Whats this worth? Pamphylia, Side AR Tetradrachm Ch VF NGC

I didnt realize NGC's guarantee was sooo limited.I never really bought ancients.So its news to me.Well I guess with NGC at least you have a 80% better chance of buying a real one,not a fakie.Well it guess its up in the air now.????

 

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I am concerned that people seeing this thread and especially the quoted post will not realize that the linked sales were for fake coins. The second one even describes the coin as fake commenting on what a good fake it is. The first one has a giant red flag beginners need to learn before bidding on anything. When a seller says that he knows nothing about coins, is selling the coins for a little old lady as a favor or something may be a real coin, take it as a sign to run (not walk) in the other direction. It usually mean that the seller knows the coins are fake or at least suspects it because someone he doesn't trust told him they were bad but he figured he can salvage something from the mistake he made buying them.

Collecting struck coins is a fun hobby but one that comes with less than 100% guarantees. Dealers that make guarantees are just saying that they will take the hit if it later turns out that they were wrong about the coin. The biggest and most respected houses make an occasional mistake and have to pay out good money to correct it. A trick used by some sellers is to offer 10 coins that are known/probably/possibly fake with guarantees that the money will be returned if the coins are proven fake. Of the ten, five may come back which means the other five were sold to someone who may never try to sell the coin or never believe the people who, years later, tell him the coin is bad. I never plan to sell my collection. Any fakes it contains will be subtracted from what my heirs get for the coins assuming they sell them. Several of the dealers I have patronized since I started in the 1960's have passed away so any fakes I bought are mine all mine. If you want a sure fire investment product that requires no risk and no study to guide your purchases, ancient coins are a bad place to look. That is why David Vagi and other honest slabbers are in the business. They are offering, for a fee, a little comfort to those who want to buy coins beyond their own abilities. Few of their coins are sold to experienced collectors but the target market is people who want a little hand holding as they enter new waters and are willing to pay for it. I do not know what percentage of NGC's coins are actually expertised by Mr. Vagi or how qualified the rest of his staff are. It is not a concern for me since I would not own a slabbed coin for longer than it took to pry the thing open. Fortunately I have never seen a slabbed ancient that I wanted badly enough to pay for a service I don't value above the value of the 'Raw' coin. I hope that will continue to be the case for a long time to come.

Do realize that not all slabbed ancients are NGC and possibly worth even less than the plastic boxes they come in.

 

With the greatest respect, Doug, you are unique in your ability and experience.:bow:

For many years, you have collected, studied, and educated others about Ancient coins, certainly for as long as many collectors have been alive.

Unfortunately, some people in the coin world view coins as business in which to deceive and exploit others. Others, out of true ignorance, will innocently sell modern forgeries as authentic.

Fortunately, many (if not the vast majority) of collectors in the Ancient coin world have a passion for the coins and the history they represent.

Unfortunately, only a small fraction of collectors such as yourself have the experience to offer reliable and consistantly accurate opinions about a coin's authenticity.

As we have discussed on other threads, even the recognized experts can disagree. You have the unique experience and expertise to offer a respected opinion. Most collectors do not.

I view slabbed coins (including modern coins) a necessary evil for those of us who are non-experts or lack the experience and education to properly evaluate expensive coins. Otherwise, it could be a very costly education.

guy

 

Hm.. Where would one buy a vagi certified coin, I really would like to expand my span of collection, but was so worried about buying a fake... Collecting ancients seems somewhat more up in the air to me...I really need to pick up a book

 

Where Guy and I disagree is the desirability for people unwilling to study coins to be buying expensive coins. Just as the first car for a teen driver should not be a Ferrari, the first coins for a collector should not be ef+ Greek silver. I admire many coins that I do not feel my level of expertise prepares me to own. What is learned by buying a few slabbed coins is not the same as what is learned by buying many ordinary ones. The most costly education is one that teaches no lessons. One does not pay tuition at Harvard and not go to classes. The same coins available slabbed are also sold by completely honest dealers who will hold your hand and teach you what you need to know to advance slowly in the hobby. The difference is the container. I dare say Mr. Vagi's fingers have touched tens of thousands of ancient coins. Unlike modern proofs, ancient coins are best touched and learned from. What you learn from a $10 coin prepares you to buy a $20 one. It is a very expensive education even if you never buy a fake.

Beyond slabbing we might offer the service of selling coins of value but not delivering them rather like we do when we buy stock certificates. Buying a share of Ford does not put me in the automobile business.

 

Well I'm certainly not looking for any shortcuts, and my first coins was VG seated half dime for $13.00 (besides the pennies my dad gave me)

 

Nvm, I'm an idiot.

 

Honestly, you don't "need" a coin certified by NGC (vagi). There are plenty of other places you can be positive that it is authentic. vcoins is one, forvm is another, and I highly recommend bargainbinancients.com.

NGC ancients are overpriced anyways, it is a way to get collectors who wouldn't normally buy ancients to buy them.

stainless