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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;nerosmyfavorite68, post: 25367581, member: 134416&quot;]We collectors of ancients usually have this criteria for our coins:</p><p>1) Do I like the coin?</p><p>2) can I afford it?</p><p>3) the grade, within reason, generally isn&#039;t too important.</p><p><br /></p><p>Part of the problem was that different dealers would describe toning in vastly different ways.&nbsp; I had to use a lot of search terms and a lot of trawling.&nbsp; I found ones with more attractive toning, but they were very expensive, like $400+.&nbsp; For the sub-$130 category, this Morgan was the best one I came across.</p><p><br /></p><p>As long as it came from the 1870&#039;s-1880&#039;s, the particular year and mint were irrelevant to me.&nbsp; I was trawling for toning. I know nothing about U.S. coins, I have no modern references (not too much point if I&#039;m not a regular collector), so I kept firmly in the budget arena.&nbsp; I also had no clue, outside of vcoins/ma-shops, Harlan Berk, etc., where the best venues were to buy U.S. coins, aside from local coin shops.</p><p><br /></p><p>I actually did like some of the silver stacker stuff, especially the hand-made items, and that interested me more than the American coins.</p><p><br /></p><p>I could see myself buying the occasional toned Morgan, but I&#039;ll always be an ancients/struck coin guy.&nbsp; I just love the history too much.&nbsp; The late Roman coins are somewhat akin to moderns, as they are standardized and vary only by mintmark.&nbsp; I never got much into those.</p><p><br /></p><p>We&#039;ll have to see what it looks like in person, but I&#039;m glad that my first buy wasn&#039;t a disaster.&nbsp; Well, it could be a disaster in shipping, but registered shouldn&#039;t be too bad.&nbsp; That usually forces the shipper to use a smaller envelope.</p><p><br /></p><p>The Trajan Decius sestertius below is an example of how I collect ancients.&nbsp; I loved the portrait, and the patina was nice. (It was also about $19 cheaper than the Morgan).</p><p><br /></p><p>Trajan Decius was the first emperor to be killed in battle by the barbarians, and some very bad times ensued.&nbsp; All four proverbial horsemen were riding high a few years later.</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]1623289[/ATTACH][/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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