Log in or Sign up
Coin Talk
Home
Forums
>
Coin Forums
>
Ancient Coins
>
What are your very favorite Ancient Coin auction houses?
>
Reply to Thread
Message:
<p>[QUOTE="Roman Collector, post: 3567119, member: 75937"]As a collector of Roman imperial and provincial coins in the $25-$200 dollar range (most < $100), these are my favorite auctions:</p><p><br /></p><p>Savoca and Savoca London's Blue Auctions. The coins are Not identified beyond "Trajan denarius, X g, Y mm" or "Gordian III, Thrace, Hadrianopolis, X g, Y mm," but I know what I'm looking at and don't need further information. The coins typically range from F - gVF, and sometimes have other issues, such as poor centering or surface irregularities. Because the coins aren't attributed by reference number and are the type of coins ignored by many well-heeled collectors, it's a cherry-picker's paradise. I've picked up numerous scarce varieties for my various specialty collections that went unrecognized as such. Moreover, I like that they deliver by FedEx, which allows me to have them held at a nearby business for me and nobody has to be at home to sign for them.</p><p><br /></p><p>Numismatik Naumann: Higher standard when it comes to condition and grade than Savoca Blue but still affordable. Good variety of Roman provincial coins. Sometimes the competition is fierce on certain items and they end up hammering for several-fold the estimate. Don't expect to cherry-pick from them; they know what they have and they sell each coin carefully attributed.</p><p><br /></p><p>Frank Robinson: Like Savoca, the items are not fully attributed to reference number but if there's something unusual about the coin, Frank will point it out, often with a snarky comment, such as "scarce variety without the altar at the goddess's feet, if you happen to care about such things." Frank's catalogs are entertaining, always have something for everyone, and his customer service is top-notch. Photos are horrible and the coins reliably look better in hand. Minimum bid prices have been escalating in recent years (he used to not have any minimums) and there are fewer true bargains available than there used to be. He doesn't charge a buyer's commission, either.</p><p><br /></p><p>I regularly participate in [USER=42773]@John Anthony[/USER] 's private auction, [USER=44132]@Bing[/USER] 's private auction, and [USER=76086]@Ken Dorney[/USER] 's auctions. They always have something interesting and the coins are well-researched and the prices are very reasonable.</p><p><br /></p><p>TimeLine Auctions have been a source of interesting coins for my subspecialty collections. They are primarily an art and antiquities firm, NOT a coin dealer. As such, their coins are listed last in their catalogs and their customer base often ignores them. Moreover, the coins may be low-grade or have problems. This sometimes results in a truly rare coin being ignored altogether and selling (to me) for the starting bid. They have a big buyer's commission and shipping charge, so beware and take this into account.</p><p><br /></p><p>Bertolami is similar to Timeline in its focus and customer base, allowing some rare coins to go unrecognized and to sell for starting bid or scarcely higher.</p><p><br /></p><p>CNG and Berk are each top-notch and all of their coins are well-researched and properly attributed. You have no chance of cherry-picking an unrecognized variety. They have a large customer base and competition can be fierce for certain items. Many of the coins are beyond my budget, but occasionally I'll pick up something in my price range.</p><p><br /></p><p>I participate in other auctions, too, such as Pegasi, Great Collections, Heritage, Roma, Agora, Auctiones GmbH, Leu, Artemide, BAG, and so on, but they are not my go-to auctions for various reasons ranging from unrealistic starting bids to unappealing coins to poor customer service.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>
[QUOTE="Roman Collector, post: 3567119, member: 75937"]As a collector of Roman imperial and provincial coins in the $25-$200 dollar range (most < $100), these are my favorite auctions: Savoca and Savoca London's Blue Auctions. The coins are Not identified beyond "Trajan denarius, X g, Y mm" or "Gordian III, Thrace, Hadrianopolis, X g, Y mm," but I know what I'm looking at and don't need further information. The coins typically range from F - gVF, and sometimes have other issues, such as poor centering or surface irregularities. Because the coins aren't attributed by reference number and are the type of coins ignored by many well-heeled collectors, it's a cherry-picker's paradise. I've picked up numerous scarce varieties for my various specialty collections that went unrecognized as such. Moreover, I like that they deliver by FedEx, which allows me to have them held at a nearby business for me and nobody has to be at home to sign for them. Numismatik Naumann: Higher standard when it comes to condition and grade than Savoca Blue but still affordable. Good variety of Roman provincial coins. Sometimes the competition is fierce on certain items and they end up hammering for several-fold the estimate. Don't expect to cherry-pick from them; they know what they have and they sell each coin carefully attributed. Frank Robinson: Like Savoca, the items are not fully attributed to reference number but if there's something unusual about the coin, Frank will point it out, often with a snarky comment, such as "scarce variety without the altar at the goddess's feet, if you happen to care about such things." Frank's catalogs are entertaining, always have something for everyone, and his customer service is top-notch. Photos are horrible and the coins reliably look better in hand. Minimum bid prices have been escalating in recent years (he used to not have any minimums) and there are fewer true bargains available than there used to be. He doesn't charge a buyer's commission, either. I regularly participate in [USER=42773]@John Anthony[/USER] 's private auction, [USER=44132]@Bing[/USER] 's private auction, and [USER=76086]@Ken Dorney[/USER] 's auctions. They always have something interesting and the coins are well-researched and the prices are very reasonable. TimeLine Auctions have been a source of interesting coins for my subspecialty collections. They are primarily an art and antiquities firm, NOT a coin dealer. As such, their coins are listed last in their catalogs and their customer base often ignores them. Moreover, the coins may be low-grade or have problems. This sometimes results in a truly rare coin being ignored altogether and selling (to me) for the starting bid. They have a big buyer's commission and shipping charge, so beware and take this into account. Bertolami is similar to Timeline in its focus and customer base, allowing some rare coins to go unrecognized and to sell for starting bid or scarcely higher. CNG and Berk are each top-notch and all of their coins are well-researched and properly attributed. You have no chance of cherry-picking an unrecognized variety. They have a large customer base and competition can be fierce for certain items. Many of the coins are beyond my budget, but occasionally I'll pick up something in my price range. I participate in other auctions, too, such as Pegasi, Great Collections, Heritage, Roma, Agora, Auctiones GmbH, Leu, Artemide, BAG, and so on, but they are not my go-to auctions for various reasons ranging from unrealistic starting bids to unappealing coins to poor customer service.[/QUOTE]
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
Coin Talk
Home
Forums
>
Coin Forums
>
Ancient Coins
>
What are your very favorite Ancient Coin auction houses?
>
Home
Home
Quick Links
Search Forums
Recent Activity
Recent Posts
Forums
Forums
Quick Links
Search Forums
Recent Posts
Competitions
Competitions
Quick Links
Competition Index
Rules, Terms & Conditions
Gallery
Gallery
Quick Links
Search Media
New Media
Showcase
Showcase
Quick Links
Search Items
Most Active Members
New Items
Directory
Directory
Quick Links
Directory Home
New Listings
Members
Members
Quick Links
Notable Members
Current Visitors
Recent Activity
New Profile Posts
Sponsors
Menu
Search
Search titles only
Posted by Member:
Separate names with a comma.
Newer Than:
Search this thread only
Search this forum only
Display results as threads
Useful Searches
Recent Posts
More...