Do you recall the first coin(s) that you purchased; I do. I didn't start collecting until later in my life, around 2004. I wasn't really interested in coins; comic books and sports cards were more of my thing. My interest in coins, particularly ancient coins, quickly developed in early 2004. I went to a local coin store to sell some odds-and-ends from a small collection my mother had given me. That's when I noticed a few ancients in a display case. I asked the store owner if they were real and he replied, yes. I remember thinking, this can't be, these coins belong in a museum. After looking at several of them with amazement I enthusiastically purchased these two, my first coins: Ruler: Julia Domna (Lucius Septimius Severus) Obverse: IVLIA AVGVSTA, Draped bust right Reverse: FELICITAS, Felicitas standing left, holding caduceus and scepter References: RIC IV, Part i, 551; RSC 47; BMC 22; SEAR (2002) 6581 Ruler: Faustina I (Sr) (Antoninus Pius) Obverse: DIVA FAVSTINA, Diademed, draped bust right Reverse: CERES, Ceres standing left, holding grain ears and torch References: RIC III, 378; RSC 136; SEAR 1353 Feel free to post images and a story about your first coin purchase (can be any type of coin ancient, modern, bullion, etc.)
My first coins were a 1821 and 1830 large cent. Me and my grandpa went into an antique shop and I picked them both up for 50 cents each! I later sold the 1821 but I still have the 1830.
I still have most of my first purchases. From the mid 1980s to early 1990s (about 8 -12 years old), I used to save up all year and buy one or occasionally 2 coins (depending on how many people hired me to mow lawns or, once I was in Tucson, tend to their cacti). I still have most of them. Summer 1986 or 1988 (?): Athens Tetradrachm I bought this one in Paris, somewhere on Rue Vivienne while on a trip with my parents. (Prob. from Claude Burgan; I asked if he spoke English to which he replied, "from time to time" or similar; he gave me a free Commodus Dupondius too.) If not my first coin, at least one of the first three I bought: Summer 1991 (?): Corinth Stater I bought this one at Glass Shoppe Coins in Tucson shortly after moving there when I was 12 or 13 years old. Many years later I discovered it was from the Pozzi (1846-1918) Collection and sold at Naville - Ars Classica I (Lucerne, 14 March 1921). It's still probably my favorite coin. But I've driven myself half crazy trying to find out where it was between 1921 and 1991 and how it ended up in Tucson: 22 November 1991: Aegina Drachm This one was my first auction win, from Colosseum Coin Exchange MBS 59 (22 Nov 1991), Lot 2. (Ira Teitelbaum in Hazlet, NJ, active c. 1980-2001.) I actually lost the catalog sometime in the mid 90s after moving (my parents might've thrown away my sale catalogs, thinking they were "just advertising," not realizing they were reference literature). Then, to my delight, I received a copy in group lot of BCD Library Duplicates in 2022. I was even more excited to learn it was ex-Malter Library. Joel Malter died the day after his legendary library was sold, 4-5 June 2006 (Malter Auction 88). This catalog was probably in one of the large group lots (numbered boxes) of sale catalogs:
My first purchase I can remember was mailorder, for $5, in 1977. It was an 1866 (no rays) USA Shield nickel, described as "VG, Dark". The coin was indeed dark- almost black- but was still attractive, because it was a Circulation Cameo ("CircCam"). First ancient coin was a four-piece lot from Guy Clark in the early 1980s, as I recall. The lot included an ancient Indian piece, a small medieval silver piece, and two others- I forget exactly what, but it was a fun lot and not expensive.
I’ve posted this coin a few times recently. This is the first ancient coin I ever bought. I got it from Marc Breitsprecher back when he went by the name “Ancient Imports.”
My first was a 1969 Biafra Proof Set from Valcambi Mint/ Switzerland at $1100US. I saw the listing in Coin News. I was making only $240 a week back then. So my Dad fronted me the $$$$ and I gave him my next 5 weeks paychecks. I still have the set (25/ 10/ 5/ 2/ 1Pound gold coins) I do not like modern coins/ but these are beautifull.
But had I been smart I would have won this from Christies same year.....for 100 UK Pounds Marquisate di Carmagnola AV 10 Scudi 1503 (Unique) Saluzzo Mint Ludovico II di Saluzzo 1475-1504 Margaritha de Bois-Canale 1492-1526 Poor Ludovico died 1 year after marriage! Coin sold Morton & Eden 2015 for 54K (still heap for a large 36 g. gold piece)
I bought my first ancient coin in 1967 when I was in the 8th grade. It was a Gallienus / Stag late Roman bronze like this coin (pic borrowed from Numismatik Naumann). My second ancient coin was purchased after my kids graduated from college.
What? When still a kid in the late eighties you bought from Claude Burgan this very decent owl ? How many golf courses did you mow before you could afford that?!!
You can make really good $$$ mowing grass/ thats all I have ever done as a way to earn a living..... Today its even a better option since nobody wants to do manual labour/ easily make 300K in 8 months/ long hrs though. John
I would estimate 25-40 lawns (at $10 each)! I wish I had the collecting discipline (and work ethic) today that I had when I was a little kid. My process: Around age 7 or so (1985?) my parents took me to the British Museum and immediately after I bought Sear's Greek Coins & Their Values vol 1 for 25 GBP. (A lot then.) I looked at Sear's photos and planned. Athens Owl. Aegina Turtle. Alexander Tetradrachm. Corinth Stater. I literally saved all year and bought one coin per summer until I had all those ones. (And a few others with any leftovers.) After that I took a break from collecting for maybe 10 years, or not quite. But I was very happy with my half dozen or so coins! I had a couple friends that dropped out of high school and started a landscaping business (in Tucson, so mostly desert stuff, not grass). After one season they bought a big ad in the Yellow Pages (for those Americans who remember what that was!). By the next year they were mostly just subcontracting out all their orders, keeping a cut, and making a good "adult" income. (I guess people liked their name: Yard Birds. It's gone now, but did what it needed to for a good decade or so.) Incidentally, I don't know anything about modern coins, and they weren't collectors, but the bank gave one of them a roll of some newly released error quarters maybe 20 years ago, give or take? He noticed they were weird, kept them, sold it for 5 figures. I should've kept doing landscaping!
Presently here where I live/ its impossible to find anyone wiling to do manual labour. People offer neighbourhood teenagers $50 to cut their lawn (takes me 10 mins) they refuse. One guy started a "dog walking" business. Again dog owners are too lazy to walk their pooch. This fellow, walks some of my lawn clients dogs. I asked him what he charges/ he said for 2 large dogs/ 30 minute walk/ Monday thru Sunday $800.00. He makes 350K a year (CASH) walking dogs! Thats 60 hrs a week. Best way to make a killing/ spray lawns for weeds/ cinchbugs/ grubs/ crabgrass. I charge $100 for average lawn/ takes 5 mins. use $1 in chemical/ clear 4K in one day. Plus walking 300 K weekly keeps you in top shape+ you can eat as many calories as you like/ your waist stays at 30 forever.
The first "real" collection coin I ever bought, that I can remember, was an 1889 Indian Head cent. I still have it in my collection. I was probably 9 or 10 years old at the time. My first ancient was just a few years ago. I guess I jumped off the deep end with this "Tribute Penny": TIBERIUS, AD 14-37 AR Denarius (18.61mm, 3.72g, 12h) Struck AD 16-21. Lugdunum mint Obverse: TI CAESAR DIVI AVG F AVGVSTVS, laureate head of Tiberius right Reverse: PONTIF MAXIM, female figure seated right, holding vertical scepter and branch, on chair with plain legs above double line References: OCRE I 26, RCV 1763 Old cabinet toning. Some corrosion pits on reverse. Fine portrait of Tiberius. From the A.K. Collection. Incidentally, this coin was published in the January 2008 issue of Money Trend, a German numismatic periodical. It is the second coin (Abb. 2) illustrated on the right:
Hi All, I originally posted my first a while back. See https://www.cointalk.com/threads/my-first-coin.358862/#post-4401022 - Broucheion
German-language, published in Vienna, Austria. The article was written by Wendelin Kellner. I think he may have recently died (10 Jan 1931-13 May 2023; that looks like him). Glad you posted that, because I'd forgotten about that column. He published it in many parts, chronologically (e.g., Teil 16 & 17 were Constantinian; Teil 31 begins with a coin of Marcian). Used to be you could read all the MoneyTrend archives free on their website, but now paywalled. A few can be found on Yumpu, etc. Kellner published a similar series for Alexandrian coins in MoneyTrend in at least 30-something parts, which were then collected for his 2009 book, Münzstätte die Alexandria in Ägypten. (I have about half a dozen of those coins.) I wonder if he had a similar book for these coins? I can't find such a title in my usual bibliographies & library catalogs, but it looks like that's what he was aiming for. I need to check for one of my coins. I have at least one Imperial Denarius (a scarce & unusual Severus Alexander) from the "AK Collection," which is the collection that Kellner published in all his articles/book(s), so I think there's a good chance mine is in the Severan article. EDIT: Found it! (The article -- but sadly not my coin.) Surprisingly, although Liberalitas Denarii were emphasized, he seems to have had at least one of other of this same type (Antioch mint Liberalitas), and published it (them) instead. (And some other weird ones!) (Incidentally, I've been impressed with the discipline with which no one has revealed the identity of the "AK Collector." I don't know for sure, and wouldn't try to identify them in public, certainly not my place to do it first, but I have my theories of course, and am curious to see if it happens, since I think there's value in knowing as much as possible about the modern "biographies" of antiquities/ancient coins...)
My first ancient coin purchase were both Constantine, Constantine I A.D. 326- 328 CONSTAN-TINVS AVG; laureate head. PROVIDEN-TIAE AVGG; camp gate with two turrets and star between them. in ex. SMTS(?) RIC VII Thessalonica 153 Constantine I A.D. 333-335 CONSTANTI-NVS MAX AVG; rosette-diadem, draped, cuirassed bust right. GLOR-IA EXERC-ITVS; Two soldiers helmeted, stg. facing one another, reversed spear in outer hands, inner hands on shields resting on the ground; between them two standards. In ex. CONSH• RIC VII Constantinople 73
