Hey guys sorry if this isn't the place to post this. I am new to coin collecting hobby and from what I've read online it's really easy to end up buying fakes and was just wondering if there are any sites you would recommend for purchasing ancient coins. Any other advice or information on what to look out for would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.
Hello Davie! Welcome to both the Forum and the hobby. Great to have you here! VCoins and MA Shops are my go-to for ancient coins. They're both marketplace sites hosting many different reputable and trustworthy dealers who guarantee the authenticity of their wares. If you do accidentally get a fake (rare), you can get your money refunded. Auctions are also an option, although if you are a beginner I'd stick with fixed-price dealers for now until you are a little more familiar with the coins and the market. You can get good deals in auctions, but it's riskier and more volatile and you really need to know what you are doing. What ancient coins are you interested in?
Hey thanks for the welcome and also the information regarding the online auctions and staff. I am most interested in ancient Roman and Greeks, I know that probably covers a huge time period and style of coins.
Hi Davie, Welcome. I am a UK coin collector of ancients and others. As @The Meat man said, and I endorse, you won't go far wrong with VCoins and MAShops. Ebay is a nightmare but some UK dealers I recommend on ebay are Ancient17, Denant and Lodge Antiquities. Michael Trenerry does not use the Internet but his coins are always under graded and authentic, he sends postal lists. If you go to London dealers such as Seaby, Baldwins, or Spink you will pay more but will have good provenance which is a whole other issue and much debated. I have had some poor experiences with some UK dealers but would not post their names to avoid confrontation. Happy to discuss in private though. Dependent on what you collect, LAC ( London Ancient Coins) feature on VCoins and have a massive stock. My advice is that, when you are interested in a period or denomination, buy books, then buy some more books and check out your "must have" purchase on Forum before you buy it. Members here are very generous with their advice and if you take it, you are no fool, only wiser than before you heard it. Ask advice and it will be given. I have more than 50 years of collecting experience in some eclectic areas and have some expertise with milled British coinage but I am constantly in awe of the erudite knowledge of some of the folks here in respect of ancients. Here is a link to Forum. See https://www.forumancientcoins.com/board/index.php?board=9.0 Generally the interest in ancients is academic and not motivated by profit so don't get precious about condition, if you bought it someone else will but you may not make a profit in your lifetime so you simply need to make sure you are not buying fakes. If you buy a fake you are wasting time, effort and money and it will frustrate you. No one needs frustration or stress as this should be a release from day to day issues. I have never met a collector who hasn't bought a fake yet, so prepare for the worst and hope for the best, but you can limit your risk by asking for advice. Eventually you will see that a coin has "eye appeal" and others will exude authenticity by wear or bankers marks. You are in the right place to learn and may have a hobby that you will never outgrow.
Hi thanks for the detailed response and the recommendations on where to shop. I've have started doing my own research online and gathering information that will help me identify coins and such, I'm also going to purchase books on ancient Roman coins as this is the time period i am most interested in.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/31606900...uid=04lqk3mtqzq&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY Rare 50p coin for auction! Tap the the link to the ebay auction..
I maintain a web page that lists dealers on the web (not including eBay). http://augustuscoins.com/ed/dealers.html Many times I have solicited suggestions for other sites and any evidence that any of these might not be reputable. I have added sites due to suggestions, but never been notified of problems with fakes. I think all of them successfully avoid fakes. Some of the coins are overpriced (which is true on vcoins and MA-Shops, too), but virtually all are genuine. If you have some time, click through the list and you might find a new favorite way to buy ancient coins.
