54 minutes ago, idesofmarch01 said:

I think you have this reversed.  In 1970 it took around 4.4 CHF to buy one U.S. dollar.

I stand corrected. 
I even thought about this before posting and still got it backwards. Sigh 

• The ever appreciating currency is a “self fulfilling prophecy”: the Swiss tend to invest in local stocks in CHF or to hedge foreign currency exposure

https://snbchf.com/chf/chf-history/long-term-view/

For what it’s worth, I already wish I had bid more aggressively on this coin. A high price for a common issue, but among the finest examples you’ll ever come across 

https://live.spink.com/lots/view/4-8GY2NJ/lucania-thurium-ar-stater-400-350-bc

Considering most of the original purchase prices were in CHF, this is noteworthy:

https://www.ceicdata.com/en/indicator/switzerland/exchange-rate-against-usd

• Switzerland Exchange Rate against USD data is updated monthly, available from Jan 1957 to Dec 2022. 
• The data reached an all-time high of 4.373 in Dec 1970 and a record low of 0.780 in Aug 2011.

if I’m interpreting this right, 1 CHF was worth as much as 4.3 USD around the time of purchase for many of these coins 

I can update the above for certain any day now as I’m expecting a delivery from CNG. Tracking says it is already at my local Postal facility

They ship through USPS, and you can usually expect to see your coin within 2-3 weeks. 
I looked through several invoice and there seems to be a flat rate of $40 total for shipping/handling/insurance. 
(these are coins with $500 a $1500 hammer), shipped to Canada.

I honestly can’t recall if there’s any extra charges upon arrival from CNG. I certainly do receive internationally purchased coins in the mail with no charge.
Other times (via FedEx/ UPS etc) there are GST/PST charges upon delivery. 

CNG is a top tier operation and you have little to worry about. 
I’ve never had a problem of any kind.
 

Ok… this isn’t my latest… but it is recent and I haven’t posted it yet. 
Finally got around to taking my own photos.

The obverse is well struck and in good style, and the reverse… made it affordable  🙂

SATRAPS of CARIA. Hidrieus. Circa 351/0-344/3 BC. AR Tetradrachm (24mm, 14.21 g, 12h). Halikarnassos mint. Laureate head of Apollo facing slightly right, drapery around neck / Zeus Labraundos standing right, holding labrys and inverted spear; small E between foot and spear. Konuk, Identities 28; Babelon, Perses 405; HN Online 1399. Lightly toned, flan flaw on obverse; roughness, scratches, and edge loss on reverse.

Good VF.

The wild hair and cartoonish front facing portrait give this issue a really unique look. It was only a matter of time before I picked one up.

Surfaces look like they may have been coated in some kind of preserving agent - linseed oil? Either way I can’t say that bothers me much as long as the coin isn’t harmed and the eye appeal is intact.

Won in the latest Roma e-sale

Kings of Elymais, Kamnaskires-Orodes Æ Tetradrachm. Early-mid 2nd century AD. Diademed and draped bust facing slightly to left, wearing tiara; above, star within crescent above inverted anchor with two crossbars / Regular series of dashes. Van't Haaff Type 12.1.1-3D; Alram 480. 13.74g, 27mm.
 

4 hours ago, Roman Collector said:

If your collection were destroyed by some disaster, it's the loss of the rare coins you'd regret, not the beautiful ones, because you know they are irreplaceable.

Well I’m not sure I agree.. especially with ancients a stunning FDC specimen with fine style dies and gorgeous tone can be a rarity even if the general type (catalog reference) is common. Some coins are so unusually beautiful/ full of character for the type they’d be near impossible to replace.

Rare beauty is just another type of rarity

Won in CNG’s E-Auction 528 this morning. 
They seem to be working through a large hoard/ collection of didrachms from Kyrene. I’ve been eyeballing them for a while and finally snapped up one that checks all the boxes without breaking the bank 

DESCRIPTION

I’ve had my eye out for one of these forever. Just came up on Vcoins and smashed the buy button. 
If you do Islamic figurals the ‘watermelon eater’ is a must have  type imo 🙂
 

ISLAMIC, Anatolia & al-Jazira (Post-Seljuk). Zangids (al-Mawsil). Nasir al-Din Mahmud. AH 616-631 / AD 1219-1234. Æ Dirham

ISLAMIC, Anatolia & al-Jazira (Post-Seljuk). Zangids (al-Mawsil). Nasir al-Din Mahmud. AH 616-631 / AD 1219-1234. Æ Dirham (22mm, 7.65). Crowned Turkish female figure, holding crescent-circle, seated facing between two stars / Legend. Whelan Type III; S&S Type 67; Album 1870.2. Near EF

For a new company they had some pretty nice coins to sell. I watch listed several Alexander III type tetradrachms.
At first I wondered if they were a reincarnation of the old Superior Galleries who ceased operations about 10 years ago..  but I searched the net and found no mention of that....

While I’m still most comfortable with that 500-999 dollar value, it sure doesn’t buy what it used to. 

Lately I’ve just been saving my cash and waiting for these auction prices to cool.. 

The art on Celtic coins is intriguing. This is most of what I have - there are a few others in my collection but I don’t have photos handy

Abrincatui Stater


Coriosolite staters

Eastern Celt tetradrachms 

I’ve over paid for average coins because of exceptional photos and surely passed on wonderful coins due to poor photos. 
It’s so important that I can’t believe some dealers/ auctions houses get it so wrong