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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;Theoderic, post: 6704486, member: 110471&quot;]I think it&#039;s fair to say that most, if not all, of us who&#039;ve been collecting for awhile have had a coin that we upgraded on by purchasing a nicer example when circumstances allowed.&nbsp; This forum often has postings of members happily sharing recent purchases and wins that improved upon an existing piece in their collection.&nbsp; However, have any of you ever purposefully down-graded by replacing a coin in your collection with a similar one that is in inferior condition?&nbsp; If so, why?</p><p><br /></p><p>Regarding myself, I had the following coin of the Visigothic king Suinthila (AD 621-631):</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]1270220[/ATTACH] </p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>AV Tremissis (20 mm, 1.41 grams, 6h), Barbi mint (near Antequera, Spain)</p><p><br /></p><p><b>Obverse</b>: + SVIИTHILɅ RE:, facing bust</p><p><br /></p><p><b>Reverse</b>: + PIVS BɅRBI, facing bust</p><p><br /></p><p><b>References</b>: CNV 284.4; Miles 224c; MEC 1 235</p><p><br /></p><p>I was very content with this coin but then a similar example came up for auction at the Aureo &amp; Calico 248 sale of November 2012, lot 1093:</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]1270239[/ATTACH] </p><p><br /></p><p>AV Tremissis (19 mm, 1.47 grams, 6h), Barbi mint (near Antequera, Spain)</p><p><br /></p><p><b>Obverse</b>: + SVIИTHILɅ RI:, facing bust</p><p><br /></p><p><b>Reverse</b>: + PIVS BɅRBI, facing bust</p><p><br /></p><p><b>References</b>: CNV 284.9; cf. Miles 224; cf. MEC 1 235</p><p><br /></p><p>It was certainly in lesser condition than my original example but had the very desirable provenance of being from the Caballero de las Yndias collection, a beautiful gathering of Spanish gold coinage from Roman to modern times formed by a Basque gentleman who emigrated with his family to Cuba in the early 20th century.&nbsp; The collection was disbursed by Aureo &amp; Calico in four auctions during 2009-2010. </p><p><br /></p><p>I already had the good fortune of owning three Visigothic coins from the original Caballero sale of 2009 and although I missed this one when it was first auctioned, the opportunity to acquire another when it was re-offered was irresistible.</p><p><br /></p><p>Ideally, I would have liked to keep both but finances don&#039;t always permit such luxuries.&nbsp; I chose provenance over condition and sold the first one at the CNG 94 sale in September 2013, lot 1563.&nbsp; I often think of that original &quot;lost&quot; coin wondering if I made the right decision.&nbsp; I think I did but I keep finding myself scanning through auctions to see if it ever re-emerges... some day.</p><p><br /></p><p>It is the current fashion among coin collectors that an obsession with condition dominates all other considerations, but please let me know if any of you ever made such a choice.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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