NathanB

That's a really nice presentation, Longinus. Did you make it, or does it come from Deacon Ray, or is it from somewhere else? In any case, it looks great, and I like the animal organization of it.

Not the greatest photo (or coin, for that matter), but here's my Julian the Apostate: It's one of my oldest photos (before I used my MF4/3 camera and the black velvet for the background), but I still like the reddish hue this coin has, as well as Julian's portrait, which carries through despite the lower grade. I just wish that he had been able to live at least as long as those twenty year vows.

Everyone is different, but I haven't found materials online to be anywhere near as useful to me as a new learner as books have been. I'm the sort of person who needs some "hooks" to hang new concepts and information on. And I like things organized systematically. I want to see how such-and-such relates to such-and-such. I find that books that are written for pedagogical purposes supply this systematic, conceptual framework that I need. I do know a number of numismatists with far more knowledge than I have argue that one doesn't need to rely on books very much (if at all), but I wonder if they aren't taking for granted the knowledge that they already possess--knowledge which probably came in (large) part from books. Or, perhaps I'm just missing the best learner's websites online! Having said that, I have at least seen some of the online material. I find much of it to be very specialized, though not all, of course. I agree with what others have said here about Sayles. I read his Vol. 1 (3rd edition, if I remember correctly), and found it as a general introduction to ancient coin collecting to be very useful, notwithstanding that it is heavily dated (cf. his discussions of how "the internet" has changed the hobby). Sayles offers a very good overview of the coins and the field of collecting them that beginners can do well to study. I began his second volume in his series--the one on Greek coins--many months ago, but life events put my numismatic learning on hold for a considerable amount of time. I am going to resume now! What I can say, is this: if his Roman book is anything like his Greek book, it will be well, well worth the investment of your time and money. I intend to read the full series. Also, I can mention that if you contact him through Vcoins, you may be able to get a discount if you are ordering more than one volume. And the prices there are quite reasonable to begin with. I am happy to buy from Sayles' Vcoins store, and I recommend it to others. As for Sear, I have his one volume book "Roman Coins and their Values." This is a very concise catalogue that is intended to serve as a reference book. By all means, buy one if you wish, but this is actually one area that I think the internet does considerably better, since Sears' work is, by necessity, leaving out so many coins. Online, there are thousands more coins that are catalogued, with better photos, and current market prices. As for good information about history and numismatics, Sears' work is not the right source for that. It is a very concise catalogue, nothing more--though it is useful as a concise catalogue. I am aware that Sears has a 5 volume version. I am interested in seeing it, but have not been able to get my hands on one yet.

I always see a full moon in the sky over sand dunes, and somehow I'm there. And it's so tranquil. It's an incredibly beautiful scene. Well done!

@sand, this thread will be woefully lacking without a bit from you! You have perhaps my favourite avatar ever.

No not me. It's the title of a nice little article by a metal detectorist. I like his simple, understated narration of his experience, and wish I could have one like it. (I just don't live on the right continent.) Enjoy the article, and by all means, share any stories of your own!

Back in what seems a completely different life, I was teaching an academic writing class to a class of university students in east Asia. The textbook, which was chosen for me, had at the beginning of each chapter a picture of some sort of writing. For the chapter on cause and effect essays, this was the image that graced that page: It was love at first sight. I had already been reading a massive amount of ancient Greek history, drama, and philosophy (all in translation), and had a deep appreciation for, and marvel of, so many of the literary productions of ancient Athens. Aside from the history, and even the mythology (Athens and olives), the design was just so simple, and yet so absolutely beautiful, that I knew I had to own one. That was back in about 2005 or 2006. It wasn't until about 2018 that I decided to go for it. I sold most of my collection of Canadian coins, many of my books and bought my pearl of great price: My Athenian tetradrachm was, for monetary reasons, the only ancient coin I would own for many, many months, and is the only one far outside of my typical price range (about $40-$100 USD). The above reverse image was the merchant's, and it's a great image of a coin I love (although it does tend to impart a gold-ish hue in places that are more silver-coloured in real life). My collection, and my knowledge, have grown very much since that first purchase, but this coin is one that I will treasure always.

So you're looking into getting into ancient coin collecting? Welcome! In a way, I consider myself a good person to answer you because I am relatively new to ancients collecting myself--but I have a lot of experience with Canadian decimal coinage. That experience has taught me a number of things. Where to start? Perhaps I'll just go with a random list of points: don't commit too much money to purchases at this stage. Read, look at pictures, talk to people, reflect on your own interests. My story: I was teaching an academic writing textbook nearly twenty years ago. In it, each chapter began with a photograph of something with writing on it. One chapter began with a picture of an Athenian Tetradrachm with the three letters A - TH - E (short for "Of the Athenians"). I fell in love right then, and knew I had to own one. But it was more than 15 years until I could part with enough cash to buy one (my avatar). At this point, that's likely to be a once-in-a-lifetime purchase for me, unless the heavens open and rain gold down around me! It's also my highest-grade coin, too. Most of my coins cost only a fraction of that one. the old adage "buy the book before the coin" has great insight. Nowadays, you don't necessarily need to buy a book, but I recommend not spending any very serious money until you have acquired some knowledge not only of coins, but also of how the market works. At the most basic level, you don't want to buy fakes on eBay, for example. Without knowledge, you may not know how to spot such fakes. Your best option right now is to stick to reputable dealers, like those on Ma-shops or VCoins. Most offer a lifetime guarantee of authenticity. so it is usually safe to buy from them. notwithstanding the fact that so much knowledge is available on the internet, I would encourage you to build a small numismatic library. I don't mean spending thousands of dollars on obscure books you will never read. No: for now, just buy a few basic introductions to the field, whether that be Greek, Roman, Greek and Roman, or whatever. I can recommend a few titles if you're interested, but that might be better as another post on its own. At the beginning, just two or three books will go a long, long way to providing you with essential knowledge that you will need to enjoy your hobby and also to make good purchases. don't assume what you are doing is an investment. Too many people do, and then become extremely upset when their treasures end up being bought by dealers at anywhere from 10% to 50% of what they paid for them (even without inflation being factored in!). Many people try, but very few people make money in numismatics. No: buy what you want because you like it, because you want to learn something from it, because it brings you joy. Don't buy thinking you are going to make money because you almost certainly won't. when you are buying, if you are thinking of resale value, beware of coins with significant flaws. Of course, few ancient coins are going to be perfect, but some things will really stand out. Unusual scratches, for example. Porous surfaces are another thing you need to be very cognizant of. A coin with good eye appeal, but which has bad surfaces, will eventually degrade over time. The resale value of that coin will be less than it would be otherwise. On the other hand, perhaps that's the only way you can afford to pick up a particular design or piece! So that kind of thing works both ways. Mostly, such problems present a liability, but on occasion, they can produce an opportunity. Just be aware of them. grade isn't everything. Of course we'd all love to find affordable hoards of MS70's! But ancient coins as a field doesn't work that way. Coins are rarely (compared to moderns, anyway), in mint state, for one thing. If you can get a high-grade coin for a good price, and you like it, that's great. But a well-worn coin can still have grace, eye appeal, and a very real charm of its own! Your hard-earned dollars will go much farther if you downgrade (if you'll pardon the pun) your expectations from mint state to something like "Fine" or "Very Fine." go for eye appeal. Even exempting all the really dirt-cheap ancient coins out there, there are so many ugly ancient coins, and we all have them. But try to avoid them unless it's unavoidable. You don't need to spend a fortune to get good design, executed well. Late Roman Bronze (LRB's) are an excellent case in point, as many cost less than a fast food meal, as has already been pointed out here. But this principle holds true for Greek coins, too. Seleukid coins are particularly affordable. A coin is more likely to speak to you if it is beautiful, even in a worn state. Let's say you can buy a particular kind of coin for as little as 5 Euros. Let's say it's a common coin, meaning that you could easily find a coin with more detail, nicer surfaces, that sort of thing. Maybe paying just 5 Euros more will get you a significantly better coin. Go for that one, not the first one! Or maybe you need to spend 40 Euros to get a really lovely example. That might be worth it. It might not. But in general: avoid very cheap, ugly coins. it is received wisdom amongst many collectors that one should specialize in order to have a coin collection. I completely disagree. If you want to specialize: good for you! But if you don't, also, still, good for you! Perhaps you are more interested in building a collection that showcases the diversity of ancient coinage rather than a collection of only one narrower area. One of these approaches is not better than the other for each person. You're the collector, so you get to make that call. The same goes for slabbed vs. unslabbed coins. There is a lot of fundamentalism within the hobby over this very issue. I'm more pragmatic: if you want your coins slabbed, then great. And if you don't, then also great. You are collecting coins for you, not for others. That said, 99% of the affordable ancient coins will not be slabbed (even if one wanted to, it would not be cost-effective for most) try to figure out what motivates you as a person. Is it the love of the designs themselves? Is it about art history? Or are you more into military or political history? Are you attracted to one geographical area (e.g. Spain) over another (e.g. Thrace)? Or are you interested in coins that have some connection with literature? Whatever the case is, put your money where your interest is. The basic sub-fields of ancient collecting are: Greek Roman Republic Roman Imperial Roman Provincial (formerly often called "Greek Imperial") Byzantine many collectors write off the Greek category out of modestly ("I'll never understand that field!"), or because of price. While Greek coins are pricier, in general, it is possible to buy many nice Greek coins at 30 Euros each. I would encourage you to consider this field. If you like it, great. If not, well, there are many more fields to choose from! But don't pre-eliminate it. there is often better value to be found in the Roman Provincial category than in the Roman Imperial one. Roman provincials can be extremely affordable. You might get a nice, decent Augustus for 30 Euros, for example. I'll conclude with a couple of "postcard" type images of one Seleukid Greek coin, and one Roman Provincial coin. Neither one broke the bank! Well, good luck in your collecting.

Ah-ha! It seems I'm back. My thanks to @Severus Alexander for suggesting I come this way. And before I proceed, I note that in an effort to be a new and improved NathanB, I will attempt to avoid politics almost completely, and to concentrate on the coins themselves, ancient texts that speak of them, and the joys that come of discussing those things here with you all. There are some really nice Seleukids here! Very nice, very expensive--at least to me. Of course I'd love to own them! I'll start with my worst one, both in terms of the coin itself, and also the photo of it (one of my very first): Above: Antiochus II. AE 16 mm, 3.42 g. It may not be pretty, but it's mine! Quite some time after taking the above picture, I was able to learn some tips from a number of good people over at CT (some of whom are here). The next photos are a step up. I do truly love the green patina on this "bottlecap" coin of Antiochus VI: Above: Antiochus VI. Serrate AE 22 mm, 7.52 g. Here's another Seleukid, but the image is much smaller--it's a snip of an image, actually: Above: Demetrios I Soter. Serrate AE 19.8 mm , 7.2 g. I find the above coin rather interesting because the portrait is so small compared to the size of the flan. The fact that it's so off-center accentuates that. Below is another coin with a lovely green patina: Above: Demetrios I Soter. Serrate AE 16, 4.04 g. And apparently I don't have enough Demetrios I Soter's in my life, so... Above: Demetrios I Soter again--Serrate AE 20 mm, 6.48 g. I think I've saved the best of Mr. DIS for the last. As some of you know, I am very much a beginner at coin photography, but I was really very happy with my picture of another bottlecap coin below--and it's a rather large one: Above: Demetrios I Soter. Serrate AE 25 mm, 14.56 g. And it's worth pointing out that this is a common coin. It is a very large and heavy coin, but it's nothing special in terms of grade, surfaces, and so on. But I had such fun when I was taking the above pictures! But enough of Demetrios I Soter. Below, we see a coin from a usurper: Above: Alexander II Zabinas. Serrate AE 17 mm, 6.68 g. Finally, I also have one Seleukid coin that I have not been able to identify as to which Seleucus it is from: Above: Seleucus, but which one? (AE 16 mm, 4.9 g.) I actually do have a few recently-arrived unphotographed Seleukid coins. A few of them are from one of the earliest step-[insert-Samuel L Jackson's favourite on-screen word here]'s in history. There's a well-known story in Plutarch and a number of very famous paintings that take their inspiration from that story, but I think that will be a few pairs of photos for another time. On another note, why the Seleukids? Short answer: they're cheap as--well, you know what! I think the value you get as a collector for your hard-earned dollars is really on the high end with so many of the Seleukids. Aside from being excellent value for your dollar, they are also from a dynasty that oversaw one of the most ethnically diverse kingdoms that came out of the aftermath of Alexander. The western borders of the kingdom at its height nearly took in Macedon itself, and probably would have if it weren't for the untimely assassination of Seleucus I by Ptolemy Ceraunus. To the east, it reached up to what is now Afghanistan and Pakistan. The Bactrian and Indo-Greek kingdoms there were direct offshoots from the Seleukid one, and they have their own fascinating histories--and, of course, coins! -- UPDATE: Does anyone know how I can delete the few photos that keep showing up at the end of my post? I've tried deleting them several times over, and they keep showing up anyway.