The first coin is a Hadrian AE Sestertius Neptune reverse for 20 dollars and the next coin is this Vespasian AR Denarius for the same price. Any thoughts on pricing of these coins? I like the looks of both of them and was wondering if these seemed like fair prices. Thanks for your time.
Everybody's budget and collecting goals are different and if you like them and want them, they are a fair price. Personally, I like the denarius of Vespasian and would buy it for that price if I didn't already have this one in my collection. Like most coins issued during this prosperous era in Roman history, when commerce flourished and coins circulated for decades, it's well-worn. It may have still been in circulation during the reign of Trajan or Hadrian! You'll notice, too, the Pax seated left and holding branch device on its reverse inspired coin-designers centuries later: The denarius you're considering is well-centered and it has nearly full legends and it is fully attributable (RIC² 29). It has lovely cabinet toning, similar to that seen in coins in the British Museum Collection. Here's one of their examples of this coin: Here's my example, if you're curious:
Nice coins. I would pay $50 or $60 for that Hadrian sestertius so I would pull the trigger on that one, it's a really good deal. I recently bought this Aurelius drachm of Alexandria (in fact it is my most recent purchase) for $50, which I thought was a good deal because it is a scarce/rare type.
I mainly collect roman bronze, the Hadrian would be a pass for me. The coin has poor eye appeal to me, however it is priced reasonably. I would not be happy long term with the coin, and I realized a long time ago that it's not worth buying coins I don't want to keep just because they are a good deal.
