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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;Al Kowsky, post: 3976713, member: 97383&quot;]GoldFinger1969, You raise some excellent points <img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie2" alt=";)" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" />. I wouldn&#039;t encourage anyone to jump into ancient coins on a whim, or start buying expensive coins blindly with no exposure to the market. Fortunately there aren&#039;t any large dealers, companies, auction houses, or organizations that have control of the ancient coin market <img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie1" alt=":)" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" />. Collectors who are entertaining the idea of getting into ancient coins need exposure to what is going on in the market &amp; a good place to start is here on <b>CoinTalk</b> in the <b>Ancients forum</b>. There have been well over 20,000 threads posted on that forum <img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie57" alt=":jawdrop:" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" />! There are unseen factors that can have a major impact on the ancient &amp; medieval coin market that don&#039;t exist with modern coins <img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie81" alt=":shifty:" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" />, like newly discovered hoards that are constantly entering the market from Europe &amp; the Mideast <img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie9" alt=":eek:" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" />. The good news is these hoards are usually absorbed into the market without without a major impact of falling values <img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie1" alt=":)" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" />. A good case in point is a hoard of 20,000 Athenian Owls that started entering the market last year, see photos below. This hoard was supposedly found somewhere in Turkey, &amp; many of these coins are still being unloaded by dealers &amp; auction houses. Harlan Berk estimates there are well over 100,000 of these coins in collector&#039;s hands, which means they are very common, yet these coins are very popular &amp; choice well struck examples still bring high prices <img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie11" alt=":rolleyes:" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" />. </p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]1046730[/ATTACH] </p><p>Athens, 454-404 BC, AR Tetradrachm: 17.22 gm, 25 mm, 3 h.</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]1046736[/ATTACH] </p><p>Athens, 454-404 BC, AR Tetradrachm: 16.87 gm, 23 mm, 4 h.</p><p><br /></p><p>Both photos are courtesy of Roma Numismatics, London. The top example would grade Ex Fine &amp; retail for $1,500. The bottom example was struck on an undersize planchet &amp; would grade almost V. Fine &amp; retail for about $250. </p><p><br /></p><p>A caveat that exists with modern coins also plagues ancient coins, fakes &amp; copies. It&#039;s very important to by from dealers &amp; auction houses that guarantee what they sell &amp; offer a return option for questionable coins. Special care should be taken on <b>eBay</b> purchases from dealers in Eastern Europe <img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie85" alt=":smuggrin:" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" />.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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