Log in or Sign up
Coin Talk
Home
Forums
>
Coin Forums
>
Ancient Coins
>
Popular Ancient Coins
>
Reply to Thread
Message:
<p>[QUOTE="AncientJoe, post: 3097928, member: 44357"]There are a couple parameters to take into account here. Harlan Berk's "100 Greatest Ancient Coins" book is a decent sampling which probably accomplishes what you're looking for but I'll offer a bit of differing context.</p><p><br /></p><p>I'm creating arbitrary terminology in this post but hopefully it is sufficiently illustrative. I've collected high end US coins and currently collect high end ancients so some parallels might be helpful.</p><p><br /></p><p>Like in US coins, there are "super rarity" types and individual "super coins". The former are the coins which are exceptionally rare and exceptionally in-demand and therefore exceptionally expensive, occupying the nosebleed range of $500K-2M.</p><p><br /></p><p>Ancient coins are, in general, less expensive than US coins but some can still be very expensive. In this tier I'd put the Agrigentum dekadrachm, Athens gold staters, Brutus aurei, gold medallions, Flamininus staters, Athens dekadrachms, and a couple other types.</p><p><br /></p><p>To me, these are the 1913 Liberty Nickels of the ancient world.</p><p><br /></p><p>I'd define the "super coins" range as exceptional examples of in-demand types which aren't overall that rare (relatively speaking: some are still just in the double digits of population). These tend to fall in the $100K-500K range and include coins like the Eid Mar denarii, Kimon/Euainetos dekadrachms, Colosseum sestertii, Naxos tetradrachms, Phanes trites/staters, Julius Caesar portrait aurei, and others.</p><p><br /></p><p>These are the "MS Chain Cents", half dismes, and "MS 1795 $10s" of the ancient world. The nicest examples will sell for significant premiums over average/below average coins but they are always expensive.</p><p><br /></p><p>The next tier represents the coins in broad demand that aren't quite as expensive but still desirable, like coins of Cleopatra (including "Aegypto Capta"), Hannibal, Noah's Ark, Alexander the Great, Constantine the Great, architectural depictions, etc.</p><p><br /></p><p>There are expensive and inexpensive versions of these types but they make up the "meat" of the "100 Greatest Ancients" book. They are the XF Chain Cents, AU 1795 $5s, and the MS64 High Relief St Gaudens of ancients.</p><p><br /></p><p>It's probably worth saying that, with ancients, you can get a ton of historical "bang for your buck". A set including Alexander the Great, Cleopatra, Brutus, and Julius Caesar can be assembled for a bit over $1K and will produce the desired jaw-drop from the average non-collector. Or, you can assemble the same set with different types for $2 million and probably receive the same response from that non-collector.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>
[QUOTE="AncientJoe, post: 3097928, member: 44357"]There are a couple parameters to take into account here. Harlan Berk's "100 Greatest Ancient Coins" book is a decent sampling which probably accomplishes what you're looking for but I'll offer a bit of differing context. I'm creating arbitrary terminology in this post but hopefully it is sufficiently illustrative. I've collected high end US coins and currently collect high end ancients so some parallels might be helpful. Like in US coins, there are "super rarity" types and individual "super coins". The former are the coins which are exceptionally rare and exceptionally in-demand and therefore exceptionally expensive, occupying the nosebleed range of $500K-2M. Ancient coins are, in general, less expensive than US coins but some can still be very expensive. In this tier I'd put the Agrigentum dekadrachm, Athens gold staters, Brutus aurei, gold medallions, Flamininus staters, Athens dekadrachms, and a couple other types. To me, these are the 1913 Liberty Nickels of the ancient world. I'd define the "super coins" range as exceptional examples of in-demand types which aren't overall that rare (relatively speaking: some are still just in the double digits of population). These tend to fall in the $100K-500K range and include coins like the Eid Mar denarii, Kimon/Euainetos dekadrachms, Colosseum sestertii, Naxos tetradrachms, Phanes trites/staters, Julius Caesar portrait aurei, and others. These are the "MS Chain Cents", half dismes, and "MS 1795 $10s" of the ancient world. The nicest examples will sell for significant premiums over average/below average coins but they are always expensive. The next tier represents the coins in broad demand that aren't quite as expensive but still desirable, like coins of Cleopatra (including "Aegypto Capta"), Hannibal, Noah's Ark, Alexander the Great, Constantine the Great, architectural depictions, etc. There are expensive and inexpensive versions of these types but they make up the "meat" of the "100 Greatest Ancients" book. They are the XF Chain Cents, AU 1795 $5s, and the MS64 High Relief St Gaudens of ancients. It's probably worth saying that, with ancients, you can get a ton of historical "bang for your buck". A set including Alexander the Great, Cleopatra, Brutus, and Julius Caesar can be assembled for a bit over $1K and will produce the desired jaw-drop from the average non-collector. Or, you can assemble the same set with different types for $2 million and probably receive the same response from that non-collector.[/QUOTE]
Your name or email address:
Do you already have an account?
No, create an account now.
Yes, my password is:
Forgot your password?
Stay logged in
Coin Talk
Home
Forums
>
Coin Forums
>
Ancient Coins
>
Popular Ancient Coins
>
Home
Home
Quick Links
Search Forums
Recent Activity
Recent Posts
Forums
Forums
Quick Links
Search Forums
Recent Posts
Competitions
Competitions
Quick Links
Competition Index
Rules, Terms & Conditions
Gallery
Gallery
Quick Links
Search Media
New Media
Showcase
Showcase
Quick Links
Search Items
Most Active Members
New Items
Directory
Directory
Quick Links
Directory Home
New Listings
Members
Members
Quick Links
Notable Members
Current Visitors
Recent Activity
New Profile Posts
Sponsors
Menu
Search
Search titles only
Posted by Member:
Separate names with a comma.
Newer Than:
Search this thread only
Search this forum only
Display results as threads
Useful Searches
Recent Posts
More...