Safe place to get unsearched, uncleaned Roman coin lots?

HI All

I want to take the dive into ancients but I dont know where to start, so I figured I would start by buying a lot of bulk uncleaned random coins, and trying to identify them (this is how I learn..)

Anyhow - I see random lots all over ebay but I dont know who the trustworthy dealers are for these bulk lots - Any suggestions for this beginner?

 

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Welcome to the Ancients Forum, @TylerH ! You came to the right place if you’re serious about collecting ancient coins. I'm not sure if purchasing and handling uncleaned coin lots is the best way to learn but that's up to you and I'm sure one of our members can advise you on where to obtain such coins and who is reputable.

Some of the most knowledgable collectors I know of are members of this forum . I'm not one of them! If ancients collectors were required to wear colored belts, as in the martial arts, I'd likely wear a yellow belt to signify that I'm in the beginner/intermediate range. I put my trust in those who I know to be experts, when I'm purchasing ancient coins. Ebay is great but there are charlatans and predators to avoid and to a beginner, everything looks authentic.

Sign up for VCoins https://www.vcoins.com/en/Default.aspx . You should also register with Harlan J. Berk https://www.hjbltd.com/#!/ I've PM'd you (Cointalk Personal Mail) a list of my favorite dealers.

Again—welcome!

 

I can't recommend any specific dealers, but if you buy uncleaned coins from eBay, I recommend that you buy from someone who shows you the actual coins you are buying. Many dealers will show a photo of a lot of 500 or so coins from which they will randomly pick out 10 or 20 coins or however many you order. Nothing wrong or dishonest about this, but I prefer to buy from someone who sells a lot of a specific size--say, 10 coins--and shows a photo of the 10 coins that are in the lot.

Also, I don't know what country you are in, but if you buy from someone in the same country you live in, the shipping is usually cheaper and the coins will arrive much sooner.

 

Lots will provide you with mostly culls or very low grade coins. The better coins have already been removed. However, if you are determined to buy lots, you may learn something about 3/4 century coins. Better to dive in and buy better (not so expensive) coins from a dealer you know and trust.

 

Three quick responses:

1. Today there is no such thing as “unsearched” Roman coin lots. Maybe in 1999. But not today. Anyone who claims to sell them is to be treated with suspicion.

2. I think a beginner would get more enjoyment, value, learning, and end up with more “keeper” coins by purchasing lots from dealers, such as the ones here: https://www.vcoins.com/en/stores/zu...d_desc&countitems=0&changeDisplayList=&page=1

These lots would average out to about $4-5 per coin; all would be identifiable and would be keepers.

3. Check out this thread, particularly the linked thread on uncleaned coins. https://www.cointalk.com/threads/ancient-coins-beginners’-faq-thread.324858/#post-3206438

 

As a dealer of 30 years I would never recommend anyone buy such coins. First, there is no such thing as 'unsearched'. Everything has been gone through and anything of any real value has been removed. Sure, one out of a thousand might get missed. What is left are the coins which have no actual monetary value. Prior to Ebay such coins were literally thrown in the trash.

Despite honest advise people still insist on buying such coins, and many of them will regale you with tales of fantastic coins they found and cleaned. If you are determined to buy them, do so. It will either be a wonderful experience or a disappointing one.

 

Like others have said, buying better does turn up better in the end, they're is something about the randomness of what you get with uncleaned. If you're looking to learn and not "get rich quick", they can be fun.

@furryfrog02 and I have had luck with https://nobleromancoins.com

I'd recently bought 26 of their $2 coins and they threw a couple more in the package. You can see the results here:
https://www.cointalk.com/threads/batch-of-uncleaned-coins-cleaned.325381/

BUT, you can find unidentified coins listed on eBay and practice ID-ing them for free. A good, free way to learn.

 

You asked for a "safe" place - not necessarily the cheapest.
I would suggest buying from here:

https://nobleromancoins.com/index.php?cPath=1

I purchased 2 small lots from here at the beginning of this year ..and the quality was Ok (no complete slugs and a few with very good detail). They are OK quality but expensive for what they really are...

As a complete newbie I was willing to pay more to ensure that what I was getting was 100% genuine. Someone I respect pointed me to this dealer. Like you I was afraid at that time to purchase off eBay.

It was a good call in the end. I really enjoyed the cleaning process.. I learned a lot about Roman coins and liked reading up on the history of the rulers I uncovered (all Late Roman 3rd, 4th century). I learned about the various mints and how to read the legends, etc... It was a very good launching pad into the hobby.

Looking at the site now the lots have changed as I guess inventory moves..

For instance you can buy 10 uncleaned Campgates for $60.

On the other hand you could easily buy a good quality Campgate coin for $15 that is identifiable, collectible, etc..

Just go to www.vcoin.com and search for "Campgate" and sort showing the cheapest first. This will give you an idea.

Will you get 4 coins of this quality out of the lot of 10 uncleaned? Unlikely.

So if you place a value on the learning experience I say go for it - it was great for me. Should you expect to get $60 worth of collectible coins when you are done cleaning? No. Be under no illusions .. there will be nothing of great value in your lot.

I hope this helps in some way.

 

When I get hungry for more coins to clean, I'll either find lots that look promising from European detectorists who aren't specialized dealers (good deals to be had from such folk), or buy from a popular and generally reliable seller like det_who in Slovakia, a dealer that consistently has good quality lots of uncleaned Roman bronzes. Dirty coins or green corroded pieces that show minimal or no details are usually junk, but ones that show plenty of detail through the dirt are usually appealing and fun to clean.

Here's a representative and pretty decent looking lot from the seller:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Lot-of-30-uncleaned-late-Roman-bronze-coin/302979929666

I generally agree with the caution advised and criticism offered regarding uncleaned coins; you won't get rich and will likely be left with some ugly garbage, however cleaning coins and artifacts is a hobby or pastime in its own right, and if the experience and necessary close handling and study of the coins as you clean them is what you're after then I'd say it's well worth it. Winters are long here in Wyoming and I have no interest in snow sports, so they're nice to have around when there's nothing more important to attend to.

 

here's a nice crusty group that I recently bought on eBay

 

Here's a lot I purchased a few years ago. As you can see, some are immediately identifiable, but most are culls. I got tired of buying them for say $300 and getting 60% culls/slugs. So now I just collect individual coins. The outlet I was buying from, Crusty Romans, is no longer in the trade.

 

Is your photo from on delivery or post your cleaning? If on delivery, those looked cleaned and shiny already...

 

I bought lots almost exclusively when I got started, and of the probably 1,000 coins I bought in my first year of collecting ancients, I think I have maybe 20 left. It is very much possible to build an attractive set (say, Constantinian dynasty) on even a tight budget. You can build a respectable, cheap collection from uncleaned lots, but expect a lot of culls before you learn what you're doing there.

 

Post cleaning. Some came out OK, some are culls that I wasn't able to rescue. Realizing that the best ones were maybe worth $5-$10 I decided the whole process was essentially a waste of time, but I did enjoy attributing them. Lots of falling horsemen in there.

 

So the bottom line is, you get what you pay for. Though in one lot was a Macrianus that somebody forgot to remove. The site advertised that nothing was picked out, but that doesn't mean that the source selling to the dealer didn't pick out the good ones, as I am sure they did.

 

I appreciate all the feedback given!!! To clarify - I don’t plan on this as a money making thing - it is basically cost of education, giving me a fun way to play “detective” and learn along the way. I don’t mind spending 50$ or so on an experiment to learn. I look at it as the same price as a good book, but I never was a great book learner - more of a hands on learner

 

I think most of us understand where you are coming from. A lot of other beginners also use uncleaned coins to learn. The problem is that with uncleaned coins most will not be able to be identified, so their usefulness is extremely limited. You are honestly better off buying groups of already cleaned coins for modest prices. One can get pretty decent late Roman for $5 each which can be easily identified and also look fairly nice as well.

 

I somehow think this same end would be reached if you sent $50 to many of the people who advised you here or anyone who has collected for a while and asked them to send you coins that they have outgrown. You won't get great things that way either but you are more likely to get coins you will be able to learn a lesson other than where not to buy coins. I do suggest you select someone who lives in your country or even in your town since postage will eat up the 'profit' on low end things like you are seeking.

If anyone likes to ID coins that have enough details to ID, I offer the photos on my quiz page
http://www.forumancientcoins.com/dougsmith/quiz.html
That page was a total failure since the questions I asked were too hard for some and too boring for others. I no longer recommend reading the questions but the photos are not identified so you can play and not be tempted to cheat by looking at the answers.

 

That's an impressive cache!

 

Very cool! Your image inspires me to post my pile of Judaeans.