Excellent informaiton in this
thread from many experienced collectors, but some of the information
ran a little far afield from the intial questions.
Which region do you think it's best to collect; Roman, Greek, Byzantine or Celtic? Is it better to get a coin in really nice condition or something in lesser condition but truly rare?
Two excellent questions for a beginner, but as pointed out by others, there is no simple answer.
1.
Which region do you think it's best to collect; Roman, Greek, Byzantine or Celtic?
The best answers I could muster to this with my limited experience have already been given to this.
Definitely buy what interests you.
This is one of the best responses to this question. What
history are you interested in? I like
Roman history myself given the scope of the
Roman empire coupled with the contemporaneous sources of the time. Specifically, I like the late Republic/Early empire. Something about the transition from republic to empire on such a grand
scale appeals to me. Thus, my
collection reflects late
Roman Republic, Imperators, and
12 Caesars for the most
part. Others may prefer the artistic appeal of
Greek coins, or the
history, art, or availability of
Byzantine coins. Others may be called to the art,
rarity, or
history of
Celtic coins.
Look around here, and elsewhere at what is available. As you look around, find what appeals to you. As others have suggested, buy one or a few of each and hold them in your hand. Does one
type of coin appeal to you over another after holding them? This can
help you decide what to collect.
Traditionally Romans are the place to start because (a) their Latin legends and Imperial portraits or Republican family names make identification easy (b) you don't have to rely on expertise in style so much to weed out suspicious coins (c) they are cheaper.
This is the other response that spoke to me on this question. Initially, I found
ancient coins because of their
biblical connection. I accumulated some
Jewish bronzes in that regard because of their connection with
biblical history. Despite the resources here and Aarmale's best efforts, I could not decipher the Hebrew legends.
Greek coins were, and are, of interest, but the Greek is more challenging to me than the Latin, and the
Greek coins that appeal to me are more expensive than the
Roman ones that speak to me. Not to settle, but as a matter of appeal, after I
had a few
Jewish, Greek, and
Roman coins, for these reasons, and my areas of historic interest,
Roman coins became my
area of initial
collection in
ancient coins after dabbling in several areas.
2.
Is it better to get a coin in really nice condition or something in lesser condition but truly rare?
Another excellent question for a beginner, but as you have seen from responses of those with more experience than I, one with no universal answer. Some collectors prefer to accumulate many common coins in a lesser condition, while others prefer only pristine or
rare coins in
his or her
collection. Like the question of what
area to collect in, no approach is right or wrong, but rather, this is a matter of personal preference. I agree with those who recommend multiple affordable (which usually means not
rare or pristine) coins to begin with until you decide what appeals to you individually.
Most of us probably could agree we enjoy learning about the context of our coins as
part of the fulfillment of our
collections of what ever scope,
quality, are
area. This means reading, researching, and learning. As with anything, the learning curve to begin with is steep. There is no need to buy expensive books to begin with, as in the modern age, you can learn so much on the Internet to get you going. Whatever your
area of interest, you could (as I did and have), read the information here at the
Forvm for hours upon hours.
1.
Discussion Board. You can learn volumes worth of information by just reading the posts here on the
discussion board. Read the threads with broad scope first, before you read those with a more narrow scope. Many of the more important or notable discussions are "tacked" to the front of each board with a
red thumb tack.
2. Articles for beginners. There are countless possibilities, but a few to get started:
a.
Ancient Coin Collecting 101.
https://www.forumancientcoins.com/numiswiki/view.asp?key=Ancient Coin Collecting 101 (number 3 on
numiswiki, must be decent
b.
Doug Smith's site.
https://www.forumancientcoins.com/dougsmith. This was one of the best sites for beginners outside the
Forvm I found when I was getting started, and now, it is hosted here at the
Forvm.
c.
Warren Esty's site with pages for beginners.
http://esty.ancients.info. One of the best, non-Forvm, sites for beginners I know of.
These online resources will give you hours of reading. As others have pointed out, if you want more, or just prefer books, there are numerous, low cost, books to aid beginners. Esty gives a
good summary of some books. From my experience, here are a few goods ones:
a. The Handbook of
Roman Imperial Coins,
Van Meter. This was a
good resource for me for
Roman coins. Available here at the
Forvm with a discount if you get a coin with your purchase.
https://www.forumancientcoins.com/catalog/roman-and-greek-coins.asp?param=34175q00.jpg&vpar=1231&zpg=82&fld=https://www.forumancientcoins.com/Coins2 b. Ancient Coin Collecting I,
Wayne Sayles. I found this to be a
good overview of ancient coin collecting. I liked it so much, I went overboard and got
his Greek and
Roman books. By that point, I
had learned so much here, that they were too basic, and I don't recommend any of Sayles' books beyond I. Sorry Wayne.
There are some
good threads here on the Discussion Boards about books.
No plans to bid on ebay... though if it were a graded coin ...Yet it seems not too many ancients are graded,
No grading of ancients as with modern coins. See
Doug Smith's pages for an overview of grading.
it must be harder to admire the coin when it is in the case since the prongs cover the edges of the coin
Many of us would free an ancient coin from a slab if it were encased (entombed). I look at slabbing
ancient coins as a travesty. One of the things I love about
ancient coins versus moderns, is the ability to hold and
handle the coins.
Since I'm an attorney by trade, of course I must include a disclaimer. These are my opinions. Like anything, the advice given here is subject to debate and dispute. As with anything, ask 3 ancient coin collectors a question, and you are likely to get 5 different answers. The advice given here is free, and you often get what you pay for. Collectors with a lifetime of experience have already chimed in and give their opinions on your questions before I put my 2 cents in anyway. First and foremost, have fun, and collect what you like. Welcome to the
Forvm.