Your 2021 Collecting Goals

Discussion in 'Ancient Coins' started by Mat, Dec 31, 2020.

  1. Multatuli

    Multatuli Homo numismaticus

    I live in Brazil, so these are my goals for 2021, which naturally have a direct impact on my collection:
    1) do not get sick by Covid.
    2) get the vaccine as soon as possible. 3) being able to keep myself economically stable to the point of not having to get rid of some coins to keep my household budget safe.
    4) I hope that the mail here works a little (it is always chaos to receive something since the beginning of the pandemic).
    5) if I can get through this, I will be very happy with any odd ancient coin and fourrées “a la Doug Smith” for my collection.
     
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  3. dougsmit

    dougsmit Member

    I don't know what brand you have and all I know is Canon but I suspect there is some overlap. I have a 100mm f/2.8 Canon macro of the last design before they added Image Stabilization to the macro. I really wish I had the IS model BUT that would do nothing for coin photos. I use the lens for other things and intend to buy no more lenses without this feature. If all you shoot is coins, forget it. In addition to the manufacturers' lines, there are very good third party lenses from several companies that should be considered.

    I am not sure I recommend buying a Macro just for coins. For the money, a set of automatic extension tubes will do the job especially if you already have a longer focal length regular lens (e.g. 70-200 or 55-150 zoom). Yes, the macro is a sharper lens but a lot of the improvement is in the corners and round coins tend not to use the corners. Some aberrations can be helped in postprocessing. I would put off the lens until you are certain that it is what is keeping you from making good pictures. Usually it is something else.

    Focusing: The latest cameras perform miracles in focusing if you learn to use them. My camera even has a manual focus aid that makes the in focus area turn red in the finder. You also need to learn focus stacking to increase focus control. This software is free with Canon cameras and available for others. The big thing here is practice. Do it. Auto focus often works fine so I try it and go manual when it fails me.
     
  4. ZoidMeister

    ZoidMeister Hamlet Squire of Tomfoolery . . . . .

  5. JulesUK

    JulesUK Well-Known Member

    Some of my 2021 coin goals are to:-
    • Stick to my budget. So far, so good, but oh so hard.
    • Acquire my first London mint - Proving a hard task as i keep getting outbid every time. They are so popular.
    • Continue with the Gallienus Zoo series as others have also said. Currently own five.
    • Focus on getting a Constantine I bronze from every mint. Not sure how achievable this will be.
    • Find my next Julian II coin.
    • Keep an eye out for more interesting Roman provincials, within budget, naturally.
    • Refine my photo editing technique.
    • Keep up to date with my cataloging and research as I am falling behind.....
     
  6. David Atherton

    David Atherton Flavian Fanatic

    Same as 2020, 2019, 2018, etc ...

    Systematically collect Flavian silver and representatively collect Flavian bronze*.

    *or any bronzes that strike my fancy.
     
    Last edited: Jan 8, 2021
  7. Terence Cheesman

    Terence Cheesman Well-Known Member

    I guess my collecting goals are very simple as always. First I would like to continue to acquire coins which I think are significant in either historic, economic, or artistic reasons. Secondly I would like to continue adding to my collection of Roman Ae sestertii. Thirdly I would like to be able to go on a real nice long drive to a real live coin show.
     
  8. dougsmit

    dougsmit Member

    I'd settle for a short drive to a small show. I'm sure shows will be disappointing if they ever return because I have placed them on a pedestal that probably makes me think they are better than they were. Add to that the fact that more than one of my favorite dealers have retired (or died) and it is like going back 'home' after many years and expecting to find what you loved about the place.
     
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  9. jamesicus

    jamesicus Well-Known Member

    I am doing this and enjoying it immensely.

    I did that.

    I am also doing a lot more research relating to the historical associations of my coins.
     
  10. Carausius

    Carausius Brother, can you spare a sestertius?

    I have a few numismatic goals for 2021:

    1. Complete an article I've been writing for publication.

    2. Buy less, read more.

    3. Sell some coins that no longer fit my collection.

    4. Sell some numismatic books that no longer fit my collection.

    5. Buy another Caesar lifetime portrait. I'm still a little light in that department

    6. Buy at least one early, denarius with symbol. I've deferred too long jumping into the denarii with symbols pool.

    7. Don't buy from a want list. I guess that kills 5 and 6. Want lists often distract from good, non-wantlist opportunities.
     
  11. Spargrodan

    Spargrodan Well-Known Member

    My new goals are to collect roman silver and focus on "appeal". Not necessary the highest graded but the most beautiful versions I can find according to my eyes.

    I also would like to catalogue my collection and do more research and write ups for every coin. Taking better pictures but need to invest in a new objective for that, and if I have time make a web page to showcase my collection.
     
  12. coinup

    coinup Junior Member

    I think I am going to focus on my Buffalo and Liberty nickles. They were pretty much left off the scope last couple of years. Time for some attention.
     
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  13. Valentinian

    Valentinian Well-Known Member

    Offer them here on CoinTalk at the "for-sale" forum:
    https://www.cointalk.com/forums/for-sale/

    If you price them at full retail they probably won't sell. However, if you have more modest expectations it is a good way to sell.

    Swapping rarely works. The chances that someone else no longer wants something you want and you no longer want what they want are slim. That's why they invented money!
     
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  14. john65999

    john65999 Well-Known Member

    i am aiming for more silver dollar and half dollar error coins, investing in as many 2020 and 2021 errors as i can find...and older type errors...jmo
     
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  15. Valentinian

    Valentinian Well-Known Member

    Hey Andrew, I wish you would work on it. "The perfect is the enemy of the good." I know I'd be interested in what you have to say. You finish and publish it and I'll buy it!
     
    Roman Collector likes this.
  16. Valentinian

    Valentinian Well-Known Member

    I think many of us who are old have these thoughts. I think we can infer that it would be good to arrange the collection so that whoever inherits it knows what to do to turn it into money. Make sure they know not to take it to a local pawn or coin shop!

    Right now, with the "step up" provision for gains still in the tax code, if the collection is worth more than you paid, it is beneficial to let the kids inherit the coins and sell them compared to selling them yourself before you die, paying taxes on the gains, and having the kids inherit the money. But, if you have the kids inherit the coins, make sure they know how to get the coins sold without losing more money than necessary. You might enjoy deciding how to do it and writing up detailed notes on the process. By the way, give them notes on where all your coins are. Those coins you hid in the basement might not be found when you die and still be there long in the future to be found like an ancient-coin hoard.
     
  17. Inspector43

    Inspector43 Celebrating 75 Years Active Collecting Supporter

    The ancient hoard thought is very possible. One of the jobs I had in Junior High and HS was in the small mom & pop stores in the neighborhood. The brother of one owner worked there also. They were both well up in age. I will call the brother Art. Art loved Indian Head Pennies. I know he was born back in the 1800's. He saved every IHC that he saw for all his adult life. He kept them in coffee cans in the basement of the store. He is the source of many of the IHC's in my collection. I would help he and his sister around the yard if I saw they needed help. I never asked for any pay. But, once in a while Art would pull out a coffee can of IHC's and let look at them and take a few. Incidentally, IHC's were still quite common in change at that time.

    I left for the military. Art and his brother subsequently died. The store was closed. Eventually it was tore down and a new building put up. I was gone through all this and have no idea if anyone knew about the IHC's. I knew where the cans were hidden but would never touch them even though I was in the basement of the store almost everyday.
     
  18. happy_collector

    happy_collector Well-Known Member

    Did you participate in last week's Heritage auction (07/15) on errors? A large number of coins offered, so the auction ran till 2am. I only stayed till midnight though (too tired). There were a lot of cool half dollar errors.
     
  19. GregH

    GregH Well-Known Member

    I aim to finish my Roman ruler portrait series to the best of my ability... There's still a few more within reach - Matidia, Plotina, Marciana, Julian of Pannonia, Anthemius. I definitely need Antinous. I'll be happy if i make it to 165 rulers, which seems to be the furthest anyone i know has gone.

    I'm picking up cheap Byzantine folles of new rulers to flesh out a Byzantine portrait gallery - although a lot of them have faces only a mother could love.

    I'm also in the market for new Sassanian rulers - I want to have a tray of them with all their different crowns.

    And I want to finish my British rulers set (from Tudor onwards) in whatever denominations I can find. I may look for coins from Offa onwards also.

    So those are the goals - i try to stay laser-focused on what is essentially a "one per ruler" collection across a few different empires.
     
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  20. spirityoda

    spirityoda Coin Junky

    I aim to finish my toned 25 cents and 50 cents Canadian collections. Upgrade some when they come on the market. Next I will save up for some Islamic Fatimid gold coins in decent grade. I find these coin designs fascinating. After that is achieved I will want to do my birth year 1961, then 1861, 1761, 1661, 1561.... not sure how far I can go back visible dates wise on coins... ??? Anyone know ?
     
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