Gold aureus

It'll look lovely. I love my aurei worn to the nubbins, holed etc.

But seriously you can get a solidus for $500 pretty easily and a worn and holed aureus for around $1000. They come up often enough. However 90% of $1000 level ancients are sold at auction not retail. Very little at that price level makes it into retail for long unless vastly over priced - better coins tend to move faster than less good coins. So if you can wait a few months, scan the upcoming auctions on Numisbids and you'll find what you want tho it may take a few unsuccessful bids at first. Very worn Nero and Julius Caesar aurei seem to pop up all the time

 

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True. Search on "aureus" and "solidus" at one of the auction consolidators. Some are listed here part way down the page:

http://augustuscoins.com/ed/dealers.html

Just remember that the hammer price is not what you pay. When people say "It went for $1200" it is likely the buyer paid $1200 + 20% + $25 shipping which is really $1465.

 

My example of a solidus:

 

This high grade though holed & repaired Leo solidus cost me under $300 at auction:

 

I'm pretty sure I paid less than $400 for this solidus of Theodosius II.


Constantinople mint, A.D. 430-440
Obv: D N THEODO-SIVS P F AVG
Rev: VOT XXX MVLT XXXX S - Constantinopolis, seated on throne, facing left, holding scepter and globus cruciger (cross on globe)
CONOB in exergue; [star] in right field
RIC 275
21mm, 4.4g