The Passion of Collectors on CoinTalk is Inspiring!

A year ago, when I had a few Judaean prutot, I never would have imagined that an ancient coin collectors comment page would be anything but lethargic! I wasn’t expecting much. Wow! Was I wrong! You guys are full of passion and fire for your hobby! This is entertainment! I was on the CoinTalk site late the other night and I totally lost track of time. I happened to glance up at the window and was amazed to see the grayish light of early morning coming through the blinds. CoinTalk is more fascinating than the History Channel and more exciting than the Presidential Debates.

I believe that ALL of us are on the same side when it comes to the desire to protect our wonderful hobby! Non-slabbers and slabbers alike need to stand united and support the efforts of Wayne Sayles and others who are in the forefront of trying to ensure that ancient coin collecting is not outlawed.

Not a sermon. Just a thought!

Sorry, I almost forgot to post a coin. Here's one of my favorites.

Aretas IV (9 BCE - 40 CE)

 

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There is some passionate collectors here. And even though I post on 2 other boards, this one is still my favorite.

The biggest issue I have with slabbing is the high cost to slab a coin each & not being able to open/close it easily so you can handle it when you feel like. I think it should be a free option. I also dislike seeing junk ancients that cost less then $10 being slabbed period. Same could be said with "low ball" U.S. coins.

Some folks just have too much money to spend.

Not a top favorite but only posted once since I have owned it & still enjoy. They're common, but nice & affordable bronzes!


Kushans, Vima Taktu ("Soter Megas”) (80 - 100 A.D.)
Æ Tetradrachm
O: No legend. Diademed, radiate bust right, holding scepter; behind, tamgha; 12 rays above head.
R: BACIΛEV BACIΛEVWNCWTHP MEΓAC ("King of Kings, the Great Savior"). Horseman right, holding whip; before, tamgha.
20mm
9.09g
MACW 2935 ("Taxila series").

 

100%

=> I love this place (and I don't love much!!)





=> keep-up the awesome work, coiners!!

 

Beautiful Nabs!!!

 

I couldn't agree more @Deacon Ray !!

I constantly learn, have some fun and always look forward to see what will be posted next.

 

Mat's coin is particularly interesting as an example of how ego can be a problem for history. The king was so important that he did not put his personal name on the coin but only "Great Savior, King of Kings". As a result, for centuries no one knew the name of the king that ruled for those years. The coins are common and I owned one for years before an inscription was found in 1993 providing the name Vima Takto. Who knew?

The coins come from several mints, in two denominations and a range of year dates indicated by the rays on the crown. I suspect someone specializes in these and can explain them more fully than I. Full legend examples are scarce.

 

Yay, I got one


Vima Takto Soter Megas
Coin: Copper Tetradrachm
- 5 Radiate, diademed, and draped bust right, holding sceptre, symbol behind
BASILEVC BASILEWN CWTHR MEGAC - King riding right on horseback, holding sceptre; three-pronged symbol before.
Mint: (Circa 2nd century AD)
Wt./Size/Axis: 8.81g / 22mm / -
References:

• Donum Burns 58
• BMC P. 114, 2.
• Whitehead 100 ff
• MACW 2950

 

You're right on about the cost of slabbing, Mat! When I did it to all of my coins, I really didn't know any better. I had one ancient coin collector friend at the time and he was and still is an NGC registered dealer. When beginner's like me come into this hobby, most of us honestly believe that the grading and slabbing system is the correct route. In hindsight, I wish that I had sent some of that slab money to the ACCG.

 

Very nice coin!!!

 

Sorry, I just had to jump in here a add my two cents. You ancient coin guys amaze and inspire me. My head spins every time I see one of your coins. I struggle enough with U.S. coinage. You guys have all got to be cryptologists or you could be.

 

NGC lists 1500+ registered dealers of which 56 claim to deal in ancients. Of these about a quarter checked the box that they will help people submit their coins to NGC. I do not know exactly what help that is in each case but I have talked to collectors who showed obvious fakes to a dealer and were saved the trouble of mailing it in. A negative service occurs if a dealer of the 1500 convinces a customer that his status as a registered dealer means he is in some way speaking for NGC when offering his opinion on a coin.

My main objection to slabs remains their not being openable and reclosable and the implication that the money spent getting their opinion should be recoverable when the original owner resells the coin. Slabs are the only form of coin storage that are part of the investment. Flips are part of the cost of doing business. Slabs have brought some new collectors to the hobby but it has brought more new owners and dealers who have no intention of learning about ancient coins other than that some coins in slabs sell for more than coins not in slabs by more than the cost of slabbing. These are not part of the hobby as practiced for the preceding several centuries. Neither were the guys that came up with the Athena Fund where investors bought shares in coins they would never see. Owning stock in Apple does not make me a computer scientist. I prefer a hobby populated by people who could replace the labels on their coins if they got separated. Buying and selling is different from collecting. In US coins, we have learned that it is worth resubmitting MS 64 coins in the hope getting an MS65 this time around. In ancients we have learned that new people who do not want to learn about their coins don't stick around Coin Talk very long so the rest of us can get along and talk about something other than our choice of storage units.

 

I just got home from work....I agree 100 percent with above sentiments. I am rather "new" to the cointalk forum, but it was one of the best decisions I ever made to become a member. In past eight months, I made lots of new friends/ seen endless wonderfull posts/ and learned about ancient coinage/ historical facts etc. Best of all....you guys/gals got me to see the light and start into AR coinage.

 

Preach it, brother!

Ancient CoinTalk ftw!

Erin

 

yeah, cointalk is the only place i hang out any more...it's pretty much the only socializing i do!


here's my version of the op coin....was a freebie from a vcoins dealer...




Nabatean Kingdom, Aretas IV, 9 BC - 40 AD

O: jugate busts of Aretas IV and Shuqailat(off flan), R: cross cornucopias. "Aretas (off flan)/Shuqai/lat. Petra mint. 16x18 mm, 3.3 g


here are my sorter megi...the little one is pretty nice!

 

I kinda just stumbled into an ancient coin by happenstance, but have found that I much enjoy learning the history and for the last few months have been soaking up knowledge. I've been a US type guy for a number of years now and feel I've got a good grasp on grading and an understanding of cleaning, and value, and all the things that go along with buying a raw US coin, but still, 90 percent of my coins are in slabs. To me it seems US coins worth considerable value have to be slabbed in the current marketplace to make them acceptable. I've purposely stayed away from slabbed ancients because I DO want to learn, I DO want to fondle my coins, I want to hold history so to speak. Quite honestly, if I were buying slabbed ancients I'd surely have a dozen or more by now because it is easy just to pull the trigger on something I like even though I know squat about it - I don't want to do ancients that way.

I only have a couple posts under my belt here since I feel I have very little to contribute, but I want you all to know I read this forum everyday and always go away feeling a bit more educated in these coins that have a growing interest for me.

-d

 

@dadams you are doing it right. Lurking around here is one of the best ways to learn. Feel free to jump into the threads and ask questions. You are unlikely to ask anything we have not asked ourselves.

I would suggest that you stay away from slabbed ancients. They cost more, you can't hold the coin unless you break it free, and for the difference in slabbing, you might was well have bought it unslabbed in the first place. Slabbing does not guarantee authenticity either. Much more sensible to buy something from somewhere like Vcoins with a guarantee.

Of course everything depends on your budget. Can you reach a local coin shop that sells ancients? If so, go and handle them. If you can get to a coin show or two, go speak to the dealers, see what they have on offer.

The first thing you need to do though, is take the rule book you use for modern stuff and throw it out of the window. It is of no use here.

 

Thanks, Pishpash!

I'm exploring some alternate display methods for coins. I'm really big into presentation. The round clear coin capsules look nice when they are inset mounted (not permanently) in a wooden display box. I have a few collections purchased from the Educational Coin Company done in this way that are very nice.

Here are some of my Indo-Scythian drachma.
My apologies, the image is slightly out of focus.

 

The only thing I would say about capsules is, just be careful about the state of the coins that they house. I have a couple of coins that are very fragile, when they arrived in the mail, there were slivers that had broken off and were in the flips. For some of my "nicer" coins, I use quadrum capsules that come with inserts, I cut a shape to hold the coin so they don't rattle around.
http://www.leuchtturm.com/epages/le...s/leuchtturm_eu/Categories/DE/DE_2281/DE_2396

 

D-Ray, those are sweet Indo-Scythian examples ...

=> eh-heh-heh, do you wanna see a couple of mine?



Indo-Scythian Kings, Azes. AE-Unit. Brahma Bull / Lion
c. 58 - 20 BC
Diameter: 27 mm
Weight: 13.35 grams
Orientation: 10 h
Obverse: Rajadirajasa Legend. Lion standing rt., monogram above
Reverse: Brahma bull rt., monogram above, shi before
Reference: Senior 102.120




Indo-Scythians, Azes. AR Tetradrachm
Circa 58-12 BC
Diameter: 27 mm
Weight: 9.32 grams
Obverse: King on horseback right, holding spear
Reverse: Zeus standing slightly left, holding thunderbolt and scepter; monogram to lower left, Bha to right
Reference: Senior 80.10T

 

@Pishpash - Yes, I think I have already thrown out the modern coin rule book! While there are a couple shops around I have not noticed them with many ancients. So I'm starting timidly before spending too much and have been browsing for ancients that catch my eye design wise, history wise and pricewise! I like the well centered coins that show full legends and decent surfaces, but don't totally have a grasp on strike & style, value, &ct.

I know I've got much to learn, but here for example is a Maximianus silvered AE Antoninianus I just picked and found attractive ($7.50+3.00 ship):