El Cazador

All nice coins at @DonnaMLbut I particularly like Trajan Decius #11, added  one of these types myself earlier in the year! 

14 hours ago, Coinmaster said:

@El Cazador, the coin arrived! I made a few photos, I hope they're good enough. What do you think, fake or not? The rim differs in thickness and has some cracks. But 'm no expert in this.

 

Hello, thanks for posting these… yeah, i think it looks authentic based on the new pictures (perhaps lighting on the OP was off) - great coin, Congratulations!

7 hours ago, LONGINUS said:

 

Here’s my Médaille de Sainte-Hélène featuring Napoleon I.

I posted this a while back on the anniversary of the Battle of Waterloo. The medal is authentic but I replaced the original shredded and faded ribbon because I was afraid that it would disintegrate. I have it stored in an archival sleeve for protection. The green ribbon striped with red is of an exact pattern as the original and manufactured by the same company that produced them in the 19th century.

 

 

Fantastic 

4 hours ago, Prieure de Sion said:

If you want to get grey hair - try it as a (small) retailer, you will be surprised how much nerves it costs and how little profit you often have. A high price does not automatically mean a high profit - because your profit often depends on the price the consignor wants and the possibility of selling the coin. And if you've had a good week, the next week a scammer comes along and ruins all your profits. 

If you think you can make a lot of money as a small dealer in this business, I have to disappoint you.
 

I don't mean any offence - but that's because you don't seem to think about what's behind it all - and like some buyers, you only see the high price and think that someone must be making a lot of money.

I'm going to make an outline for you and maybe a few other readers.
 
I'm selling this coin on commission - and the consignor sets the price.

I have to pay 1,200 euros for the coin plus a 20% surcharge (240 euros) plus 20 euros shipping costs. The purchase price for me is therefore 1,460 euros - if I were to sell the coin. If you think you can find good coins for little money the last months, weeks and days - I have to disappoint you. The prices at auctions are high - and even the private consignors know that there are good prices. The bargain that you find a Caligula privately for 100 euros, which you can sell for 2000 euros in the shop - is a pipe dream that no longer exists today. Buying cheap no longer exists.
 
If I sell the coin for 1,799 euros - I have to pay a commission to the shop operator. 
 
The commission for this level of sale is around 100 euros. I still have to pay 19% VAT on this 100 euro commission. So the sales commission is around 120.00 euros.

The buyer pays the shipping costs of 20,00 Euro. But coins over 500 Euro are not insured by FedEx, UPS, DHL EXPRESS and others! Every coin seller has therefore taken out extra value insurance! These insurances cost 10% of the insured value. So if you as the buyer pay for your shipping, I still have to pay an extra amount for the insurance. For the 1,799 euro coin, that's 18 euros for the insurance for shipping.
 
Now let's do the maths.

Price of selling = 1.799 Euro
- 1.460 Euro Purchasing
- 120 Euro Shop fees
- 18 Euro Valoren Insurance
= 201 Euro Profit

But wait - the German state wants my income tax from the profit!  

= 130 Euro real profit after tax

If you want, let's go through a few coins in my shop and I'll tell you the purchase prices of the coins sold and we'll work this out.

Around 150 euros profit for a 1,799 euro coin - do you think that's too much? 🙂 
 
And with this 10% per coin you also have to cover the losses on sales where you made the wrong purchase and made a loss. And with this 10% profit you also have to cover your losses caused by fraudsters in your shop. Every six months you lose 1000, 2000, 3000 or even more euros im average to fraudsters. You first have to recoup this with other coins.
 

Yes, do that! Not just talk! Do it too! When it's so easy to earn money 😉 Ask other dealers about their experiences to see if it's that easy. Do it! And I guarantee you will have some sleepless nights and fear for your capital. 
 
I have one advantage - I have a completely different main job. I am a private collector and sell coins as a "hobby". If I don't sell a coin for 2-3 weeks, I don't care. But if THAT were my main job - I wouldn't be able to sleep peacefully at night.
 
But some people only see big numbers and think, high selling price, you must earn a lot of money. No offence meant - but maybe you don't just see the price with dealers - but also what could be behind it 😉

So why do it then? 😃

2 minutes ago, panzerman said:

Thanks El Cazador! I would have picked those too!

Of all places/ I found the Edward VI by chance on Herr Stückler's listing/ took me a split second to hit the buy button. Seen a few of lesser quality exs. in last five years/ all went way higher/ thats without the 20 percent added comm. fees. I not seen coin with "swan"mm. yet. Here is one with "arrow" mm. Sovereign Rarities graded EF-45 sold for 5500UK pds + 20%.

I think its my 4th comment on that coin, its absolutely beautiful 

7 and 8

are true stunners, especially #8

7 hours ago, Coinmaster said:

Hi all, I've just acquired this interesting denarius from Aelius. Who? Aelius, the almost emperor:

Lucius Aelius Caesar (13 January 101 – 1 January 138) was the father of Emperor Lucius Verus. In 136, he was adopted by the reigning emperor Hadrian and named heir to the throne. He died before Hadrian and thus never became emperor. After Lucius' death, he was replaced by Antoninus Pius, who succeeded Hadrian the same year. (see more here)

On the front: L AELIVS CAESAR, reverse: TRIB POT COS II // PIETAS (in field), Pietas standing right, raising hand and holding incense box; to right, altar. Struck in Rome, 137.
What attracted me was not only the nice portrait, but the additional letters IB on the reverse. This makes this coin the latest denarius of Aelius. It seems (very?) rare as well. The coin was wrongly determined by the seller as RIC 438. It turned out to be RIC II, Part 3 (second edition) Hadrian 2714. On page 258 I see two references, among this plated copy. Another reference is 'rö 10039', although I can't find what this abbreviation stands for? An image is shown on plate 48 (2714). I guess this denarius was struck around these same last days of December, as the ailing Aelius exchanged the temporary for the eternal on the 1st of January 138.

Please share your Aelius coins below, thanks!

Looks suspicious , might be cast… I would check with some other local dealers if you have achance

5 hours ago, Heliodromus said:

Yes - no way of knowing the winner's high bid unless it was yourself (as has been the case with some of those folk on CT).

As a non-winner the only observable irregularity is when the bid order of such a non-winning snipe in these situations is more often W, U rather than U, W. (W = winner, U = underbidder).

As far as auction house reputation, you would think any appearance of impropriety would be something to be avoided, but note also their non-response to the community when they were recently selling coins reported as stolen (as claimed by Michael Gasvoda), or look at Roma (and the apparent lack of impact to their business as a result), or look at what happened to Lanz ... The temptation to engage in shady dealings in the ancient coin business, starting with "unprovenanced" coins must be high, and I guess it's a slippery ethical slope ...

 

Feels like a speculation here: “he said, she said”…

Number # 1 takes the spot for a reason, I would include that Antiochus III Tetradrachm as #2 and Kingdom of Characene Tetradrachm as #3

Great pickups @Cordoba

15 hours ago, Aleph said:

Leu is a bad actor here.  The bidding patterns I have seen leave little doubt.  Good numismatists, dishonest business!

Proof?

14 hours ago, Deinomenid said:

I've had the (mis)fortune to buy from Vinchon and Prunier in France. They were both extremely difficult to arrange delivery  through. 6 months in one case, 5  in the other and this was only partly related to permits. Customer service was poor at best (I'm absolutely not  saying this is a French thing - CGB are prompt and Odysseus is lightning fast.) 

I hope the mailbox route works, but for Vinchon in the end to get my coins a third party had to collect them and mail onwards. It was not unstressful.  PS Hoping you were  not bidding for any of the Regnard collection they just sold. Some highly "original" pieces there egad...

 

 

 

 

I agree, the pieces were fantastic and about 4-5 coins with exceptional eye appeal went for far below market… one of the reasons I don’t bid on Vichon is pain with shipping arrangements and long wait times…

On 12/13/2023 at 3:00 PM, kirispupis said:

I don't have the coin, but I did visit Segovia a few years back.

Absolutely fantastic picture

Absolutely love 1, 2 & obviously 4

45 minutes ago, MrMonkeySwag96 said:

Each state office has their own number. I called the Oklahoma City office as that’s where I reside 

Thank you, do you mind dropping a link here, as I only see general 1-800 on the web?  Much appreciated.

On 12/11/2023 at 3:57 PM, MrMonkeySwag96 said:

I bought this Republican denarius from a dealer in the Netherlands. US customs had my coin in their possession for almost 2 months. I had to give them a call swearing I wasn’t smuggling ancient artifacts lol.

 

Where one can find usps customs phone number per county?

#5 is fantastic 

On 12/12/2023 at 3:24 AM, Prieure de Sion said:

Unfortunately I have to say that I am very very very disappointed with the Leu auction. I can say that now. With Leu I had promised myself that I would get stable prices. I understand that with any auction there is a risk of getting less than you paid. You might only get 75% - maybe even just 50% of the purchase price. But sometimes only 25%? And not just one coin?

I know the prices on the market. And I know what money you can get for which coins at other auctions.

When I look at my prices, I could have given the coins to a less well-known auction house. Savoca, Solidus - even there you have to pay 100 to 150 euros for a good Commodus silver denarius at the auction.

Examples?

 

A very rare Gorndianus III Tetradrachm - hammered at Nomos for 800 CHF - hammered yesterday at Leu for 110 CHF:
https://leunumismatik.com/en/lot/46/2578 

110 CHF! Normally a good and a little rare Tetradrachm are around 200 Euro. Every common 0815 Tetradrachm from Philips I / II you must pay 150-200 Euro. But 110 CHF for that? 

Same as my Commodus Caesar Denarius. Normally you pay for a Commodus as Caesar more than 150 Euro - if it was in a good condition. For example - I don't know any Naumann Auktion I get a good Commodus Caesar or Augustus Denarius lower than 100 Euro. But today - my Commodus sold for 70 CHF or 80 CHF... etc.

Leu Lot and Picture: https://leunumismatik.com/en/lot/46/3765 
My Picture: https://yothr.me/cri/yothr-cri-177-2a-commodus-victory/
Sold 80 CHF

No Info thats a coin from the famous Graham Collection (and I send all informations) - nothing. A Commodus Caesar Denarius from Graham 1972 with fantastic silver color toning and metallic shade - buyer for 350 USD - sold for 80 CHF. Great!

 

And this prices realized for so many of my coins... sold for rubbish prices. 

Sorry - but at every other Auctions I get more. If I know this before - it was better sell the coins for low price at eBay. 

 

ha ha ha in this seconds - thats so "funny": https://leunumismatik.com/en/lot/46/3797 

45 CHF!!! 45 CHF !!!! It was this Commodus: https://yothr.me/cri/yothr-cri-189-1a-commodus-securitas-orbis/ 

Yes - this was not a 150 Euro coin. But 45 CHF is nothing! Now deduct my commission that I have to pay - then it would have been better to give this coin away here. I would have enjoyed it more.

 

What a disaster of an auction. But I saw that the other consignor doesn't have it any other way. Some of the other coins from other consignors also go for junk prices. This auction was a disaster (as a consignor). Good for buyers.

I actually agree with auction house prices, the coins u were selling were not particularly rare, or desirable. So it seems like those were fair market prices for common coins

I really like #1 and #6

Valerian all the waaaayyyy

#5 & #8 are fantastic 

Great thread, fantastic illustrations and design and a pleasure to buy coins from:) Huge shoutout to @LONGINUS

5 hours ago, Prieure de Sion said:

Day 1 - participate Auction
Day 2 - get and pay Invoice
Day 3 - FedEx rings at my door and brings the coins

Thats a Service from Pegasus ... in 3 days (include Auction day) from Sweden to Germany. 

And here are the promised videos.

 

 

 

 

... and my personal favorite with this metallic obverse: 

  

 

And - all coins came neatly packaged with the old (!) collector's cards and all other information. That's very nice, some auction houses destroy the old cards or don't include them.

Real praise and a good start for my first auction at Pegasus. I will take part there again.

Nice!👍🏻 

2 hours ago, Prieure de Sion said:

You're right, lot 8 is really beautiful too. So I bought lot 8 in the Pegasus after sale today. Thanks for the tip - I hadn't even thought about this lot... 🙂 

Then I now have a total of four of the iridescent Republicans.

 

Marcus Aemilius Lepidus; Later triumvir, with Marcus Antonius and Octavian; Reign: Roman Republic; Mint: Rome; Date: 61 BC; Nominal: Denarius; Material: Silver; Diameter: 19mm; Weight: 3.88g; Reference: Sydenham 830b; Reference: Babelon Aemilia 22; Reference: Crawford RRC 419/1d ; Pedigree: Ex Giessener Gorny, Auction May 1991, Lot 442; Obverse: Laureate and diademed female head (Roma or Venus Victrix) right; wreath to left, simpulum to right. Border of dots; Reverse: Equestrian statue of Marcus Aemilius Lepidus right, carrying trophy over shoulder. Border of dots; Inscription: M LEPIDVS AN XV PR H O C S; Translation: Marcus Lepidius Annorum Quindecim Progressus Hostem Occidit Civem Servavit; Translation: Marcus Lepidius, while still in his 15th year and still wearing the toga praetexta, killed an enemy in war and saved a citizen from mortal danger.

Great, congrats! What was the deal 500 euro + 20% fees?

1 hour ago, kirispupis said:

You should just do both! I've never been to Rothenburg ob der Tauber (though I did nearly go there when I was in college and living in Germany), but I've been to Rome and Athens. Definitely prefer Rome between the two. Rome has more to see and parts of Athens have safety concerns. Here are some photos from recent trips.

Luxembourg

 

Santorini

 

Mykonos

 

Bologna

San Marino

Venice

 

Dominican Republic

Zimbabwe

 

South Africa

Fantastic images, definitely worthy of NG, I particularly love pictures from Africa and Venice - great composition and lighting. Very well done!

1 hour ago, Prieure de Sion said:

Yes… but I sleep at lot 2 and come too late online - so passed #2 … but three wins also fine 🙂 

For me lots 2 and 8 were the highlights