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It's always sad, when a coin is either lost or damaged in the mail. I've had a few coins lost in the mail. And, I've had a few coins, in which the dealer sent a different coin, than what I ordered. Luckily, none of the coins were expensive. 2 of them were in the $100 to $115 range, and the rest were dirt cheap. I only complained once, when a dealer sent multiple incorrect coins to me, all of which were dirt cheap. The dealer wanted me to ship the coins back, in order to get a refund, but the dealer was outside of the US (I live in the US). I didn't want to deal with the hassles, of shipping outside of the US. Therefore, I gave up. After that, I never bothered, trying to get my money back, for any coins, because either the coins were cheap, or the dealer was outside of the US, and I didn't want the hassle of trying to ship coins outside of the US, or I didn't want the hassle of dealing with lost overseas shipments of coins. Luckily, your coin was relatively inexpensive. Are you in the US? If London Ancient Coins insists that you ship the coin back to them, in order to get a refund or store credit, then you may not want to bother trying to ship the coin outside of the US, because that seems like a hassle. I've bought many coins from LAC, and everything has always gone smoothly. Maybe, if you tell them about the broken coin, and if other customers have similar complaints, they will ship their coins more carefully in the future, even if the coins are relatively inexpensive.

@Hrefn Very interesting coins. My favorites, are as follows, with my favorite at the 1 position, 2nd favorite at the 2 position, and so on. 1. Constantine X Gold Coin. 2. Charles The Bald Denier St-Denis. 3. Gratian Solidus.

I won't show the latest coin which I purchased, because it hasn't arrived yet. However, I'll show this coin, which is the latest coin which I purchased, which has arrived. The coin is a Ukraine 10 hryven coin, which is currently worth 26 US cents. Therefore, 50,000 of them would currently be worth $13,000. I don't know, if they are legal tender, currently. I like the coin, and I like the country, and the coin seems to have some numismatic value. Long live Ukraine! Ukraine. 10 Hryven. Zinc Alloy. Minted in 2018. Maximum Diameter 30.0 mm. Weight 12.4 grams. Obverse : Eagle, Flames, 2 Swords, Country Name Above, Denomination Below. Reverse : Map Of Ukraine, Within Map "Who If Not Me", Outer Inscription "Day Of Ukrainian Volunteer".

@Ocatarinetabellatchitchix and @lordmarcovan Interesting interview. I like The Eclectic Hundred. Those coins seem to be mostly high end coins. There is certainly a lot of quality there. In addition to ancient, medieval, and world coins, I also collect US coins, but I had never heard of the Feuchtwanger cent. That's an interesting coin. The Greece Carian Islands Rhodes coin is quite nice and interesting. The 1808 Columbia 8 Escudos gold coin is interesting. Your proof coins, especially the Ireland 1805 half penny, and the 1881 Indian Head cent, are interesting. I have a 1914-D Lincoln cent, as part of my Lincoln cent collection (my only "series"), but I don't think it's XF. Your strategy of limiting your "primary collection" to 100 slabbed coins is interesting. I'm a fellow generalist, but I've only sold several US coins, at local coin shows. I've sold no other coins. I have some coins, which have been upgraded, or which I don't like much, but they aren't valuable enough to be worth my time to sell, yet. Luckily, I have plenty of storage space, for my collection, which includes 112 ancient, 69 medieval, 25 world, and 26 US coins, plus my Lincoln cents, plus some coins about which I don't care. How far along, are you, in your 12 Caesars collection? In your The Eclectic Hundred, I see 6 of them : Augustus, Tiberius, Claudius, Nero, Vespasian, and Titus. I remember the story, about your recent acquisition, and then selling to a fellow member, of the Caligula as. Will all of your 12 Caesars, be part of The Eclectic Hundred? What sorts of coins do you have, which are not in your "primary collection"? How many such coins do you have? Congratulations, for having an interesting collection.

@robinjojo That's a nice looking, and interesting coin. I collect Spanish colonial coins. I have 3 silver cobs from the New World, and 1 milled silver piece of eight from the New World from 1793. 1 of these days, I'm going to take photos of all of them. Currently, I only have decent photos of 1 of them, the oldest. Here it is. I've been following the Sedwick auctions since 2019. I agree, that Sedwick is the premier auction for Spanish colonial coins. I have Sedwick's book. And I agree, that the hammer prices are often quite high. My coin, pictured below, I won at a Sedwick auction, and it's the most expensive coin in my collection. The other 2 silver cobs, I bought at local coin shows, for approximately $100 each. They are from the 1700s from the Mexico mint. I used to shop on Ebay for cobs, until I discovered Sedwick. I like the fact, that Sedwick seems to be very good at identifying fakes. However, I may try Ebay again someday. I'd like to have a pillars and waves cob, such as yours, but I've never found 1, that was under my maximum allowed dollars per coin, which met my requirements. There are some very good Youtube videos, about cobs. Especially good, are some cob videos by a guy named "CaptainMyCaptain". https://www.youtube.com/@CaptainMyCaptain33 Spain. Philip II. Silver 8 Reales "Piece Of Eight". Minted 1589 AD To 1591 AD. Potosi Mint (In What Is Now Bolivia). Assayer RL. Maximum Diameter 37.7 mm. Weight 27.20 grams. Paoletti 97. Sedwick P13. KM 5.1.

I voted for the Byzantine Jesus follis. It looks like a delicious Christmas cookie, of which someone (Santa?) took a bite. Also, it's an interesting coin, and it has many interesting details, and it has a nice patina.

For me, there is no such thing, as "fair market value". For me, a coin is worth, what someone is willing to pay for it.

For myself, I appreciate dealers, and auction houses. If I had to buy all of my coins from other collectors, then I'd never buy any coins, because it would be too risky, too inconvenient, and too time consuming. Also, I don't mind, that some dealers buy coins from other dealers or auction houses, and then later sell the coins for higher prices. For me, that's an inevitable consequence of a free market. Also, as mentioned above, dealers and auction houses have to pay for the costs of doing business, such as advertising, maintaining a web site, credit card fees, some customers who steal the coins by pretending they didn't receive the coins, auction buyer fees, etc. Also, for myself, there are many situations, in which I would buy from 1 dealer, but I wouldn't buy from another dealer. For example, for the past year, I've only bought from US dealers. As another example, I have more confidence in some dealers, because some dealers seem better able to identify fakes, and tooled coins. Also, I don't have time, to look at every auction, and every dealer's web site. Therefore, I like the fact, that dealers buy coins from other dealers or auction houses. It allows the coins to "circulate", so that I can have more choices. Also, some persons simply enjoy making a huge profit on a coin. Many collectors do it. It doesn't bother me, at all. @Prieure de Sion I appreciate your posts about the Leu auction. It's interesting information. I hope, that you won't beat yourself up too much, about your losses at the Leu auction. You did the best, that you knew how to do. That's all any of us can ever do.

Byzantine Empire, probably. The Emperor side, looks somewhat like Alexius I or John II. Here's my Byzantine Alexius I trachy. Byzantine Empire. Alexius I. Billon Aspron Trachy. Minted 1092 AD To 1093 AD. Constantinople Mint. Sear 1918. DO 25. Maximum Diameter 26.8 mm. Weight 3.01 grams. Obverse : Jesus Christ Seated Upon Throne, Bearded, With Halo, Holding Book In Left Hand. Reverse : Alexius I Bust Facing Front, Bearded, Holding Scepter Cruciger In Right Hand, Holding Globus Cruciger In Left Hand.

This is always a fun and interesting topic. Looking back in time, it seems that I made and published New Year Resolutions in December 2021 on Coin Talk, but I didn't publish any New Year Resolutions in 2022. However, my main resolutions for 2022 and 2023 were the same. To spend less money, and spend less time, on coins. I have a tendency to become obsessed with things, and coins has been 1 of those obsessions, since 2018 when I started collecting ancients and medievals. I have other interests, on which I hope to spend more time in 2024. However, I still enjoy looking at coin forums, almost every day. During 2021, my peak year of spending on coins and coin books, I spent a huge amount of money, for me, on coins and coin books. I don't have a handy list, but I know it was a lot. In January 2022, I started keeping a handy list of coin purchases, and coin book purchases, and a monthly budget for coin and coin book purchases. That opened my eyes, to how much money I was spending on coins and coin books. In 2023, I have spent 29 percent, of the total that I spent in 2022, on coins and coin books. In other words, in 2023, I have spent less than 1/3 of what I spent in 2022, on coins and coin books. For 2024, I plan to spend even less money on coins and coin books. I'm pretty happy and content, with the coins I have. I want to spend more time, learning about the history of the coins, which I have. Also, I've been buying more world coins lately, which often cost less than ancients and medievals. For 2023, I was hoping to take more photos of my coins. In 2023, I was able to photograph all of my Byzantine coins, for @Severus Alexander's thread "The epic Byzantine portrait thread". That thread was good motivation for me, to take more coin photos, and to learn more about my coins. And, I really improved my photo process and technique. But, taking coin photos for that thread, took so much time, that I haven't photographed any of my coins since then. Even with my improved photo process and technique, it still takes me 6 hours to photograph a single coin, because I have such high standards for my coin photos. For my 2023 Top 10 list, I resorted to using seller photos, something which I had hardly ever done before. However, whenever I create my own thread, with 1 of my coins, then I still plan to take my own photos of the coin.

I agree with @Phil Anthos. It's probably to prevent bots from searching (to collect statistics, or to automatically search for certain coins, which could overload the web site with too much traffic) or attacking (denial of service attack by spamming and therefore overloading) their web site.

@voulgaroktonou That's a fascinating collection of very late Byzantine silver coins. I only have 2. I could try to arrange them in a tree pattern, but they would be a Charlie Brown tree. Here they are. A Manuel II half stavraton, and a John VIII stavraton. Merry Christmas! COIN DESCRIPTIONS Manuel II. AR Half Stavraton. Minted 1391 AD To 1425 AD. Constantinople Mint. Sear 2551. Grierson 1517. Maximum Diameter 20.2 mm. Weight 3.68 grams. Obverse : Jesus Christ Bust Facing Front, With Halo. Reverse : Manuel II Bust Facing Front, Wearing Crown With Pendilia, With Halo, "M-A-N-O-V-H-Lambda" Greek For "Manuel" Clockwise Starting At 12 O'Clock. John VIII. AR Stavraton. Minted 1425 AD To 1448 AD. Constantinople Mint. Sear 2563. LPC Page 172 Type 1. Maximum Diameter 23.0 mm. Weight 6.76 grams. Obverse : Jesus Christ Bust Facing Front, With Halo. Reverse : John VIII Bust Facing Front, Wearing Crown With Pendilia, With Halo, "IWAN" Greek For "John" In Outer Legend Clockwise Starting At 12 O'Clock.

@panzerman Interesting coins. My favorites are as follows, with my most favorite at the 1 position. 1. Coin 8 Merovingian 2. Coin 3 Regnum Gothorum Hispania/ Baetica 3. Coin 10 Srivijayar Kingdom By the way, during what years was Coin 10 Srivijayar Kingdom minted?

It's an interesting topic. I'm no expert on this subject. Here are some of my thoughts. Perhaps, the invention of the internet, and what seems to have been an increase in the number of persons in the world who have the time and money to collect ancient coins, and the COVID-19 pandemic resulting in more people stuck in their houses and looking for things to do and buy, have resulted in an increase in the number of ancient coin collectors. Therefore, perhaps there has been a large increase in the demand for ancient coins. Perhaps the seeming increase in demand, has kept pace with the seeming increase in supply. Perhaps the increase in supply, has been caused by an increase in available metal detectors, which has perhaps resulted in an increase in the number of hoards found. Also, as demand seems to have increased, and as the prices seem to have increased, perhaps the number of persons searching for coin hoards with metal detectors has increased, because there is more motivation to search for coin hoards with metal detectors. In a way, the ancient coin market, seems similar to the oil market. As the demand increases, and as the price increases, the supply increases. "They aren't making any more ancient coins", some people say. "They aren't making any more oil", some people say. And yet, as technology has improved, people seem to have gotten better, at finding both ancient coins, and oil. And, both ancient coins and oil, are being threatened by the possibility of government laws against them. Therefore, you never know. Perhaps someday, both will be illegal. Will ancient coins eventually become illegal to own? I don't know. There are so many ancient coins. How can the government stop them all? And yet, perhaps it will eventually become a black market. The US government made the ownership of significant amounts of gold illegal, from 1933 to 1974. However, it seems like, fewer people know or care about ancient coins, compared to the number of people who know or care about gold. However, the number of people who know or care about the value of gold, seems to have decreased, since 1933. Oh well. Those are just some of my thoughts, at the moment.

@seth77 Thanks for the information. I've learned a few things, about these coins. However, there is much, that I don't know. And, apparently, there are still some unknowns, regarding these coins. I'm glad to hear, that these coins are finally getting more attention. For me, the late Byzantine Empire is very interesting.

@seth77 Excellent choice, for a top 10 list. You've acquired some interesting late trachy coins. I collect Byzantine coins, including late trachys. I've studied Ross G.'s web site www.glebecoins.org. I agree, that it's a very interesting web site. Here's my latest trachy, and my only Palaeologan trachy. My coin is also pictured, with some historical information, and more numismatic information, in @Severus Alexander's excellent thread "The epic Byzantine portrait thread". https://www.numisforums.com/topic/4226-the-epic-byzantine-portrait-thread/page/19/#comment-60868 Andronicus III. AE Trachy. Minted 1328 AD To 1341 AD. Thessalonica Mint. DO 936. Grierson 1473. Lianta 844. Maximum Diameter 19.7 mm. Weight 1.83 grams. Obverse : Brockage Of Reverse. Reverse : On Left Saint Demetrius 3/4 Length Facing Front With Halo, At Center Staff Surmounted By Large Fleur-De-Lis Held By Saint Demetrius And Andronicus III, On Right Andronicus III 3/4 Length Facing Front, Top Left (Delta-H-M-H?), Top Right (A-N-Delta-Rho?). NOTE : Ross G. at his web site www.glebecoins.org (an interesting web site) disagrees with the reference books Dumbarton Oaks (DO), Grierson, and Lianta. Ross G. says that, based on hoard data, this coin type was minted during the reign of Andronicus II, with a calculated mint date of circa 1297 AD.

1st Rule Of Coin Club : Don't talk about Coin Club. 2nd Rule Of Coin Club : Don't take your coins to an airport. Regarding "Cultural Property" or "Cultural Heritage" or "Cultural Assets" or "Italian Heritage" (or any other country's "Heritage") or "Cultural Appropriation". For me, there is no such thing. For me, there is nothing wrong, with owning historical items or artifacts, which were created in other countries. As long as the items or artifacts were obtained legally. I wonder, if the Peru officials, had any proof, that the coins had been obtained illegally.

@Al Kowsky You've acquired some interesting, valuable coins. My favorite is the Egyptian Ptolemy III hockey puck. I don't have one myself, but someday I hope to have one.

@robinjojo You've acquired some very interesting coins. My favorite is the pair of Eastern Arabian billon tetradrachms. I am fascinated with the history of the Middle East.

Thanks to everyone, for your votes, and Likes, and replies. Thanks. Yes, the obverse portrait is certainly interesting. Thanks. I agree, about the Elymais portrait. For me, it's the smile, and the side eye.

Hello Nvmis Forvms members. I've enjoyed looking at other members' top 10 lists, during this holiday season. Here are my top 10 coin acquisitions during 2023. I've been collecting ancient and medieval coins since 2018, and US and world coins since childhood. I purchased way fewer coins in 2023, versus 2022 and 2021. Partly because, I'm trying to save money. And partly because, there aren't many coins remaining, which are known to me, which I want, which cost less than or equal to my maximum allowed dollars per coin. Nevertheless, during 2023, I purchased 30 coins. 13 were ancient (650 BC to 499 AD), 7 were medieval (500 AD to 1499 AD), and 10 were world coins (non-US 1500 AD or later). I also purchased 7 coin books during 2023. I'm a generalist. Therefore, my coin purchases are from all time periods, from all over the world. These coins are sorted by, how much I like them, with my favorite at the 1 position. Which coin is your favorite? 1. Seleukid Empire. King Tryphon. AE. Minted 142 BC To 138 BC. This is my favorite acquisition during 2023. I am fascinated with the Seleukid Empire, which was the eastern remnant of Alexander III The Great's empire. The Seleukid Empire initially spanned a vast territory, from the Middle East through part of northern India. However, the Seleukid Empire slowly decreased in size, during its 250 years of existence. I like the history, and the portrait, and the desert patina, of this coin. Seleukid Empire. King Tryphon. AE. Minted 142 BC To 138 BC. Antioch Mint. SC 2034(2). Maximum Diameter 18.0 mm. Weight 4.5 grams. Obverse : Diademed Head. Reverse : Spiked Macedonian Helmet. 2. Indo-Greek. Apollodotus I. AE Hemi Obol. Minted Circa 174 BC To 165 BC. My 2nd favorite purchase during 2023. I find the Indo-Greek Kingdom to be quite interesting. The Indo-Greek Kingdom seems to be a descendant of the most eastern part of the Seleukid Empire, but I am not certain of that. I find the history of this coin, and the square shape of this coin, to be interesting. The square shape of the coin, seems to be common, for bronze coins minted in India, during this time period. Indo-Greek. Apollodotus I. AE Hemi Obol. Minted Circa 174 BC To 165 BC. Sear 7594. HGC 12 120. Maximum Diameter 25.0 mm. Weight 10.14 grams. Obverse : Apollo Standing Facing Front, Holding Arrow In Right Hand, Holding Bow In Left Hand. Reverse : Tripod. 3. Elymais. Kamnaskires-Orodes. AE Tetradrachm. Minted 120 AD To 180 AD. A coin from the mysterious Elymais. Elymais. Kamnaskires-Orodes. AE Tetradrachm. Minted 120 AD To 180 AD. Van't Haaff 12.1. Maximum Diameter 28.0 mm. Weight 14.6 grams. Obverse : Bust Facing Front, Anchor On Right, Star And Crescent Moon Above Right. Reverse : Short Dashes. 4. Bulgaria. 2nd Empire. Ivan Alexander. AR Grosh. Minted 1331 AD To 1371 AD. This is an interesting coin. This coin resembles the Italian grosso, and the Byzantine basilikon. Bulgaria shared a border with the Byzantine Empire, and was an important factor in the history of the Byzantine Empire. Bulgaria. 2nd Empire. Ivan Alexander. AR Grosh. Minted 1331 AD To 1371 AD. R&Z 1.13.5. Maximum Diameter 19.0 mm. Weight 1.36 grams. Obverse : Jesus Standing Facing Front, Raising Both Hands In Benediction. Reverse : Ivan Alexander Standing Facing Front, Mikhail Asen IV Standing Facing Front. 5. Spain. Ferdinand V And Isabella. Billon Blanca. Minted 1474 AD To 1504 AD. This is a fascinating coin, minted during the reign of Ferdinand and Isabella. Ferdinand and Isabella paid for Christopher Columbus's ocean voyage to the unknown west, which led to Christopher Columbus's discovery of the New World. Spain. Ferdinand V And Isabella. Billon Blanca. Minted 1474 AD To 1504 AD. Maximum Diameter 17.0 mm. Weight Not Yet Measured. Obverse : Crowned "F", "FERNANDVS ET ELISABET". Reverse : Crowned "I", "REX ET REGINA CAST LEON". 6. Judaea. Alexander Jannaeus. AE Prutah. Minted 104 BC To 76 BC. A fascinating ancient Judaean coin, minted during the time of the 2nd Temple. Judaea. Alexander Jannaeus. AE Prutah. Minted 104 BC To 76 BC. Hendin 6181. Meshorer TJC P. Meshorer AJC E. HGC 10 638. Maximum Diameter 13.9 mm. Weight 2.1 grams. Obverse : Paleo Hebrew Inscription "Yehonatan The High Priest And The Council Of The Jews". Reverse : Double Cornucopia. 7. Japan. Tempo Tsuho. AE 100 Mon. Minted 1835 AD To 1869 AD. A large, fascinating Japanese coin. Japan. Tempo Tsuho. AE 100 Mon. Minted 1835 AD To 1869 AD. Minted At Honza, Edo, Musashi Province. Hartill 5.5. Maximum Diameter 49 mm. Weight 20.38 grams. Obverse : "Tem Po Tsu Ho" Meaning "Currency Of The Tempo Era", The Vertical Sides Of The Hole Are Longer Than The Horizontal Sides Of The Hole. Reverse : Above Hole "To Hyaku" Meaning "Value 100", Below Hole Signature Of The Mint Official. 8. China. Ming Dynasty. AE 1 Cash. Tai Zu. Minted 1368 AD To 1398 AD. An interesting Ming Dynasty coin. Less expensive than a Ming vase. China. Ming Dynasty. AE 1 Cash. Tai Zu. Minted 1368 AD To 1398 AD. Hartill 20.57. Maximum Diameter 23.5 mm. Weight 2.7 grams. Obverse : Hong Wu Tong Bau. Reverse : Blank. 9. Greek. Phrygia. Apameia. AE. Minted 100 BC To 50 BC. An interesting coin from ancient Phrygia, during the later period of ancient Greece, with a nice portrait of Zeus on the obverse, and an interesting cult statue of the goddess Artemis on the reverse. Greek. Phrygia. Apameia. AE. Minted 100 BC To 50 BC. SNG Copenhagen 171. Maximum Diameter 22.0 mm. Weight 8.7 grams. Obverse : Laureate Head Of Zeus Facing Right. Reverse : Cult Statue Of Artemis Facing Front. 10. Byzantine Empire. Constantine VI. AE 40 Nummi Follis. Minted 792 AD To 797 AD. An interesting coin. Even though Constantine VI was the official Byzantine Emperor during his reign, his mother Irene was the real power, as one can tell, because the obverse has a portrait of Irene, and Constantine VI has a smaller portrait on the reverse. In 797 AD, supporters of Irene blinded Constantine VI, and Irene became the first Empress regnant of the Byzantine Empire. Believe it or not, this coin was an upgrade for me. Byzantine coins with portraits of Irene seem to be relatively expensive. Byzantine Empire. Constantine VI. AE 40 Nummi Follis. Minted 792 AD To 797 AD. Constantinople Mint. Sear 1598. DO 7. Maximum Diameter 21.9 mm. Weight 2.17 grams. Obverse : Irene Bust Facing Front, Wearing Loros, Wearing Crown With Cross And Pinnacles On Top, Pendilia Hanging From Crown, Holding Globus Cruciger In Right Hand, Holding Cruciform Scepter In Left Hand. Reverse : Constantine VI Bust Facing Front, Beardless, Wearing Chlamys, Wearing Crown With Cross On Top, Holding Globus Cruciger In Right Hand, Pellet On Left, Cross On Right, Pellet On Right, Large M Below, "X" To Left Of Large M, "N" To Right Of Large M, "A" Below Large M.

@panzerman and @JeandAcre Interesting Latin Empire gold coins. I don't recall ever seeing any before. And some interesting Latin Empire bronze coins. Here's my Latin Empire bronze trachy. If anyone wants to learn more about the Latin Empire, then one can view my Latin Empire post on page 19 of @Severus Alexander's epic thread "The epic Byzantine portrait thread", as well as @voulgaroktonou's Latin Empire post on page 18 of that thread. https://www.numisforums.com/topic/4226-the-epic-byzantine-portrait-thread/page/18/ https://www.numisforums.com/topic/4226-the-epic-byzantine-portrait-thread/page/19/ Latin Empire. Billon Trachy. Minted 1204 AD to 1261 AD. Constantinople Mint. Sear 2035. Maximum Diameter 20.5 mm. Weight 1.15 grams. Obverse : Jesus Christ Full Length Facing Front, Standing On Dais. Reverse : Emperor Full Length Facing Front, Right Hand Holding Labarum, Left Hand Holding Globus Cruciger. The coin has been clipped, which is typical.

Hello @harkonnen. Welcome to Nvmis Forvms. The coin looks interesting. The inscription on the reverse seems neither Greek nor Latin. Perhaps the coin was minted in the Middle East or central Asia. Can you measure the diameter and weight of the coin?

@ewomack That's a nice looking and interesting coin, and interesting historical information about Romanus I. I agree, that the portrait on the coin, looks like a courageous leader.

Interesting topic. Coins Which Are Low Priority For Me I'm a generalist. Therefore, most coins are in my collecting area. However, some coins have always been a low priority for me. Usually, it's because the price is too high, compared to my interest level for the coin. 1. Julius Caesar coins : They are interesting, but way more expensive, than I'm willing to pay. 2. Marc Antony denarius : Like @kirispupis, I'm worried about fakes. And, the price is too high, compared to my interest level. 3. Shekel Of Tyre : Too expensive, compared to my interest level. 4. Cleopatra VII coins : Too expensive, compared to my interest level. 5. Chinese knife money and spade money : Too expensive, compared to my interest level. 6. Chinese "ghost face" money or "ant nose" money : Too expensive, compared to my interest level. 7. Chinese cowrie shell money : Too expensive, compared to my interest level. 8. Very expensive coins : They just cost too much. For example, I'd like to have a Roman Republic Aes Grave Janus As, but the $3,000 price tag is way beyond what I'm willing to spend for a single coin. 9. Brutus coins : Too expensive, compared to my interest level. 10. Tribute penny : Too expensive, compared to my interest level.