Whatever happened to Dimitre Genov/Ancient Auction House?

Remember the world of ancients on eBay about 15 years ago? There was a dealer who sold many (overcleaned) Roman denarii each week by the name of Dimitre Genov and his company was called Ancient Auction House. Whatever happened to this company?

 

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I'm not sure on AAH, but many high volume sellers from that time have dried up or simply 'disappeared'. I know Silenos was shut down by the FBI for illegally exporting. http://www.illicitantiquities.com/project/crime/

 

Sometimes when I buy coins off eBay, the seller sends the original purchase paperwork, which is nice.

Yesterday I got a batch of three in the mail with paperwork from "Ancient Auction House" (cardboard flips dated 2006). When I was searching for information, I found this thread posted by RC a while back. So I thought I'd bring it back up.

"Oh no, Bulgaria!" I told myself after a little research. But it seems this Genov was a reliable seller, according to other references to him I found online.

But still, my first "Black Sea Hoard" coin, and that makes me a bit suspicious. Back in 1987 when I first collected ancients, the Black Sea Hoard of fakes was all over World Coin News (along with ads selling them, I seem to recall). Ever since then I avoided these, because I could never tell the fakes from the real.

Now I have one. One of the things going for it, paradoxically, is how terribly off-center the obverse is - I'd think the forgers would call a "do over" on one this bad.

The Gordian III and the Philip II Apollo/horseman look good to me - I have several of each type, and nothing screamed "fake" to me. But I do not know about the Mesembria diobol. Feel free to give me the bad news...






Mesembria, Thrace Diobol
(c. 450-350 B.C.)
Crested Corinthian helmet facing / M-E-T-A in four quarters of a wheel, surrounded by border of radiating lines
SNG BM 268 ff.; SNG Cop 653; Sear GCV I 1673.
(1.27 grams / 11 x 9 mm)

 

I think his coins were genuine, but that his firm represented a clearing house for dispersing coins found by metal detectorists in the area -- perhaps in the former Yugoslavia after the civil war there.

 

From the stray bits I found online - collecting forums, etc. - this seems to be the consensus. I found he was consulted in a Celator article on Thracian imitations, so he appeared to be knowledgeable, trusted, etc.

Your post here was the first thing I came up with connecting AAH and Genov - so thank you!

 

I've bought many coins from AAH.

The collapse of the Soviet bloc in 1989 opened the floodgates for ancient coins from Eastern Europe, and for the next decade many dealers--especially those with connections in Eastern Europe--imported and sold coins by the millions. Exporters often bought them uncleaned, in bulk, for ridiculously cheap prices from farmers who'd discovered them in their fields and had no idea what they were selling for in the West; at one time I recall hearing that the going rate was around $.50 per coin flat rate--LRBs, anontiniani, sestertii, it didn't matter. This, combined with the growth of eBay, was the Golden Age of ancient coin collection, (as many old-timers will tell you with a wistful, faraway look in their eyes). (But keep in mind, too, that many of these old-timers still think bubblegum music was pretty neat.)

But eventually many of the Eastern bloc sources realized the value of what they were exporting, large stashes that had been built up over many years were disbursed, the supply dwindled and prices stabilized. High volume, discount dealers found it impossible to maintain their business models. This may be what happened to AAH. Or it's possible that he died or made enough money and just walked away.

Considering the huge volume of coins he sold, it wouldn't surprise me if a couple of fakes slipped through now and then, but I don't think he ever knowingly sold a fake coin; he didn't have to. He sold low-to-mid grade ancient coins at good prices and provided good, reliable service. Beginning collectors especially should mourn the passing of AAH.

("Every time I try to prove I love you, 1,2,3 red light.")

 

Those were the days! My "core" Roman denarius collection came from AAH back in the day.

It is!!

 

I'm sorry I missed those days - I started collecting in 1987, but went dormant around the turn of the century - I was on eBay then, but the ancients auctions confused me and worried me (fakes). The Black Sea Hoard debacle had put me on high alert about eastern Europe and fake coins. Sounds like I missed out on some bargains, and I love bargains.

The Archies, 1910 Fruitgum Co. - bubblegum is pretty neat!

 

I love the off center coin. I only have one spectacular Arcadius. I’ve always loved how the mint workers couldn’t have cared less with some of these. Probably getting minimum wage with the associated attitude of “I don’t get paid enough to care”

 

Actually, they were slaves.