The Budget Game! $500-$700 edition

[JayAg47]

How about we start a new thread on posting coins with increasing cost, and also include when you bought them!

Not only it helps track the change in coin prices over the years but also we can see what sort of gems you got for bargain or the ones you simply overpaid! 

Stick to ancient/medieval coins, even pre-industrial coins, but not anything post 20th century. 

For the next couple of days post your coins that cost under 50 dollars, including any gifts even if their retail value are more than 50 bucks.

 

Edited April 23, 2023 by JayAg47

[Nerosmyfavorite68]

C. 2000, I bought as many of these $1.50 coins as I could afford (being a poor college student, it was only about 200).  $1.50 2nd century Asses/Dupondii (a few decrepit Agrippas) and 20-30mm. Balkan provincials.  Also some small trachea.  Most were pretty great for the price, few being under VG (with a good deal of fines).  Most of the imperials were patina-less.  The Balkans were mixed, most having some.

Nov. 2022, $60 for 4 semi-uncleaned ChrosroesII drachms, which I found to be a good deal.

 

C. 2009, Dr. Fishman had pick bins of certain types.  $25 for the c. 305 folles, and they were really nice, VF or better.  He had a $6 'premium' Middle Eastern uncleaned.  While it wasn't truly uncleaned, there was a little bit of dirt in the fields, it was a really nice Contantius II AE4.

Oh, and my best pick bin memory; Allen Berman's 4 for 20 Byzantine junk boxers.  They were pretty nice for type (have you ever seen a really wonderful Justin I?  I haven't).  They were average to nice Justin I Folles, Heraclius S805, a few smaller ones, with the occasional worn Tetarteron. I always requested the folles and he was nice enough to usually humor me.

2022: Dirtyoldcoins has $12 'high quality middle eastern'. While not bad, they were mostly fine.  Mix of smaller Ants and post-reform radiates.

Most recent buy, a semi-uncleaned Galerius for $25

I remember the 1995 HJB pick bins.  I remember there were three tiers of prices, though I can't remember what exactly they were.  I think the top tier was $30?  They were probably overpriced but it was fun to go through.

I still vividly remember the gobs of rustyGordian Ants.  I've never been able to find another rusty ant.

We'd be here all day if I pulled out all of the under $50 coins I have on record.  I'll come back to a few when I have time.  My online records go back to 2009.  I didn't have a ton of money to spend on coins, so I bought a lot of decrepit 50 and unders.

Come to think of it, remember Incitatus coin's ridiculous deal of the week? It might have been not that but somehow I got a Domitian Sestertius for $9.  Not wonderful, but not the bd-encrusted hunk one would expect.  Stripped and maybe VG+.  Not the IOVI VICTORI type, but I forget which one.  It must have not been ridiculous deal because I have no picture and description, just my memory.

Depending on what start date one counts, I've been collecting since c. 1985/1993.

[Steppenfool]

£35 from London Ancient Coins March 2021

 

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£35 Pashiz Coins January 2021

 

[sand]

Here are a couple of coins, for which I happen to have photos, which cost $50 or less, including shipping etc. I have other coins, for which I paid $50 or less, but I don't currently have photos of them, other than seller photos. Both of these coins are Byzantine trachy (cup shaped) coins. Byzantine coins seem to have risen in value during the past 3 years, but I still see some good deals, occasionally. For both of these examples, the "obverse" convex side is poorly struck or worn, but the "reverse" concave side, which shows the Emperor, looks pretty good, in my opinion. Both coins have a nice patina, in my opinion. Both coins are bronze, of course, because Byzantine bronze coins are usually much cheaper than Byzantine silver or gold.

I bought this Byzantine Andronicus I trachy in April 2020 for $45 including shipping etc. A pretty good deal, I think.

Andronicus I Billon Aspron Trachy. 1183 AD To 1185 AD. Constantinople Mint. Sear 1985. DO 3. Diameter 28 mm. Weight 3.40 grams. Obverse : Mary Full Length Facing Front With Halo Standing On Dais Holding On Breast Head Of Infant Jesus Christ With Halo Facing Front M-Rho On Left Theta-V On Right. M-Rho Theta-V Is Abbreviation For "Meter Tou Theou" Greek For "Mother Of God". Reverse : On Left Emperor Full Length Facing Front Holding Labarum In Right Hand Holding Globus Cruciger In Left Hand On Right Jesus Christ With Halo Full Length Facing Three Quarters Crowning Emperor. 
 

And, I bought this Byzantine Latin Rule trachy in March 2021 for $50 including shipping etc. An excellent deal, in my opinion.

Latin Rule : Billon Trachy. 1204 AD to 1261 AD. Constantinople Mint. Sear 2035. Diameter 20 mm. Weight 1.12 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.

Edited April 23, 2023 by sand

[expat]

32Euros, January 2023

 

[shanxi]

10 GBP, 2023, London Ancient Coins

Faustina Junior (Augusta, 147-175).

Thrace, Pautalia.

Æ (21mm, 6.46g, 6h).

Obv.: Draped bust r.

Rev.: Hygieia standing r., feeding serpent from patera.

RPC IV.1 online 3928 

[sand]

@Cordoba Those are interesting coins, which seem like very good deals for $42 each. It's interesting, how the Artuqid coin looks so much like a Byzantine coin on the reverse side, with a Byzantine Emperor being crowned by Mary on the reverse, even though the Artuqid dynasty was Sunni Muslim. However, it makes sense, because the Artuqid dynasty seems to have been geographically close to the Byzantine Empire at that time (or at least, where the Byzantine Empire was 70 years before your coin was minted), from my limited knowledge of the Artuqid dynasty. The Byzantine Empire is called the "Roman Empire" in the 2nd map below, because the Byzantine Empire was the Eastern Roman Empire. It's also interesting, how both coins show human faces, even though both coins were minted by Sunni Muslim dynasties. In my limited knowledge of Islamic coins, it seems like, human faces were not usually shown, during medieval times. I don't know, about modern times.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Artuqids 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zengid_dynasty 

Edited April 23, 2023 by sand

[Orange Julius]

Most of my coins fall in this range as kids are expensive and my coin budget is small these days. Here’s a few recent purchases (all in 2023) that I thought were great deals for under $25. I have some great recent deals in the $25-$50 range too but many of those are still unphotographed. 

UNDER $25

Constantine MARTI CONSERVATORI $23

Claudius II Tetradrachm ~$15

Claudius II AEQVITAS from Milan $7

Diocletian Tetradrachm $12

Aurelian Tetradrachm ~$18

Leo VI ~$18

Edited April 23, 2023 by Orange Julius

[John Conduitt]

I got these in the last year for under $50. This is just some of the ancients. Medievals have similarly low value coins that are really quite nice.

This was probably my cheapest ancient from an auction house that wasn't in a larger lot. CNG, $45:

Philip I Antoninianus, 246

Rome, 5th officina. Silver, 23mm, 4.31g. Radiate, draped, and cuirassed bust right. Annona standing left, holding cornucopia and grain ears over modius to left (RIC IV, 28c). Ex Ken Bressett. From the Dorchester (Dorset) Hoard 1936. Portable Antiquities Scheme: IARCH-5E5FEF.

And this my cheapest from a dealer. GB Collection, $40:

Maximian I Second Reign Follis, 307

London. Bronze, 25mm, 7.28g. Laureate and cuirassed bust right; DN MAXIMIANO PFS AVG. Genius standing left, turret on head, holding patera and cornucopia; GENIO POP ROM; PLN in exergue (RIC VI, 90).

I've also got a few coins cheaply by buying lots. I'm usually after just one coin in the lot so actually it's more expensive to start with, but then I sell the excess and keep a couple of others that I wouldn't have otherwise bought.

Noonans, $11:

Cantian D Class I Angular Bull Potin, 85-50BC

Cantii Tribe, Kent. Potin, 11-17mm, 1.36g. Head of Apollo right, pellet in centre. Bull of straight lines butting left (S 63; ABC 171; VA 129-01).

Same lot, $11:

Cunobeline Unit, Celtic Trinovantes Tribe, 9-40

Camulodunon (Roman Camulodunum, modern Colchester). Bronze, 14mm, 2.19g. Janiform head; CVNO below. Sow seated right beneath a tree; CAMV on panel below (ABC 2981; S 346; V 2105 ‘Trinovantian W’).

This coin might be wrongly attributed. I'm never sure about Laodicea ad Mare. This was $5:

Julia Domna (under Septimius Severus) Denarius, 196-202

Laodicea ad Mare, Syria. Silver, 16mm, 2.15g. Bust of Julia Domna, hair waved and coiled at back, draped, right; IVLIA AVGVSTA. Juno, veiled, draped, standing left, holding patera in extended right hand and sceptre in left hand; at feet, left, peacock; IVNO REGINA (RIC IV, 640). Found Hertfordshire.

This was in a lot of 4 similar coins. $12 each:

Magnentius Centenionalis, 351-353

Arles. Bronze, 17mm, 4.40g. Bust of Magnentius, bareheaded, draped, cuirassed, right; A behind bust; D N MAGNEN-TIVS P F AVG. Two Victories, winged, draped, facing each other, holding between them a wreath inscribed VOT/V/MVL/X surmounted by ☧; VICTORIAE DD AVG ET CAE; I in field. Mintmark SAR in exergue (RIC VIII, 184). From the Compton Dundon (Somerset) Hoard 2017. Portable Antiquities Scheme: GLO-574C93.

I get a lot of my cheaper coins from eBay. Not the best looking or the rarest, but coins that fit my collection and give me something to look at and research while I save up for the expensive ones. This is just a few.

I posted about a Roman Republic A. Caecilius As, 169-158BC, with letter from the British Museum dated 1948. eBay $30.

eBay $35:

Trajan II Decius 1st Issue Antoninianus, 249

Rome. Silver, 22mm, 3.54g. Radiate draped and cuirassed bust right, seen from behind; IMP TRAIANVS DECIVS AVG. Dacia standing left, holding draco standard; DACIA (RIC IV, 2B). Found near Basingstoke, Hampshire.

eBay $15:

Valerian I Antoninianus, 254-255

Viminacium. Billon, 22mm, 4.33g. Radiate draped Bust right; IMP C P LIC VALERIANVS AVG. Saturn standing right holding scythe; AETERNITATI AVGG (RIC V, 210). Purportedly from the Bristol (Somerset) II Hoard 1996.

eBay $20:

Claudius II Gothicus Antoninianus, 268-270

Rome. Billon, 18mm, 3.31g. Bust of Claudius Gothicus, radiate, cuirassed, right; IMP C CLAVDIVS AVG. Jupiter, nude except for cloak around shoulders, standing left, holding thunderbolt in right hand and sceptre in left hand; IOVI VICTORI; N in right field (RIC V, 54). Found Royston, Hertfordshire.

Tetricus I is rarely more than $50. eBay $11:

Tetricus I Antoninianus, 271-274

Cologne/Southern Gallic Mint. Billon, 17mm, 2.16g. Bust of Tetricus I, radiate, draped, cuirassed, right; IMP C TETRICVS P F AVG. Victory, winged, draped, walking left, holding wreath in right hand and palm in left hand; VICTORIA AVG (RIC V, 141). From the Mossy Bottom Barn (West Sussex) Hoard 1999.

eBay $11:

Allectus Quinarius, 293-296

Londinium. Bronze, 19mm, 2.28g. Bust of Allectus, radiate, cuirassed, right; IMP C ALLECTVS P F AVG. Galley with mast, rowing left; VIRTVS AVG; QL in exergue (RIC V.1, 55). Found in Kent in the 1980s.

[Roman Collector]

This Hadrian snack hammered for 19 Euro in an auction last week. With juice, currency exchange, PayPal fees, and its share of the overall shipping costs, it worked out to US $29.72.

Edited April 23, 2023 by Roman Collector

[expat]

A few weeks ago I bought 25 coins for 60 Euros, so 2.40 Euros per coin. Here are a few

 

[CPK]

Fun idea for a thread! Thanks @JayAg47!

These were all part of a couple group lots I won from CNG a year or so ago. Average cost after fees and shipping came to about $6 per coin. Of course these are some of the nicer ones.

 

 

 

[Steppenfool]

£41 from  CDMA, July 2021

 

 

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£41 from Kornblum - May 2021

 

 

£35 from Monetarium, April 2022.

 

[Hughie Dwyer]

My first ancients were roman bronzes from lots I found on eBay (although I did buy a few individually). Each lot would range from just a few pounds to £30. I have just over 70 coins now and probably spent about the same amount. 

Here are a few:

[Hughie Dwyer]

I then decided that I wanted to own a bit of English history (I live in England) with the idea of starting a collection of English Medieval. However, they just don't 'speak' to me like ancient coins do.

I don't know, maybe someday (when I'm more experienced), I might be able to wander off the beaten track that is Roman Imperial Coinage; I've heard it's great fun! 😁😃

Just under £20.

 

[Edessa]

One of the few advantages that we old Geezers have is that we were around before the market went bonkers. $48 each from Ed Owen in February 1997. To be fair, someone who had collected ancients in the 1960's would have probably thought that this price was ridiculous.

Divus Antoninus Pius. Died AD 161. AR Denarius (18mm, 3.23g, 5h). Rome mint, struck under Marcus Aurelius, after AD 161. Obv: DIVVS ANTONINVS; Bare head right. Rev: CONSECRATIO; Eagle standing right, head left, upon garlanded altar. Ref: RIC 431 (Aurelius); BMCRE (Aurelius and Verus) 48 and 50-4; RSC 155-6.

Divus Antoninus Pius. Died AD 161. AR Denarius (16mm, 3.38g, 11h). Commemorative issue. Rome mint, struck under Marcus Aurelius and Lucius Verus, AD 162. Obv: DIVVS ANTONINVS; Bare head right. Rev: DIVO PIO; Rectangular altar, with horns on top and door in front. Ref: RIC (Marcus Aurelius) 441; BMCRE (Marcus Aurelius and Lucius Verus) 71; RSC 357. 

[JayAg47]

$20, Feb 2023 from a local coin show, thought it was a LRB due to thick brown encrustations, but still bought it as I saw few spots of silvery flakes, got home, treated with sodium thiosulfate and revealed the siliqua within! 

Julian the Apostate
Ar Siliqua
DN CL IVLIANVS AVG
VOTIS V MVLTIS X
TR (Treveri), Palm branch next to mint mark,
360-363 AD, 1.65g.

$47, 2021.  From eBay, again horn silvering on the reverse (which I later treated) and the worn obverse made it cheap.

CILICIA, Soloi, (430-390 B.C.), stater (11.1 gms.), obverse Female figure (Amazon) kneeling left, examining bow, in field, right mask of satyr., reverse Bunch of grapes with stalk, in lower left field fly and the inscription ΣOΛEΩN to the right, the whole within shallow incuse square, (Dewing 2492; SNG Von Aulock 5858 var; Sear 5601).

 $20, 2021, eBay.

Gallienus Antoninianus- $20
Neptune resting leg on galley, holding trident.
Antioch, 267 CE.
3.9g.

$30, 2020, eBay. A worn Nero denarius, but still has a nice obverse.

 

[Nerosmyfavorite68]

Lucius Verus, 1.80 Francs, c. 1900.

 

$41, Aug, 2010.

CLAUDIUS AE sestertius. Struck circa 41-50 AD. TI CLAVDIVS CAESAR AVG P M TR P IMP, laureate head right. Reverse - EX SC OB CIVES SERVATOS in four lines within oak wreath. RIC 96. 33mm, 25.3g.

 

[seth77]

7 hours ago, Nerosmyfavorite68 said:

Lucius Verus, 1.80 Francs, c. 1900.

 

$41, Aug, 2010.

CLAUDIUS AE sestertius. Struck circa 41-50 AD. TI CLAVDIVS CAESAR AVG P M TR P IMP, laureate head right. Reverse - EX SC OB CIVES SERVATOS in four lines within oak wreath. RIC 96. 33mm, 25.3g.

 

The Verus was bought from Boudeau, an excellent provenance.

Edited April 24, 2023 by seth77

[JayAg47]

Lets move on to the next bracket, for the next two days post your coins that cost you between 50-100 dollars. 

Here are some of my favourites, 

$90, Aug 2020, eBay. When I first stated collecting Roman coins, I wanted some sort of goal and putting together the 5 good emperors seemed doable. This one's not only my best looking denarius but also the most expensive at that time. 

$91, Jan 2021, Almanumis (Ma-shops). My first coin of the first emperor.

Augustus Quinarius
Emerita Augusta
25-23 BC, Legate P. Carisius,
1.9g.

$60, Jul 2020, Preafectus Coins (Vcoins). A lifetime drachm of Alexander III.

Alexander III Drachm, life-time issue- Lampsakos mint.
328-323 BC.
4.2g

[shanxi]

80 Euro, 2023, small but nice

Kios
Asia Minor, Bithynia
345-315 BCE
Obv.: Laureate head of Apollo right.
Rev.: ΠPOΞ / ENOΣ, Prow of galley left, decorated with star and a dolphin
AR, 14mm, 2.51g
Ref.: SNG Ashmolean 360-1; HGC 7, 553.

 

 

[CPK]

About $90 from Tom Vossen:

Slightly less than that, from Savoca:

 

[Roman Collector]

This coin of British association was US $88.33 with all the juice and shipping and currency exchange fees etc. I bought it about 6 weeks ago.

Faustina I, 138-140 CE.
Roman Æ dupondius, 11.37 g, 25.1 mm, 5 h.
Rome, 153-155 CE.
Obv: DIVA FAVSTINA, bare-headed and draped bust, right.
Rev: AETERNITAS S C, Pietas standing left, raising right hand and holding incense box in left.
Refs: RIC 1162(a); BMCRE 1542; Cohen 44; Strack 1270; RCV –; Walker nos. 289-97, pl. XXXVII.

[sand]

Many of my ancient coins, and medieval coins, cost $50 to $100. For most of them, I haven't yet taken my own photos. Of the coins for which I've taken my own photos, here are 2 of my favorites. Like many of my ancient coins, these 2 coins are bronze.

In June 2020, I paid $73 including shipping etc, for this Roman Republic Janus As. That was a pretty good deal, in my opinion.

Roman Republic. Anonymous AE As. 211 BC To 206 BC. Rome Mint. Sear 627. Crawford 56/2. Diameter 32.0 mm. Weight 36.69 grams. Obverse : Janus With "I" Above. Reverse : Ship's Prow With "I" Above.
 

In October 2020, I paid $54 including shipping etc, for this ancient Chinese Wu Zhu. Not a bad deal, in my opinion.

China. Western Han Dynasty. AE Wu Zhu. Circa 140 BC. Diameter 25.8 mm. Weight 2.73 grams. Obverse : Wu Zhu Meaning 5 Zhu In Chinese. Reverse : Blank With Raised Inner Rim And Raised Outer Rim.

[NewStyleKing]

Lets change $ for £'s and we get this pair I bought for £94.3 each!  In 2013 from the old Gitbud Neuman now NN from a hoard that somehow skipped the Balkan authorities to end up in Germany and into my lap!

All the coins in the hoard were jet black/blue but were difficult to see through so I dipped them!

The coins range from Thompson#1 to #28  with one outlier from the 110's BC double cornucopia, maybe it was an addition to a pre formed hoard which consists of Thompson old catalogue coins from 164/3 BC 139/8 BC. They are all well worn. The 140's example's of mine also look to be hastily struck  as if for an emergency...what was the emergency in the 140's......maybe a little Macedonian problem and league problem that ended with some city razing! Corinth must be destroyed!