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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;IdesOfMarch01, post: 3632207, member: 39084&quot;]Inasmuch as my first area of collecting ancient coins was the 12 Caesars, I thought I&#039;d share some of my thoughts and experiences.</p><p><br /></p><p>I decided to focus on the 12 Caesars for historical and aesthetic reasons; I found Roman history of the first centuries BC and AD to be among the most interesting and compelling in Western Civilization.&nbsp; I also found the artistry of the portraits to be intriguing.</p><p><br /></p><p>To gain knowledge, I read books and browsed the Internet -- mainly ancient coin auctions -- to become more familiar with the types of coins in which I was interested.&nbsp; Simultaneously, I engaged the services of an experienced and knowledgeable dealer of ancient coins.&nbsp; The combination of my dealer&#039;s expertise and the unconditional guarantee offered by auction houses and other dealers from whom I purchased alleviated all concerns about authenticity or forgeries.</p><p><br /></p><p>My collection of 12 Caesars denarii and aurei was assembled fairly quickly -- in about 3 - 4 years -- mainly from auctions but partially from my dealer&#039;s inventory or his purchasing coins from other collectors.&nbsp; (I&#039;ve posted most of these coins on this site ad nauseum but if you want to see them in one post click this link: <a href="https://www.cointalk.com/threads/what-is-a-12-caesars-set.235118/page-2#post-1772845" class="internalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://www.cointalk.com/threads/what-is-a-12-caesars-set.235118/page-2#post-1772845">https://www.cointalk.com/threads/what-is-a-12-caesars-set.235118/page-2#post-1772845</a>) </p><p><br /></p><p>I&#039;ve <i>never</i> purchased a coin that wasn&#039;t examined, in hand, by either my dealer or one of his associates, or by me.&nbsp; The only slabbed coin that I&#039;ve ever purchased was spotted by my dealer at an auction he was attending, and he called me on the spot and I OKed the purchase.&nbsp; The coin was removed from the slab immediately prior to sending it to me.</p><p><br /></p><p>Early on I realized that &quot;grade&quot; and &quot;condition&quot; were mainly curiosities and had fundamentally no influence on my thinking when purchasing a coin.&nbsp; All ancient coins, even those that share obverse and reverse dies, are essentially unique and you should buy coins that appeal to your eye.&nbsp; </p><p><br /></p><p>I have some specific suggestions about your collecting ancient coins in your specified budget range:</p><p><br /></p><p>1. Find at least one expert or dealer who will examine prospective coin purchases <i>in hand</i>, or have one of his associates do this.&nbsp; He/she will be well worth the commission you pay.</p><p><br /></p><p>2. Purchase only from sellers who provide unconditional return guarantees of authenticity.&nbsp; I have, in fact, had occasion to use such a guarantee, which was initiated not by me but by the auction house that had sold me the coin.</p><p><br /></p><p>3. Subscribe to ACSEARCH so that you can see the hammer price for coins that are sold at auction that you research on this site.&nbsp; It will be invaluable in helping set your budget for coins you wish to pursue.</p><p><br /></p><p>4. If there are questions that aren&#039;t appropriate for a public audience on this site (e.g., a coin from a dealer or in a current auction that you&#039;re considering), privately contact whatever member(s) on this site who you think may be able to help you.&nbsp; </p><p><br /></p><p>Have fun![/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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