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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;medoraman, post: 935497, member: 26302&quot;]Excellent post Doug. This is the type of post that should be flagged for a sticky. Like I explained in an earlier post, any kind of rarity scale in a book is a great way to begin your education, but everyone who specializes in a series that I know of makes notes of how reality now is different than the book, and this is their unique knowledge in which the truly have a leg up on most others. Glenn Woods, a Byzantine specialist, has a copy of Sears Byzantine Coins so thoroughly trashed I was shocked when I saw it. He uses it always and makes notes inside. This is how a price guide should be used, as a base to start with, but not an end point or definitive.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Another way to say this is that there is absolute rarity and market rarity. Absolute rarity would take into account small differences like an officiana mark, or type of spear soldier is holding, etc. These small differences are a big deal to American collectors. This amplification of these tiny things I believe started with the early collectors in the 1860&#039;s wishing to make US coinage have more varieties than it really did. Anyway, small details like this rarely matter in ancient coinage, so even if someone points out how rare or scarce it is, it shouldn&#039;t affect market rarity. A few times it matters if it changes how the coin is viewed, like engravers initials of a famous engraver, or something similar. Not that these points cannot be interesting in someone specializing in that coinage, its just that there are SO many ancient coins most do not collect that specialty.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Market rarity is rarity that the ancient coin market will pay for. This is something that greatly affect prices. Examples of this is a type that is rare, such as the Pannonian hat coin that Beast coins has. This is a completely new, unique type. Another example would be for a scarce coin that is in incredible demand. There are I believe about 50 examples known of the Eid Mar denari, so for an ancient coin they are not that rare. However the demand is such as even horrible examples bring 5 figures. Types that are rare will bring a premium, it just depends on what the type depicts and the historical importance of it.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Overall, Doug&#039;s point is that small obscure rarities are everywhere in ancient coins and most of us do not care how rare the little subtype is, we will only pay for common variety price for it. If you wish to obtain a small collection of all of them, and be the only person on earth with them, good for you, but do not expect that you will sell them for much more than common prices when you sell. Since this is true, you should not pay more for them when you acquire them.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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