New Acquisition - I am speechless!

[CPK]

Is this what happens when you get outbid too many times in too many auctions?

I wouldn't call it an impulse buy...but I can't deny that after having so many previous bids in other auctions get defeated, I was perhaps not in the best frame of mind to be bidding in another recent auction. But I did, and there was definitely a distinct feeling of "what have I done" when I saw that my bid won. 😬

My feelings oscillated between delight and disgust. Delight because the coin looked amazing and well beyond anything I had in my collection. Disgust because I hadn't been planning on getting this particular type, had in fact been saving for another, and now I'll have to divert those funds into this unexpected purchase. Plus, I wouldn't consider the price paid a bargain.

A couple days ago I received the coin in the mail. And I have to say that I am simply stunned by the magnificence of this new coin. Yes, I still harbor feelings of guilt about the whole thing, but. This coin is incredible. Beautiful detail, well-struck. Lovely portrait style with full, clear inscription. Wonderfully toned. Much better in hand than even the auction house's photos.

My first thought was, "this coin does not belong in my collection." It's just too nice - it's the sort of coin I'm used to seeing posted by @Octavius or @Romancollector. 😉

Pictures simply cannot do it justice but here it is anyway!

 

Interestingly, I found a double-die match in CNG's archives:

CNG: eAuction 360. Augustus. 27 BC-AD 14. AR Denarius (21mm, 3.60 g, 6h). Uncertain Spanish mint (Colonia Patricia?). Struck 19-18 BC. (cngcoins.com)

 

 

All in all, I'm still a bit conflicted about this coin. But getting it in hand has made me a considerably less annoyed with myself, and I think the coin was probably worth blowing out my coin budget for the foreseeable future. I hope anyway. 😯 In any case, I won't be buying any more coins for quite a while, so I might as well enjoy this one!

Feel free to post your own "impulse" buys, Augustus coins, or anything else you think is relevant and uplifting!

[Roman Collector]

That's beautiful! Sometimes a coin calls and you have to answer!

[Octavius]

 Absolutely beautiful coin and historical as well. Congratulations, and don't worry - the guilt WILL fade away! The coin will remain.

[Romancollector]

Congrats on your pickup! A great addition of historical significance! And thank you for the compliment, I wouldn't consider my coins exceptional by any means...The issues of Augustus are my favourite across all areas of Roman coinage and I would like to add as many as possible. Unfortunately, I haven't had any luck this year! 😞 I was outbid on one in Kuenker and I had to forgo a few others in recent auctions so that my bid on the Nero & Agrippina denarius would be adequate.

Here's my denarius depicting the Curia Julia on the reverse.

 

[ambr0zie]

I don't have a coin of this caliber in my collection but I sure know the feeling. Mixed feeling I should say: "what a gorgeous coin ... I don't deserve this ... but hey, this hole in the budget is just as majestic".

But there is a worse scenario - I had situations where the auctions were not successful, I lost some main targets and decided to "adapt" and buy other coins that were available. And then, why just 2,  let's get 8 or 10. When the invoice was generated, I wasn't the happiest man in the world. Bottom line - the main question I had was - why buying these 10 coins I don't need so much rather than keeping my budget for 1 or 2 coins that will appear in the future.

I don't regret any coins I ever bought but the lesson I learned was simple. If I buy a coin as an impulse (not something I usually collect) the mandatory condition is that the coin needs to be cheap.

Certainly, your coin is an excellent addition, a coin that would reach yearly top 10 for any collector, including the most exigent ones. I know it wasn't cheap - but the importance on this coin is heavier on a long term. I think it's a better acquisitions than buying 10 worse coins.

[kirispupis]

That's a gorgeous Augustus. It's far more interesting than the one I have, which is super common.

I have that "what have I done?" feeling right now, as I just won four coins at the current CNG auction! All are P1 coins (for reference, until today I'd only managed to procure three P1 coins this entire year). I honestly didn't think I'd win all four!

Of course, that means I won't be bidding on another P1 coin in tomorrow's Roma. It's already gone relatively high and I was debating to spring for it, but not now - at least for a good reason. 🙂 

 

 

[CPK]

Thanks everyone!

Here is a video of the coin, from different angles in natural light. Like I said, just too nice for my collection! 😉

(Hope it works - never tried uploading a video clip before.)

 

 

[LONGINUS]

I know the feeling!

Thank you for posting your beautiful Augustus Denarius. @CPK! I appreciate your description of the range of emotions you went through after making the purchase.

When I was in the process of building my denarii collection, I decided there were four that I really wanted — Augustus, Tiberius, Nero, and a Vespasian Judaea Capta. I also preferred that they be in the VF to XF range. I knew that those coins are traditionally more expensive than most of the other emperors and empresses. I searched VCoins and MA-SHOPS every chance I could until I found some that were on the high side (for my budget) but I ”bit the bullet” so to speak and nonetheless made the purchases.

The following morning a bit of ”buyer’s remorse” hit me, so I had to psych myself up again and repeat in my head over and over that ”it was the right thing to do.” The remorse gradually left me and turned into elation when I had the coins in hand.

 

Although these are outclassed by your awesome Augustus, I’m very happy and content to have them in this condition.

The remorse is completely gone.

 

Edited November 2, 2022 by LONGINUS

[Romismatist]

Love the coin, it looks incredible!

Here's my own recent "impulse" buy which I kind of regret now (but not really). It's a late AE of Tarentum (c. 280 BC). These types are relatively scarce in great condition and go for way more than I paid. The city name is also rarely legible, which it is on this specimen. I put in what I thought was a low bid at the time and won it at my max bid. However, I glossed over the note that the coin was "leicht bearbeitet" ie "lightly tooled", which likely kept many higher bidders away. The coin does look a bit too perfect, but a closer evaluation shows that it wasn't reworked too extensively, and it does have a nice apple-green patina that is nicer in hand than the picture shows.

I know how many people feel about tooled coins (and I'm one of them - hence the partial regret) but the reality is that I probably wouldn't have been able to afford a coin in any condition even approaching this one otherwise. 

[CPK]

10 minutes ago, Romismatist said:

Love the coin, it looks incredible!

Here's my own recent "impulse" buy which I kind of regret now (but not really). It's a late AE of Tarentum (c. 280 BC). These types are relatively scarce in great condition and go for way more than I paid. The city name is also rarely legible, which it is on this specimen. I put in what I thought was a low bid at the time and won it at my max bid. However, I glossed over the note that the coin was "leicht bearbeitet" ie "lightly tooled", which likely kept many higher bidders away. The coin does look a bit too perfect, but a closer evaluation shows that it wasn't reworked too extensively, and it does have a nice apple-green patina that is nicer in hand than the picture shows.

I know how many people feel about tooled coins (and I'm one of them - hence the partial regret) but the reality is that I probably wouldn't have been able to afford a coin in any condition even approaching this one otherwise. 

Thanks!

Nice coin. I can see why you may have felt regret after realizing that it was "tooled" - that's an ugly word for most ancient coin collectors. But at least it's not so bad as to be unacceptable to you, and it always helps if it was a low price!

[CPK]

4 hours ago, LONGINUS said:

I know the feeling!

Thank you for posting your beautiful Augustus Denarius. @CPK! I appreciate your description of the range of emotions you went through after making the purchase.

When I was in the process of building my denarii collection, I decided there were four that I really wanted — Augustus, Tiberius, Nero, and a Vespasian Judaea Capta. I also preferred that they be in the VF to XF range. I knew that those coins are traditionally more expensive than most of the other emperors and empresses. I searched VCoins and MA-SHOPS every chance I could until I found some that were on the high side (for my budget) but I ”bit the bullet” so to speak and nonetheless made the purchases.

The following morning a bit of ”buyer’s remorse” hit me, so I had to psych myself up again and repeat in my head over and over that ”it was the right thing to do.” The remorse gradually left me and turned into elation when I had the coins in hand.

 

Although these are outclassed by your awesome Augustus, I’m very happy and content to have them in this condition.

The remorse is completely gone.

 

Very nice little denarii collection! I also have a "Tribute Penny" denarius but I lack the Judaea Capta and Nero. At one point I did have a Judaea Capta like yours - albeit more like "about Fine" - but later sold it. I'd kind of like to get one of the larger bronze issues with the palm tree and the bound captive, but not sure when that is going to happen! 

Nero is another denarius I'd like to get. Worn ones aren't too hard to come by, but like you I think I'd rather shoot higher and go for a VF - EF. 

And now I'd better stop talking about buying more coins...🙄😄

[Severus Alexander]

Here is an Augustus denarius and a quinarius, both of which I got for what I felt was a bargain.  I have no doubt that I would enjoy your coin more than both of these put together. Wanna trade? 😄

Congrats on a fabulous acquisition!

[CPK]

9 hours ago, Severus Alexander said:

Here is an Augustus denarius and a quinarius, both of which I got for what I felt was a bargain.  I have no doubt that I would enjoy your coin more than both of these put together. Wanna trade? 😄

Congrats on a fabulous acquisition!

Mm, no thanks! 😉 But those are both excellent coins, to be sure. Great portrait and toning on the first and wow, beautiful detail on the second! 👍

[Qcumbor]

I know the feeling so well too. That's a beautiful coin you will soon be very proud to have acquired before It costs twice what you paid when you got it

When I purchased the following, everybody was screaming how fool I was to pay so much for such a common coin. Twenty years later, I couldn't even dream acquiring it

 

Q

[Spaniard]

@CPK...

That's a stunning coin and beautifully displayed...A coin that you'll cherish for many years to come!.....Enjoy!

I must admit I'm not very impulsive when it comes to buying coins and this one was completely outside of my collecting area. It's still my only British celtic coin in my collection but stands as one of my favourites. 

 

Britannia, Trinovantes & Catuvellauni. Cunobelin. Circa 9-41 AD. AE Unit (2.437 g, 14mm).
Obv: Winged head left, CVNO in front, BELIN behind.
Rev: Metal worker, presumably the smith god known as Sucellus in parts of Gaul, sitting on a solid seat with a detached upright back, holding an L-shaped hammer in his right hand, left hand holding a metal bowl, there is always a distinct bun of hair behind the smith's head, TASCIO (Tascionus his father) behind, beaded border.
Van Arsdell 2097; ABC 2969; SCBC 342. Hobbs 1972-83;..VF.

[Nerosmyfavorite68]

Congratulations!  It's a really wonderful coin!