Twenty coins becomes ten - or so

It was inevitable - Beverly said (or words to this effect): “Why carry all those heavy coins around with you when all you do these days is read about and research those Julio-Claudian coins as you call them. Why not keep just those coins and send the rest to our designated seller because they are going to go there eventually anyway?”

That suits me just fine - I have a lot of reading and research to do - more than I will ever accomplish.

Update on the coins that I will fondle, admire, study and read about for the remainder of my days:

I use a padded shoulder purse with a steel thread reinforced strap (to prevent knife cutting) to carry the coins with me whenever I leave the house. I also use it to store my coins when I am at home. Beverly will use it to dispose of the coins when the time comes. All she has to do is remove the straps and ID/Credit cards, etc. then send the padded purse to our designated seller. It is all pre-arranged.





I started off collecting and researching Julio-Claudian Roman coins some seventy years ago. I think it is only fitting that I end up the same way.

Here is the updated web page:

https://jp29.org/000ten.htm
(all the rest of my coins have now been gifted or consigned for sale)

Edit: link removed because the coin selection is no longer valid - please use link in later post.

 

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I wish I had your self control. I want to get down to 100 or less coins, but I keep buying. For every two coins I've sold, I purchased yet another. I'm still hovering around 700 coins.

 

If you're down to 700 now, how many did you start with?

 

It's somehow a bit sad, but soooooo wise on your part : I admire you Sir, and Beverly with you !

Q

 

I hope to one day make it to the point that either of you are at.

 

Well it is tough alright, Bing. Even a year ago I could not have imagined doing this. This is truly virgin territory. But as Beverly and I discussed the problems involved for her in disposing of my coins when I die (which could be pretty soon) it became obvious that the problem could become monumental for her. So we chose a pragmatic approach (as one CT contributor put it) and decided that I would hold on to a precious few and gradually sell of the rest - as it turned out through auctioning off a first group then selling off the remainder via a knowledgeable and trusted dealer (a US resident in order to avoid dealing with Customs and money transfers, etc.). Things have worked great so far - the auction went well (I was pleased that most coins ended up with collectors I consider to be good custodians) and I have now started consigning all but “the now ten Julio-Claudian coins” to our chosen trusted Dealer (I think it would be inappropriate to name him here).

I am very happy and content living with the at first twenty now ten coins that I have retained - I think the secret to that is having a lot of research material and reference books available that you really enjoy using - that way you can constantly get out the appropriate coins to fondle as you lose yourself in pleasurable reading and reflection - at least that is how it works for me. Along the way I have come to realize how much I had glossed over information at first blush that I now find most enlightening and valuable.

Oh, and participating on Coin Talk is a great antidote (or fix) for combating “coin withdrawal”.

 

@Bing wow! I thought I had a lot of tokens!

 

I salute you sir in your very pragmatic approach to what could be a problem for your estate. Congratulations.

 

Around 775-780

 

I admire your discipline @jamesicus ! I can't get the number of coins on my desk to down to 10!

 

James, I do admire your restraint and the courtesy displayed in thinking of your loved ones and the future with such concern.

But maybe a Baker's Dozen? You might consider it. Ten seems so few!

 

@jamesicus you picked the best 10 to hold on to. Some great coins.
I keep wanted to part with some of my coins too, but I guess I've been lazy and busy with school now lol

 

!

Wow, James... that's some willpower!

 

Ironically, even though I've in the past weeks been starting to think of which coins will make my favorite 10 added to my collection this year, I can't help but admire and be awed by your discipline and pragmatic wisdom, @jamesicus. To have whittled down your entire collection to just 10 essential coins... incredible!!

 

James, you’re a total boss! I’m so glad you’re a part of our CT family.

Please no!

Erin

 

Thank you all for those kind comments and sentiments. Actually I do not consider myself wise, or smart, or noble, in this endeavor. Beverly and I have discussed this at great length and it has become a partnership project. I really became motivated to do this a couple of years ago when I was confronted by own mortality - developing several illnesses and the realization that I was growing really old and soon would depart this wonderful world - it happens to everyone and very quickly at that! And then the ever present question that confronts every collector of “anything” arose: what is going to become of my “stuff” when I am gone - and very importantly - what I am going to burden my survivor(s) with as they grapple with grief and face the monumental task of disposing of a large quantity of items they know little or nothing about - and also have to work with people they also know little or nothing about in order to dispose of them (and not get taken advantage of - a very discomforting thought indeed).

The path I chose was based on an event that happened a few years ago:

I was driving along a local street when I noticed a hand written sign in the window of a shop that had been vacant for some time that read OLD TOOLS FOR SALE - I couldn’t resist that (being a long time Woodworking hand tool collector) so I parked the car and went in. The large shop interior was bare except for several folding card tables on which were piled a variety of well used but clean hand tools such as screwdrivers, files, hammers, saws, pliers, clamps, chisels ………………… and so on. There were lots of them and each table bore hand-written price guides or labels something like: “All items on this table $2 each”; “nice hammer - no rust $3” …………… and so on.

A nice elderly lady (the only sales person there) sat at the counter reading a paperback novel. It was a cold winter morning (for Tucson) so she was wearing warm clothing and a wool shawl (no heating). She bid me a cheery “Good morning” and said to browse as long as I wished. I selected a few tools (about ten dollars worth) - she wanted to knock off a couple of dollars because of the number I bought but I wouldn’t let her do that. I struck up a conversation with her (the Q and A are in my own words as best I remember them):

Q: why was she doing this? A: When her husband died last year he left behind a very well equipped woodworking workshop, for that had been his main hobby for many years. Now her problem was how to dismantle it and dispose of all the tools and equipment he had amassed. Neighbors and friends helped some, but her family was scattered all over the country and led very busy lives so the help was sparse and sporadic. She called several used tool dealers/sellers in Tucson to see if they were interested in buying everything - some never returned her call - a few others stopped by her house and made a wide range of offers - she had no idea whether any of them were fair or reasonable (or even realistic). Finally one of the larger used tool dealers offered to buy all the power operated shop and hand tools - she was so weary of it all by now she accepted his offer not knowing if it was fair or reasonable - although he did have a long standing reputation for fair dealing. She asked him what she should do with all the hand tools. He advised her to rent a vacant shop for a while and set it up (like she did) - any tools that hadn’t sold when the lease expired - just throw away!

Q: How long have you been doing this? A: about a month - the lease expires shortly and I will not be renewing it.

Q: What are your business hours? A: I come in about 9am every day and sit at the counter and read most of the time - I take breaks for lunch and coffee.

Q: How many tools have you sold? A: hardly any. Some days I do not sell any at all.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I do not want Beverly to go through anything like that with any of my “stuff” when I am gone. And I do get to keep some of my favorite coins until the end - that is why I am following the path I have chosen.

 

And here is the latest list (fifteen coins):

https://jp29.org/000admire.htm

I can’t say it will be the final one because I am easily swayed (by all of you).

Let me add that this has been a very traumatic exercise involving several difficult decisions - and it is not over yet.

I thank you all for your advice and support.

 

The thought of dying dying passes my mind a bit, i guess because of working at hospice. I have several coins that came from collections when the former owner has past as well. I'd hope my family would keep the, but i also told them a few places they could see them too.

 

@jamesicus,

Thank you so much for taking the time to explain your situation and decision-making. You've provided invaluable advice and insight into a subject most of us probably avoid thinking about.

No one likes thinking about his or her own mortality but the only certain things in life are death and taxes*. I deeply appreciate the frank and straightforward way you're discussing the reality of our human condition.

It's not often we have a role model for such things. Thank you.

...

* An Italian friend, while visiting me in the States a couple of decades ago, was asking me about various sayings. "Is Texas dangerous? Why do people say the only certainty is death in Texas?" Took me a while to stop laughing before I could carefully enunciate the idiom for him .

 

And thank you TIF. One reason I initiated this discussion is because I do not recall this subject being discussed in depth previously. Getting through disposing of a large collection of things you have cherished is a difficult and at times emotional (even gut-wrenching) experience - not only for living owners, but sometimes even more so for the inheritor’s of collections. Inevitably it involves a tremendous amount of hard, and at times frustrating, work in unfamiliar territory. In my case all this is looming in the not too distant future and I want to be sure Beverly is not traumatized as I have seen happen to so many survivor friends of mine.

I am actually experiencing a “double whammy”. In addition to my Ancient coin collection, I have an even larger collection of antique and vintage Woodworking hand tools that I am currently disposing of using the same process as with my Ancient coin collection (that is why my previous post is so pertinent) - I am fortunate to have a good tool dealer friend who is helping me in the same manner as my designated coin dealer friend. If you would like to get a sense of the enormity of my woodworking hand tool disposal task visit:

https://jp29.org/wwtools.htm

That is precious and also hilarious, TIF - a welcome relief during a somewhat gloomy discussion. thank you for posting that.