I could even cull them down to 100!

    @TIF is a wonderful person, and I really enjoy our friendship. I am really glad she is working with you!

    I always think of you and Beverly! Enjoy the wonderful time together! Our family lives into our late 90's / early 100's. You are but a youngster... and I always keep my perspective that I am still approx 20 yo in my head...

    Kindest Regards,
    Brian
     
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  6. Clavdivs

    Clavdivs Well-Known Member

    Very much looking forward to seeing your new additions!
     
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  7. furryfrog02

    furryfrog02 Well-Known Member

    I'm glad that you fell off the wagon :p Your coins are absolutely amazing and your write-ups are top notch. I know I'm not the only one here who looks forward to what you share.
     
    Justin Lee likes this.
  8. ancient coin hunter

    ancient coin hunter 3rd Century Usurper

    You have always shared great coins @jamesicus - unfortunately we all are going through unexpected times. I salute you and your efforts to continue bravely whilst accumulating some fantastic new coins. Wishing you and Beverly the best of health.
     
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  9. Justin Lee

    Justin Lee I learn by doing

    Who built the wagon without rails anyways! It's bound to happen with such a great interest in coins. No judgement here, @jamesicus! Your addition to this forum is and has been substantial and, like others, am looking forward to seeing your new coins!
     
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  10. jamesicus

    jamesicus Well-Known Member

    Thank you Brian, old friend. I frequently quote Robert Browning to my close friends and family:

    “Grow old along with me! the best is yet to be ……………”

    I don’t know whether it is always appropriate - or always make sense - but I sure like the way it sounds.
     
  11. jamesicus

    jamesicus Well-Known Member

    Thank you.
     
  12. jamesicus

    jamesicus Well-Known Member

    It has been very hard.
     
  13. spirityoda

    spirityoda Coin Junky

    I do not collection ancient coins yet, but I enjoyed reading your posts. Not sure I could limit my collection to 20 coins. At the present time I think I have 1,200+ world coins. That thought has not crossed my mind yet. Way down the road I might limit it to 100. I like your passion for coins. I would like you to post some pics of your calligraphy. Thanks for sharing with us.
     
    DonnaML likes this.
  14. jamesicus

    jamesicus Well-Known Member

    Thank you ff02. I also appreciate your help.
     
    furryfrog02 likes this.
  15. jamesicus

    jamesicus Well-Known Member

    Thank you for those kind sentiments, @ancient coin hunter.
     
  16. jamesicus

    jamesicus Well-Known Member

    Thank you, Justin.
     
    Justin Lee likes this.
  17. jamesicus

    jamesicus Well-Known Member

    Thank you @spirityoda - I hope you become an ancient coin collector - I think you would make a great one. Here is a little Calligraphy that seems to somehow fit here:

    EBC12550-AA1A-4FF9-B8AF-9358C6211D35.jpeg
     
    Pellinore, cmezner, Cucumbor and 6 others like this.
  18. Alegandron

    Alegandron "ΤΩΙ ΚΡΑΤΙΣΤΩΙ..." ΜΕΓΑΣ ΑΛΕΞΑΝΔΡΟΣ, June 323 BCE

    I always like that passage! Very appropriate. It always reminded me of one if my childhood buddies that I am still very good friends. Even though we have both moved as well as travelled everywhere over our adult lives, we still meet, catch up, and our jokes/insults/friendship never changes since our childhood.
     
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  19. tenbobbit

    tenbobbit Well-Known Member

    Put the wagon back in the barn, dangerous things those wagons ;)

    If only i knew about your passion for Cricket earlier, i reckon we could have had some great discussions.
    I was a Right Arm Off Spinner/ Opening bat, unfortunately i was a victim of the " Shane Warne " mind set and walked away from competitive cricket for a number of years 92-2000.
    We ( England ) have still not produced a half decent spinner to this day ( i hope you sense my passion for the game )

    Stay strong and buy as many new coins as you like :D
     
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  20. Ocatarinetabellatchitchix

    Ocatarinetabellatchitchix Well-Known Member

    You're not the only one in this wagon @jamesicus . I tried to stop buying coins myself...just for one month...couldn't do it...certainly the worse 30 days of my entire life. The withdrawal symptoms were terrible;
    • Nervousness or anxiety.
    • Trouble sleeping.
    • Frequent yawning.
    • Flu-like symptoms.
    • Nausea.
    • Diarrhea.
    • Hot and cold flashes.
    • Runny nose.
    • Excessive sweating.
    • Goosebumps.
    • Muscle cramps/body aches. Finally I've stopped fighting and went back to my addiction. Like the Bible says: " The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak".
    • 670565A9-194E-4096-B213-9514014F1FFC.jpeg
     
  21. jamesicus

    jamesicus Well-Known Member

    I hoped I would find a fellow cricketer here, @tenbobbit! We are of slightly different generations, but the passion lives in our veins,
    Lancashire & Yorkshire here (because of family background) - I wore my schoolboy cap with a red Rose whenever Lancashire played the “wars of the Roses” annual at Old Trafford, and my cap with a white rose when the match was played at Headingley (fish and chips at Harry Ramsden’s Emporium on the way to Leeds).
    My heroes in the late 1930s: above all Don Bradman, Len Hutton, Wally Hammond, Headly Verity, W. J. O’Reilly.
    Post WWII: Don Bradman, Wally Hammond, Everton Weekes, Ray Lindwall, Shane Warne.

    Sorry for the diversion all.
     
    Last edited: Aug 7, 2020
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