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Hello @VanillaBean. Welcome to Nvmis Forvms. The thin coin, looks like a Spanish coin, perhaps as early as the late middle ages (1300 AD to 1499 AD), or maybe later. Perhaps the Spanish kingdom of Castile & Leon (castle and lion). As @theotokevoithi said, the thick coin, could be a bronze Spanish coin minted after 1500 AD. Perhaps a 3 maravedis coin (III) coin, or an 8 maravedis coin (VIII). That may be the date on 1 side, perhaps "70" or "76" for 170X or 176X, therefore perhaps sometime in the 1700s. That may be a "III" on the other side, for either 3 maravedis (III) or part of 8 maravedis (VIII).

Hello @mrichter830. Welcome to Nvmis Forvms. It's always nice to see coins, which were inherited, and which have sentimental value. It makes one wonder, where your grandmother got the coin.

Wow. I'm not familiar with the above coin type. Because of the greenish color, and the seeming thickness of the tone/patina, it looks like a bronze coin, like an as, or dupondius, or sestertius, to me. Here are seller photos, of my darkest, most toned silver coin, a silver denarius of Trajan. It's basically black, because of the tone. The seller photos aren't very good. The coin looks better, in hand. Trajan. AR Denarius. Minted 108 AD To 109 AD. Rome Mint. RIC 119. Maximum Diameter 19 mm. Weight 2.86 grams. Obverse : Trajan Bust Facing Right. Reverse : Aequitas Seated Holding Scales And Cornucopia.

Yes, this is certainly a rabbit hole. A rabbit hole of "what is the definition of smoothing?". And, "what is the definition of tooling?". I'll just say this. I don't mind, if some of the patina is removed, as long as patina is not removed in such a way, that the coin is made to appear to have details, which may not have existed in the original coin. For example, carving legend letters out of the patina, with an appearance which may not have existed in the original coin. Or, carving device details out of the patina, with an appearance which may not have existed in the original coin. And, of course, removing any of the metal, which is underneath the patina, is something which is unacceptable, to me. I'm never quite sure, what anyone's definitions of "smoothing" or "light smoothing" or "tooling" are. Therefore, I answered "No" in this thread's poll. If a coin is ever advertised as "lightly smoothed" or "lightly smoothed fields" or "smoothed" or "tooled", I won't buy the coin, because I don't know what the seller's definitions are.

I don't see anything. Maybe the video is incompatible with my web browser (Chrome).

My waiting line is 75% of my collection. I almost always buy coins, which the seller has already attributed, therefore that saves time. However, I sometimes check the attributions. All of my coins are in their final places, in Abafil 1 compartment velvet trays. All of the attributions are on my computer. I don't use paper cards. The big task, which I will probably never complete, is to take my own photos of my coins, and then post the photos on Nvmis Forvms, along with some interesting information about each coin. Last year, during @Severus Alexander's thread "The epic Byzantine portrait thread", I photographed and posted my entire Byzantine collection. I've only added 1 Byzantine coin since then. However, some of the early Byzantine coin photos are not good enough for me anymore, and I want to re-take those photos, which are for 7 Byzantine coins (Anastasius I through Maurice Tiberius). Of my non-Byzantine coins, only 4 or so of them, have been photographed by myself. It takes so long, to take my own photos of a coin, because I'm so picky and meticulous. I haven't taken a single photo, since that Byzantine thread, except for group photos. I look at my group photos quite a lot, because it's convenient, therefore I keep my group photos up to date. Only the obverses though. Number Of My Best Coins : These are my coins, which are in my 6 trays of favorite coins. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Greek & Nonclassical 52 (52 Ancient, 25 Greek, 27 Nonclassical) Roman 48 (48 Ancient) Byzantine 33 (33 Medieval) Cast East Asia 44 (12 Ancient, 21 Medieval, 11 World, 31 China, 6 Vietnam, 3 Japan, 2 Korea, 2 Indonesia) Medieval & Early World 29 (24 Medieval 500 AD To 1499 AD, 5 Early World 1500 AD To 1799 AD) Late World & USA 35 (17 Late World 1800 AD To Present, 18 USA) ----------------------------------------------------------------------- TOTAL ANCIENT 112 TOTAL MEDIEVAL 78 TOTAL WORLD 33 TOTAL USA 18 ----------------------------------------------------------------------- TOTAL 241 Here's a group photo, of my favorite Byzantine coins, including my new Phocas coin (2nd row from the top, 2nd coin from the left), arranged in chronological order, in an Abafil 1 compartment velvet tray.

Hello @Typhon. Welcome to Nvmis Forvms. I agree with @kirispupis, that Vcoins is a good place to buy ancient coins. Vcoins is also a good place, to buy medieval coins, and modern coins. You can look at what Vcoins has. It seems to me, that browsing Vcoins, is a good way, to find out, what's out there : https://www.vcoins.com/en/Default.aspx I also agree, that ACsearch is a good place, to search for coins from previous auctions, based on key words : https://www.acsearch.info/ Many ancient coins, and medieval coins, can be had, for less than $100. I've been collecting ancient coins, and medieval coins, for 5 years. I've made some mistakes. I've bought a few fake coins by accident. I've bought some coins, and then later I found better examples of those coins, and then I bought the better examples, a process we like to call "upgrading". I've occasionally overpaid for coins. Mistakes happen. Over the past 5 years, I've found many new areas, and interesting niche areas. Ancient Greek electrum coins as early as 650 BC. Ancient coins of the middle east. Ancient Elymais. Byzantine coins. Ancient Chinese coins. Medieval Chinese coins. Medieval Vietnamese coins. Ancient coins of India. Ancient Judaean coins. Crusader coins. Spanish colonial coins minted in the New World, such as pieces of eight. Roman Republic bronze coins. Coins of the late Roman Empire. Early medieval coins. Barbarian coins minted during the late Roman Empire and after the fall of the Western Roman Empire. Ancient Celtic coins, from when the Celts lived all over Europe, before the time of Julius Caesar. And many more. And, if you hang around Nvmis Forvms, you will learn a lot.

I wonder, if the vertical lines, are an artifact of the photography. The vertical lines, are parallel to the greenish vertical lines, on the background surrounding the coin, on both obverse and reverse. Regarding tooling. I'm not an expert in tooling. I'm also not familiar with the coin type. However, nothing jumps out at me. Nothing screams "tooling" to me. Higher quality photographs, if possible, may help, to figure out, if the coin is tooled.

Yes. When I was a child, I used to watch fake wrestling, because I thought it was real. Then, when I found out it was fake, I stopped watching. However, 1 time, as an adult, I was flipping TV channels, and I happened to see Paul Bearer talking. It was so funny, that I watched it for awhile. I've never forgotten that. I think, he would have been good, as a Youtube host of "creature features" films. RIP.

I live in the US. I've had coins, which were ordered from locations outside of the US, stuck in customs in New York for as long as 2 weeks, or maybe even longer. Also, like @Roman Collector and @rNumis, I've had coins magically appear in my PO box, even though the USPS tracking says that the coins are somewhere else.

@Tejas Interesting coin. The plant above the "CN" on the reverse, reminds me of depictions of silphium plants on ancient coins. For example, this example from the following Wikipedia article. This is not my coin. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silphium

Hello @JeandAcre. I collect all areas, including ancients, Byzantines, and medievals. I used to consider Byzantines to be ancient, because that's where they usually are at Vcoins. I guess, 1 of the reasons, why many collectors consider Byzantines to be ancient, is because the Byzantine Empire was the Eastern Roman Empire, and the Byzantines held onto some of the traditions of the ancient Roman Empire. However, nowadays, I consider Byzantines from 500 AD to 1453 AD to be medieval, and Byzantines from 499 AD and earlier to be ancient, because nowadays I have an absolute cutoff of 499 AD for the end of the ancient era. Some persons even consider all cast Chinese coins to be ancient, even though they were created until circa 1900 AD. Also, many persons seem to consider all pre-Muslim middle eastern coins to be ancient, including Sasanian coins from the early 7th century. However, for me, I like the idea of the ancient era ending at 499 AD, and the medieval era beginning at 500 AD, for all coins. For me, "ancient" is a time period, not a way of life. I also have an absolute cutoff of 1500 AD for the beginning of the modern era, and 1499 AD for the end of the medieval era. Other fun topics, are the definitions of "dark ages", "early middle ages", "high middle ages", and "late middle ages".

Hello @DerrickTA. Welcome to Nvmis Forvms. Yes, it looks like the coin is a modern fake. If you collect ancient coins for a few years, and if you look at a lot of ancient coins, then you can sometimes tell, when a coin looks like a modern fake. It looks like, the modern fake, is supposed to resemble an ancient Judaean coin, which was minted during the reign of Alexander Jannaeus from 104 BC to 76 BC. Here's a helpful web site, where you can search for examples of ancient coins. https://www.acsearch.info/ For example, you can search for the following keywords : Alexander Jannaeus star anchor https://www.acsearch.info/search.html?term=Alexander+Jannaeus+star+anchor&category=1-2&lot=&date_from=&date_to=&thesaurus=1&images=1&en=1&de=1&fr=1&it=1&es=1&ot=1&currency=usd&order=0 Here's the most popular web site, for buying ancient coins. https://www.vcoins.com/en/Default.aspx There are also some good sellers on Ebay, but there are also many fakes sold on Ebay, therefore you have to be careful. "Know the dealer, or know the coin." You can also buy ancient coins at auctions, many of which are on the internet. Sometimes, the prices at auctions are lower, than the prices at fixed price dealers.

Hello @Julius Germanicus. You have asked a good question. I said it in the thread mentioned by @Salomons Cat above, and I'll say it again. 1st Rule Of Coin Club : Don't talk about Coin Club. 2nd Rule Of Coin Club : Don't take your coins to an airport. I wouldn't call the airport. That may draw attention and suspicion to yourself, and maybe even a search warrant for your home. And, I wouldn't try to hide the sestertii among other things in your luggage, or in your pocket, or in your wallet. If they find the sestertii, and if they think you tried to hide them, then they'll come down even harder on you. For me, having coins lost or stolen in the mail, is better than possibly being arrested, and having your home searched, and possibly having your entire coin collection seized, and becoming a news story. For me, there is no moral reason, why people should not be allowed to own ancient coins, from another country. However, some governments seem to disagree with me. Here's that thread, which @Salomons Cat mentioned above.

These are funny. I would say, that all but 4 of them, can be called "newbies". The 4 exceptions : the metal detective, the birthday boy, the niche collector, and the orientalist.

Hello @DigginSicilia. Welcome to Nvmis Forvms. Yes. It looks like a Byzantine 40 nummi follis coin. On the reverse, below the large "M", there seem to be 3 letters, which may be "SCL". If those letters are indeed "SCL", then that would mean, that the coin was minted in Syracuse, Sicily. On the reverse, above the large "M", may be a monogram, which may help to identify the Emperor for whom the coin was struck. On the obverse, the portrait, a standing figure of the Byzantine Emperor, looks like the style of either Heraclius or Constans II, but I'm not certain. Here's a helpful web site, to search for examples of coins. https://www.acsearch.info/ Perhaps someone will come along, who can better identify your coin. It may take a few days. I'm pretty sure, that there are other Nvmis Forvms members, who are more familiar with this coin type, than I am.

Ha. I read something today, in an article or something, in which someone talked about "the 1900s". As if everything that happened from 1901 to 1999 was all equally old.

Another vote for leaving the coins as they are. They have an interesting bluish green patina, which is an interesting reflection of where they were buried. Also, I'm thinking, that perhaps the only silvering, is what is already visible. Any previous silvering, has perhaps corroded away, it seems to me.

I'm glad to hear, that @Severus Alexander is still alive, and fighting.

If it's wax, or something like wax, then I wonder if putting the coin in boiling water, would melt the wax, and cause the wax to fall off of the coin. Will acetone remove the remaining patina of the coin? Regarding wax on ancient coins, I don't put wax on any of my coins. I'd rather allow the coin to age naturally, and it seems easier to see the real coin without wax, and wax seems fake to me.

Yes, democracy has its disadvantages. I have sometimes wished, that the average voter was more intelligent. Democracy is sometimes described as "the tyranny of the majority". However, I can't think of any other form of government, which is better. Power corrupts. And absolute power corrupts absolutely. At least, in a democracy, as long as it is a true democracy, in which all people are allowed to vote freely, and all people are allowed to run for office freely, etc, then, it seems like, the average person won't be too badly oppressed. And, in a democracy, if 1 group of persons is oppressed by a larger group of persons, then there is always secession or emigration, which sometimes works. However, I try to be open minded, in case anyone has a better idea.

If that was LAC@vcoins.com, which is the email address of all of the emails that LAC has sent to me after I ordered coins, then that is the best email address to use. Whenever I've written to a Vcoins company using the email address of the form company@vcoins.com, I have always received a reply to my email. It wouldn't hurt, to send a polite 2nd email. If the packaging was poor, then they should expect people to complain, if coins get damaged during transit. Even if they don't want to give you a refund, or a store credit, then they should at least be professional, and reply to your emails. If they don't reply to your emails, then they should expect you to complain to Vcoins. If they don't reply to your 2nd email, and if you complain to Vcoins, then be sure to mention to Vcoins, that LAC has not replied to your emails. If I were in your shoes, and if LAC didn't reply to 2 polite emails, then would I complain to Vcoins? I don't know. I probably wouldn't complain to Vcoins, because I've become very skittish, about making waves, concerning ancient coins, and medieval coins, ordered through the mail. I live in the US, and I haven't ordered any coins from outside of the US, since late 2022.

Did you check your email spam folder? Perhaps LAC replied, and it went into your email spam folder. You may have to send multiple polite emails to LAC, before they reply. They seem pretty busy. If you elevate the problem to Vcoins, then you run the risk, that LAC may refuse to sell you coins, in the future. If their reply is not in your email spam folder, then perhaps their customer service is mediocre. But, they have lots of nice coins. It seems to be, a matter of risk versus reward.

@JeandAcre Interesting coins. Here are my favorites, with my most favorite at the 1 position, my 2nd favorite at the 2 position, etc. 1. Latin Empire Hyperpyron. 2. Axum. 3. Juba I.

@Simon Congratulations on your acquisitions for 2023. I also collect Byzantines. For me, it's all about the book. I've been looking, and waiting, for that book, for several years. You and @TheTrachyEnjoyer are the only 2 persons, of whom I've heard, who have the book. I wonder, how many of the original 200, have become lost, lying in a box, in someone's attic, or in a landfill somewhere. I've never even seen it for sale, except after the fact, after @TheTrachyEnjoyer bought his copy. The book is almost like an urban legend among Byzantine collectors. A modern myth. Like the Necronomicon. Fun stuff.