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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;Ignoramus Maximus, post: 4556851, member: 104741&quot;].</p><p><br /></p><p>My feeling as well.</p><p><br /></p><p>If I would have to guess I&#039;d say they&#039;re amateurs who are trying to offload an unregistered hoard they&#039;ve uncovered. Just look at how overrepresented Cilician coins are in their auctions (at least in tha ancient section, where I browse), it clearly suggests origin. Also note how clumsy -and often downright wrong- their attributions are. Even I, not an expert at all, can spot them. A lot has been said about their deplorable packaging as well. The spelling is clumsy. It all points to amateurs, not numismatists. Zeus is probably simply their vehicle of choice to bring the hoard to the marketplace.</p><p><br /></p><p>Is it illegal?&nbsp; Insert answer.</p><p>Is it unethical? Probably. But please, be careful before you pass judgement. I shudder when I think of all the coins sold through V coins, MA shops and all the auction houses were we like to buy and whom we consider trustworthy.</p><p>How much do we really know about these coins&#039; ultimate provenance? With a few rare exceptions, the best we ( and the dealers and the auction houses) usually get is an &#039;old collectors&#039; ticket&#039;, or &#039;from the ...(insert name) collection&#039;. But do we really know where, when, how, by whom and under what conditions these coins originally were dug up? Who benefitted? Whether all laws were followed? Through whose hands they passed before they arrived in trusted sellers&#039; hand? And do we know if all scientific, historic, numismatic and ethical standards were met when they were excavated? Do you really believe it? Then why don&#039;t we have provenance for all coins...?</p><p>Regretfully, I believe that far fewer coins in our collections are 100% percent kosher than we would like to believe...</p><p><br /></p><p>FWIW I&#039;m not writing this to cast aspersions on dealers or auction houses and most definitely not to give myself or others a bad feeling about the coins we have in our collections.</p><p>A more positive view would be that if it weren&#039;t for collectors and museums much of the data, historical information and many treasures and mysteries of ancient coins and artefacts would never be uncovered or, if uncovered, would simply be discarded and thrown away. The same applies to fossils and many other wonderful things our planet has produced. I think I&#039;d rather hold on to that thought.</p><p><br /></p><p>Might as well post a coin: the first one I ever bought. ;-). From a trusted seller of course.</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]1128183[/ATTACH]</p><p>Marcus Aurelius, sestertius. 31mm.23,70 gr.</p><p>Obv. Laureate head to right. M AVREL ANTONINUS AVG ARM PART MAX.</p><p>Rev. S-C in field. Victory standing right, holding shield over palm tree. VIC PAR on shield.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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