I need beginners help

i would buy this if i collect it, it is now cheap it could be later more worth

 

Log in or Sign up to hide this ad.

We will all have opinions on 'tips' and coins. Some will be quite different depending on the source. I read the 101 thread and, quite honestly, consider many of the tips more harmful than helpful and I wondered where these experts got their ideas. Then I realized that 101 was on Coin Chat and did not apply to collecting ancients. I do not know if they were better for moderns since I stopped collecting modern coins about the same time they stopped putting silver in silver coins.

ro1974 posted a suggested Sasanian which may be a good buy in Europe but seems a bit pricey by my Virginia standards. I don't know much about Missouri but I suspect everything there (houses, food, coins) are a bit different than from places like London and New York. We had a recent thread on the Baltimore show where someone mentioned having to pay more because the dealers were trying to offset the high cost of doing the show. One dealer told me it cost him $1400 last year (table, hotel, parking, restaurants etc.). I went to a small show where the table cost was $75 and the food of choice was delivery pizza. It does make a difference.

Did anyone mention that those Sasanian silver drachms are large coins? They vary according to time period from roughly quarter to half dollar diameter. Many ancients in the under $35 range will be more dime size. Does that make a difference to you? My ancient collection includes coins from under 1/10 gram to 90 grams. I like them all.

It was mentioned that many Sasanian coins have mint names and dates (regnal years). The thin flans of some cause one or the other of these to be weak on some coins and those coins should sell for less than fully identifiable specimens. They still might be of interest. Well over half the coins you will see will be that one king Khusro II (spelled/transliterated many different ways). Some have chipped edges or other faults (and cheaper if they do). I agree it would be a good first ancient but only if you consider them 'ancient'. Many people will want only Greek or Roman from a few centuries earlier. I like them but I like many old coins that are beneath the notice of many collectors. Your job now is a tough decision. What would you like?