KenDorney

I try to go to work like a good little monkey and my office cat does this, scattering tags, coins and keyboard. I tossed in a few random coins to keep the post legit!

Yep. Song Dynasty coins were extensively exported, imitated and used all over the region. The range of coinage here isnt surprising at all, though always uber cool.

I do it all the time as I buy a huge number of coins. When I get duplicates I simple keep the better and sell the lesser. Be careful though, its easy to slip into being a dealer!

This was posted on Reddit (by someone else) and I wanted to get opinions here. These coins both look genuine as can be and are struck from different die pairs. What are the chances of getting two unique coins that should have unique characteristics but both have the exact flan shape? The chances seem to be astronomical, but it is possible. Any thoughts?

I'd have to dig the coins out again, and I have not entered them into my database, so I am not sure its Balkan or not.

The OP photo is a really good example of a cast coin with artificially toned surfaces. Fakes like these often have very similar toning, an odd darker grey that just looks 'off'. Details are soft and appears a casting seam on the side (but might not be). Hope you can send it back.

Large bronzes are the best! As I collect them I have too many to show off, but here is a pic of some new things I havent worked up just yet. The Drusus sestertius has developed some bronze disease, so that will have to be conserved. The Claudius at the top was from a Triton auction. Very rare but to me rather boring.

A few years ago it would sell for about $350, but as we all know prices are all over the board for Lysimachos, so I would not be surprised to see it sell for $750. Although having said that prices seem to be coming down on these.

As a collector and dealer for nearly 4 decades, I can say that I wish I had taken advantage of any and all hoards that have come up. Typically hoard coins are absorbed by the market quickly and often dont come back to the market for a long while. So, if you are on the fence about an Athenian tetradrachm, or Armenian (just to mention two hoards), buy them now. Likely wont come back for a while and I guarantee at much higher prices.

My first coin, purchased in 1985 for $29. It was way overpriced at the time but I did not know it, and it did not stop me nor do I care all these days later! I still have this coin. 38 years later (I guess I am getting old) I simply collect whatever I have an interest in. I have dabbled over the decades with various themes but none ever made me happy. Now I simply collect anything that interests me (and that is primarily bronzes). Yea, I still cant remember how to paste text without it being a pic. What a weird thing. Just a flaw with the software.

Getting stamps on a parcel is always fun and reminds me of my youth! One might notice as I have than in the US in most cases they dont even bother to cancel them anymore.

Yes, you read it right. Many people have maintained their 'black cabinets', but I've never held on to them. Some I've passed on to other dealers or collectors as learning materials, usually for free, and others I have actually thrown in the trash. But recently I've decided that it would be a great learning tool to have a large pile of them I can take to coin shows so that people can look at them in person to learn how to spot them. None would be for sale. So, if anyone has any they dont want or need I would be interested. But to be up front and fair I would not pay much, just a token amount plus shipping (unless they are silver or gold, then I would pay metal content).

I've used a P.O. Box for the last 35 years for security. Some years ago they introduced something called(?) Signature Service (or something similar). They have my signature on file and instead of me standing in line for 45 minutes they just deliver it to my box. It worked flawlessly for a long time until that package disappeared. I now think that what happed is that they put it into the wrong box and whoever got it decided to steal it instead of returning it. Thats my best guess, and just yesterday I got an Amazon shipment in my box for someone else, so I guess it happens frequently. I'm still miffed with Leu though as they said their insurance would cover it. I even had to sign a document stating it wasnt received and fax it back to them. Still nothing. Live and learn!

You may have to search the old fashioned way and just scroll endlessly! Search engines can be of various results, but often they are quite specific. Its one reason why when I list coins on my site I will use old spellings or commonly mis-spelled names or words just to catch those searching. Example; in the header I will use 'Seleukid' but in the main description (VCoins seach engine searches both) I will use 'Seleucid'. Similarly 'Sasanian' and 'Sassanian'.

Unless you ask them we can only speculate. It happens from time to time with most auction houses, and if you are lucky you can get some nice stuff cheap (though I am certain this post will drive the price way up to retail and maybe above). I once was able to snag a nice lot in a CNG auction, the very last lot in the auction which contained a strong and Good VF Julius Caesar bronze. I think I paid just under $100 for all the coins (dont remember how many) and at the time those JC's were selling about $300-500. So why was it in there? No idea, but it could have been added as an afterthought by a consignor who wanted it gone. Most deals like this no longer exist though. Too many eyes out there!

I am just small chump change for Leu. Over the years I've spent a little over 35,000 CHF (which is a lot to me but I understand means nothing to some). One package was lost and they refused to refund, the other was damaged due to incredibly poor packaging (which they blamed on customs). I dont look at their auctions anymore, and likely wont.

Leu has become an auction house to avoid. Too many problems.

I wouldnt be surprised if this were true, but how do they know these coins were from Gaza? There isnt any information in the article, just the claim. If archaeologists and governments are going to start laying claim to expensive and unprovenanced coins they will need some actual evidence. This is easier with antiquities such as sculpture, mosaics and such as often they can be matched up to the site and actual point of removal. This is not so easy with coins.

Pretty sure you know what I mean (at least I hope you do). Nothing. It's just to hopefully illustrate the concept of degrees of guilt.

Buyers are never criminalized. Only sellers. This is why you and every buyer ever is also a criminal under this concept. Welcome to the club!

Ah. Then, I certainly need to rob my local bank of millions. After all, it’s not trillions, right? Maybe I can murder an Asian, because he’s not as ‘valuable’ as a ‘black’?

There shouldn’t be any ‘degree’ of guilt. Either they should criminalize all coin collecting or not at all. The monetary value should not come into play, but that is the hipocrisy. But it’s kind of crazy. What you say about ‘stealing’. In 99% of the time they could care less, unless it has high monetary or TV value.

I completely disagree. The average collector is likely 'guilty' (under certain guidelines) of plenty or even more than Beale. The only thing we are talking about here is a couple coins, and if they were common and relatively 'valueless' coins nobody would give a crud and we would not be having this discussion. The only reason we are talking about this is because these have monetary value more than the 'average' coin. Governments dont care about a coin worth a couple dollars but do when the value is say a million or so. Such hypocrisy, and these are the same governments who cannot preserve what they currently have. I've been in this business for about 35 years. Ive seen it all and have some tales to tell. Honestly even when wrong governments will double and triple down (not saying this is the case here). I had to laugh my ass off when National Geographic had an issue about 'repatriating' a sarcophagus to Egypt, big ceremony, everyone patting themselves on the back, the damned thing was fake, everyone knew it. The governments, those involved (yea, they were duped and thought it was real and were completely guilty of trying to smuggle, but it was fake). Its just a stupid situation. Anyway, just my opinion (though sometimes vastly informed and sometimes ignorant of specific situations).

We can all be wrong in our opinions or predictions, but I bet there will be no jail time. In most places around the world financial crimes have little to no punishment. Make what you will of that opinion. In the end we still really dont know much. Maybe when Rich is old and graying he might let us know the details! I still like Roma. Now, there are other auction houses who are 1,000 times worse and a million times more criminal, but they are uber popular seemingly above reproach, but as they are the 'popular kids in school' they are held in high regard. Its just the nature of the business, I suppose. For some anyway.

I want to thank all who participated in the attribution of this very odd coin. I have been so busy of late I just dont participate as much as I would like. Anyway, as RPC only has 4 of these recorded I have submitted my example to the catalog.