Message:

<p>[QUOTE=&quot;dougsmit, post: 2258356, member: 19463&quot;]I started collecting ancients when in high school.&nbsp; By 1974, I had over 150 almost all Roman of the first through third centuries AD.&nbsp; The birth of my daughter and my wife not going back to work led me to sell those coins (for $500) to Joel Malter.&nbsp; I did not take many photos back then but I made aluminum foil pressings of the coins.&nbsp; I remember a few that are not in the box but the ones I found reminded me that I wish I had not sold those coins.</p><p><br /></p><p>Foil pressings were made by folding aluminum foil over the coin and pressing with fingers or a rubber pad to transfer the design.&nbsp; The results were very fragile.&nbsp; Later I discovered you could fill the back with Elmer&#039;s glue to stiffen them but none of these were done that way.&nbsp; Tonight I decided to photograph some of them so they might remain recognizable.&nbsp; Many are dented and creased but would allow recognizing the coin if I saw it again.&nbsp; In the last 41 years I have never seen a single one of these coins offered for resale.&nbsp; Perhaps they were bought by a foreign dealer.&nbsp; Then, as now, I bought relatively low grade coins but the low grade coins of that day would be considered better by eBay generation standards.&nbsp; Here are a few that got away.&nbsp;&nbsp; I would buy them again but realistically never expect to see even one.&nbsp; </p><p><br /></p><p>Most missed: Caligula sestertius worn to fine but smooth yellow/brown surfaces save a few pits across the face so worth more today than I got for the bunch.</p><p>[ATTACH=full]448121[/ATTACH] </p><p><br /></p><p>The worst coin in the foils was my Didius Julianus sestertius purchased for 50 cents.&nbsp; The same day I got an even worset Manlia Scantilla but I have no foil of it. </p><p>[ATTACH=full]448122[/ATTACH] </p><p>Balbinus was a nice sestertius with green patina but the Pupienus was not so great. Neither was replaced when I started collecting again. </p><p>[ATTACH=full]448120[/ATTACH] [ATTACH=full]448123[/ATTACH] </p><p><br /></p><p>Another thread here currently showed a great Vitellius as.&nbsp; Mine was not as nice but it was a Vitelius as.</p><p>[ATTACH=full]448124[/ATTACH] </p><p><br /></p><p>Many of the coins were relatively boring denarii of the adoptives and Severans.&nbsp; There were very few late Romans since they did not start interesting me until the 1990&#039;s.&nbsp; The coins shown here all have in common that I have not owned another since these.&nbsp; I will always wonder where these ended up.&nbsp; I wish I had at least taken proper photos back then.&nbsp; </p><p><br /></p><p>Has anyone else tried foil pressings?&nbsp; Plaster casts are a lot better and photos still strike me as best.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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