ancient coin Is "lostgallion.com" safe to buy from? 0

[Perceus]

I know nothing about coin collecting. I want a cheap, genuine, ancient Greek item or coin I can turn into a necklace (not picky as long as it's genuine). Im having difficulty knowing where to buy from. I came across this item and would love to know 1. What is reasonable price range for me? And 2. What sites are safe? 

https://www.lostgalleon.com/3791-Perseus-Harpe-Sword-Pendant.html 

Do I have to be careful if buying from Vcoins? 

 

Thanks so much for your time and knowledge!

[JKK]

I don't know anything about lostgalleon.com or the wisdom of buying from Vcoins. I do know of two Ebay vendors with whom I have done business and with excellent reputations for ancients. One is Faiz, who operates Rhesaena Numismatics. He comes to our club's coin show every year with an impressive display and great knowledge, and I've sat and talked with him for hours as well as buying a number of very pleasing pieces from him. Another is the Faillas (father and son), at Failla Numismatics. They are in my area (Portland, OR) and have an excellent reputation, and I also see them in person at the annual show here. My ancients mentor in the club also vouches for both vendors, and he knows a lot of things that I don't.

All I ask is that you bail rather than drill any coin that you obtain for jewelry purposes. Cheap, genuine, and ancient Greek are not entirely compatible wishes, but you can find reasonable pricing and excellent values from either vendor.

[Mohawk]

Jonathan gave you great advice here.  The only thing I would add is regarding VCoins.  Coins from Roman Empress Faustina the Younger are basically the only thing I actively collect any longer and I've gotten many fine pieces for my collection from dealers on VCoins.  You should be just fine purchasing from vendors there, I've never had a bad experience.

I hope that this helps!

~Tom

[James Zyskowski]

Call me silly but Littleton will sell you a genuine coin. They can be pricey but not really to bad. What they have is inventory and lots of it. I find talking with someone on the phone is best but I’m old and don’t type well. My2 cents 🤓

[Mohawk]

On 8/14/2021 at 7:10 PM, James Zyskowski said:

Call me silly but Littleton will sell you a genuine coin. They can be pricey but not really to bad. What they have is inventory and lots of it. I find talking with someone on the phone is best but I’m old and don’t type well. My2 cents 🤓

That's an interesting suggestion, James.  I know with them you don't have to worry about fakes, but you're right.....they're definitely pricey.  But if you want to place a phone order, they may be a good option.  I've actually never bought anything from them, but I was looking at their ancients section just now and some of their prices weren't horrendous for the coins being offered.

[James Zyskowski]

Their very easy to deal with no problem examining the coin not the one send it back. I am older with some time to spend comparing Littleton eBay and a few others sometimes it’s eBay sometimes apmex now and again Littleton especially for tougher items. 🤓. Enjoy. Sorry I just heard about Vcoin and I thought it was a coin dip😂😂really it’s in a post somewhere !

[Mohawk]

Hahaha....I love it!!! Vcoin does sound like it could be a cleaning product!!! But seriously, if you like ancients, VCoins is a great place to get acquainted with.  I've gotten great stuff at good prices and I've never had a problem.  For anyone who's interested:

https://www.vcoins.com/en/Default.aspx

[RWB]

There are many museum replicas to choose from for jewelry. Why not use one of them instead of paying hundreds for an authentic coin that will damaged with use in a necklace?

Edited August 15, 2021 by RWB

[Mohawk]

On 8/15/2021 at 12:02 PM, RWB said:

There are many museum replicas to choose from for jewelry. Why not use one of them instead of paying hundreds for an authentic coin that will damaged with use in a necklace?

That's a great idea!! If you type "ancient coin replicas" or "ancient coin reproductions" into Google, you'll find several different resources to acquire replica pieces that would work very well for a jewelry project.

[RWB]

On 8/15/2021 at 11:12 PM, Mohawk said:

That's a great idea!! If you type "ancient coin replicas" or "ancient coin reproductions" into Google, you'll find several different resources to acquire replica pieces that would work very well for a jewelry project.

Yep. The question is: do we ruin a genuine ancient coin by jewelry use? I think the answer is "No." Absolutely no one will detect a well made replica worn in a bezel. A very few might ask about it. If so, just comment on the striking designs and their meaning - not need to tell them it's a replica.