When I started collecting
Byzantine coins many years ago, I immediately starting thinking of my
collection as a
collection. Where does this coin fit into the overall whole? With that mindset, I discovered that some coins that are not very attractive as individual specimens can become very special when thinking of the
collection as a whole. I was working with a strict
budget back then. One of my early goals was to have at least one coin from every century (long before I could start thinking about individual emperors). My first eighth century coin was a
Constantinople follis of
Leo III that I purchased for less than $20. It was extremely worn,
pitted and holed. As an individual specimen, it is utterly forgettable. But as a piece in the
collection it is one of my favorites. I have a few sixth century large module folles from Athanasius I to
Justinian I. Individually they are nothing special, but as a group I really like them -- different colors from the different patinas, different degrees of wear, each with a different story.