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Kinlar

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Posts posted by Kinlar

  1. On 3/17/2024 at 1:29 PM, JKK said:

    I get it about the appeal. I have a museum in my house; it's the size of a typical 3-ring notebook, because that's what it is. It contains coins up to twenty-five centuries old. However, given how many people show up here waving parking lot coins they think represent their early retirement, it's necessary to make clear that the money angle is rarely feasible. Glad we got that out of the way.

    As for Romans, "anything before 476" is still a very broad era. I would further divide it:

    • Republic (280-27 BCE)
    • Suetonian (27 BCE-96 CE)
    • Pax Romana (96-192 CE)
    • Barracks Era (192-284 CE)
    • Fourth Century (284-410 CE)
    • Western Downfall (410-476 CE)
    • Provincial (roughly the Western Imperial times; this is where the Greek alphabet comes into play, so start studying)

    Obviously, the names do not directly correspond to actual eras. They represent eras of numismatic styles. The knowledge applicable to a given coin somewhat transfers to others of that era. Put another way, if you're a stud with Republic denarii, that doesn't mean jack for Barracks Era billon antoniniani. (Get ready to learn a whole new vocabulary. Billon means debased silver; essentially copper with a sprinkling of silver in some form. It's what emperors did when they had spent the treasury broke.)

    For the budget collector (and of great use even for people willing to spend a bunch of money for out-of-print references) one begins with Wildwinds. If you really get into it, and are ready to start spending money, begin with Rasiel Suárez's Aorta. Try and snag one for two figures. This is the most concentrated Roman imperial reference available. Have magnification. If you really really love this, or if it's actually less expensive (like right this moment), splurge instead for ERIC II. Unless you're a weightlifter, make sure you own a hand truck to move it around. Also by Ras, this is like Aorta but with color images, more comprehensive listings (a feat, considering Aorta's sheer density of information), easier reading (can get away with lighter mag), and continues until 1453 CE (Aorta stops the Eastern emperors just before Arcadius).

    If you love this stuff, you'll end up wanting the Sear references: volumes I-V plus Greek Imperial. Another useful item is the two-volume Coinage & History of the Roman Empire. When you recover from the heart attack you get looking at the price, start looking for a cheaper version. I'd say if you see the pair for <$100, consider pulling the trigger.

    The way we typically attribute ancients is by catalog numbers as well as descriptions. I've never seen anyone but me use Aorta catalog numbers, but they exist; same for ERIC II, which is like Aorta after a Hulklike transformation. Sear (S-nnn), Roman Imperial Coinage (RIC x, nnn), Sear Greek Imperial (SGI-nnn), and others exist. You won't have to dig through Wildwinds for long to see such attribution references.

    Once you get into this, you'll start to see that there about about five things to be found on a Roman coin of a given size/material/weight/denomination: obverse device, obverse legend, reverse device, reverse legend, and exergue/fields. The exergue is the bottom reverse, typically the home of mint marks, but fields also matter. For example, a ghamma or thelta (you call them gamma and delta, but that's how they are pronounced in demotic Greek) oficina (sub-mint) mark in the field relates more to the exergue than to the reverse device or legend. Learn to look for and quantify those five things, and in combination with denomination, you have an attribution.

    All that either gets you excited/motivated and you blew out of here early to go look at Wildwinds, or it scares f-bomb out of you and you no longer want to do this. There isn't usually middle ground. If the former, keep asking. If the latter, I get it. There's a reason antiquarians aren't as common as roll hunters and Morgan junkies.

    i wont lie that is extremely intimidating but im willing to do some learning. small steps of course 

  2. On 3/17/2024 at 12:42 PM, GoldFinger1969 said:

    Are you looking to build a sizeable collection...or just get a few Roman coins ?  ???

    If you decide you want to look at Saints or MSDs, I'll pipe in then. xD  Until that time, I'll leave you with the foreign/Roman coin experts.  Good Luck, Kinlar ! (thumbsu

    eventually i would like i to be sizable, figured id start small and let it grown as the interest gains more ground

  3. On 3/16/2024 at 11:46 PM, JKK said:

    Okay. Roman coins span eight hundred years or thereabouts and that's not counting the extra thousand years of Byzantines speaking Greek and calling themselves Roman.

    What timeframe do you want to collect, and what types?

    Do you know much about Roman history and numismatics?

    Do you have any of the accepted references, and if not, would you like suggestions?

    How's your familiarity with the Greek alphabet? Other alphabets you read?

    Are you interested in any other ancients that aren't Roman?

    Have you yet bought any, and if so, would you like to learn good methods of attribution?

    Do you accept that you aren't going to get rich at this? (Most of the US collecting newbies do not, until they get the Ice Bath of Reality. I'd expect better from even a budding antiquarian.)

    The good news for you is that antiquarians have a way of being the most pleasant numismatists and historians you're likely to meet. Those of us who have been at it a while take pride in that. Ask away.

    That'll do for now as food for thought.

    i would like to start with "actual" romans so anything before 476 AD, i know a bit about roman history but next to nothing when it come to numismatics. i have no references, not sure what you mean by that but i would love suggestions. Greek alphabet knowledge is not too well. i would like to begin with roman coins and as i learn see what other cultures interest me. i haven't bought any yet. my goal isn't to get rich i just want to own a piece of history, this is for personal pleasure not monetary