Buzzygirl. the "winged
liberty US dimes are gorgeous - can you imagine how many went to the melting
pot? Including a few 1916-D's?
Although I posted my original topic with serious doubts myself about the double
denarii part (urban
legend??), I'm
still not so sure ancient cull
denarii didn't find thir way into the silver pit. Even if most of the junk
denarii were of the 40% or less
fineness, that would be the
fineness of US half dollars from 1965 until about 1971, which were 40% silver and a lot of
nickel - yet those items traded among speculators very, very well -
It does bring up a truly HORRIBLE thought though.
Note: those with weak stomachs may not want to read on.....
Although changes in laws prohibiting the ownership of ancients is by far our bigger threat...What about if a group of speculators offered a buy
price of 10 USD on lets say common, mundane, worn, bronzes of
Constantine - lets say in a scheme to cause a craze of interest so they can be used in
jewelry and several of them combined into belt buckle mounts.....and then mass marketed as "you owning a piece of the ancient world!" kind of schtick.....
So many were sold to be damaged as
jewelry mounts, or worse.....
Would you
still be able to find a
bargain Connnie bronze for 3 bucks on
e-bay?
The exact thing happened with US Buffalo nickels with partial dates - they became a
jewelry craze such that they brought ridiculous buy prices and shortages occurred.
Now you say the diggers would just keep digging, and finding bronzes so that we can
still buy them for 3 bucks on e bay...But, then the diggers sell to the
jewelry wholesalers, who then market ancients in magazines like they do those US state quarters that you can get in a bank at
face......
I feel a nightmare coming on. I'd better stop now. Joe