Top products from r/AncientCoins

I have not used one like that, but I have used the USB attachment that came with my microscope and wasn't a big fan of it. I found it much more natural and less disorienting to be looking through the microscope while cleaning than looking at the screen and cleaning. When trying to clean minute details, at least for me it is very spatially disorienting looking at the screen than looking oriented towards the coin. It is definitely more comfortable and easier on the neck and eyes looking at the screen though.

Hey everyone! I wanted to share this coin and the story of how I found it. I was browsing eBay last week when I saw a lot of five Indian coins for under $4. Catching my eye, I clicked in to see that three were common post-1945 copper pieces, one was an unknown Arabic or Persian princely state coin, and one was this. The eBay photos were awful and I didn't expect the two pieces to be much but I've been trying to get better with Arabic coins and figured it could be a fun piece. I posted it in a FB group and someone was able to quickly help ID it.


AE Broad Fals | 30mm | 5.61g

403 AH (1012-1013 AD)

Mahmud of the Ghaznavid Dynasty

Bust Mint, present day Lashkargah, SW Afghanistan

Album 1614
​

The coin is very rare copper piece that does not commonly appear. The "Broad Fals" name is used to differentiate the pieces that are 30-35mm from the more common Fals that measure around 20-30mm. Stephen Album, expert and author of the standard book "A Checklist of Popular Islamic Coins" writes "the very broad fulus of Bust were never well struck, and most surviving examples are unpleasantly worn, damaged, or corroded".

An interesting tibit of information I found while researching this piece is that is was issued under the first Sultan. Sultan Mahmud was the first ruler across the Islamic world to use the title which would later be used across the world.

Here is the Zeno category of which my coin belongs. Here is an auction from Album where a similar AE Broad Fals from Bust, 403 AH sold for $110.

I'm glad you found your way over here! The Athena/Owl Tetradrachm is a one of the most universally desirable ancients. If I can suggest a book - (not a hard read) - 100 Greatest Ancient Coins it's a nice big coffee-table-type book with great photography and light history about the coins and the times they came from. This coin type is #10 in the book.

I like your case. It's a nice presentation. When you have to scale:

I like these (not sure if it's the same brand I have):
https://www.lighthouse.us/encapq-clear-pages-for-square-coin-capsules-quadrum-6-pages.html

In one of these:
https://www.lighthouse.us/vario-g-padded-binder-including-slipcase-extra-large-capacity-3-d-ring-mechanism.html

Because you have the protection of the folder and then the slip case on top of that.

FYI: Amazon has those 3" Vario G 3 rings for $36 @ https://www.amazon.com/dp/B005LWFEWG/ref=cm_sw_r_em_apa_i_awLtDbKH2G8H9

Forumancientcoins.com, http://cointranslator.com/, http://dirtyoldcoins.com/Roman-Coins-Blog/, http://www.forumancientcoins.com/dougsmith/ are a few to get you started. Doug Smith is a great resource. It was awesome to hear him just casually talking coins last show I went to.

David Vagi's Coinage of the Roman Empire, https://www.amazon.com/Handbook-Ancient-Greek-Roman-Coins/dp/030709362X, David Sear's books to name a few.

Were you also looking for Roman history in general?

Slabbing firms don't typically authenticate ancients, just fyi.

Maybe check out this book for inspiration.

Personally, I don't think anyone can tell you what you should collect. I mean, I can tell you what I would spend a couple of G on, but chances are it will be different for you.

You more into Greek than Roman? What about ancient coins fascinates you?

A good way to get more information about an obscure Greek mint is to visit https://www.amazon.com/dp/0198140991 , click "search inside", and put the city name in the search box.

You'll need good eyes.

ϴΥ is "Thy", which is why those coins are put with that city. However, a note in the book I link to suggests a 1973 paper with a different explanation.

>In the next few days I'll upload a couple more of my collection!

Please do. I'd be interested in seeing more posters posting, say, a whole gallery of their collection even if on a throwaway for security reasons.

I'm trying to get around to photographing my own collection, but I'm not happy with the lighting conditions that I have. May have to buy some cheap-ish USB microscope for the task, something like this.

I haven't read that. Looks like it has good reviews. For $12 I suppose I should buy it.

http://www.amazon.com/Classical-Deception-Wayne-G-Sayles/dp/0873419685/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top?ie=UTF8

Yep. 100% agree. In fact, there is a new 2nd edition out.

The killer is the shipping. From the USA shipping anything heavier than a toothbrush is absurdly expensive.

If you're looking for a good general primer on collecting coins this one is highly rated and very affordable: https://www.amazon.com/Handbook-Ancient-Greek-Roman-Coins/dp/030709362X

In the free department you can download a copy of my book ERIC which is roughly comparable to the Sear series. The link is on this page: http://www.dirtyoldbooks.com/eric.html

Here's the link for the poster I originally ordered https://www.amazon.ca/Dirty-Old-Coins-Emperors-Poster/dp/B0056RUEE4/

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0794846327/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Obviously made for cased modern coins, but gets the job done!
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B007JNK362?psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_mob_b_asin_title

The trays I used in the pictures are the small coin trays.

RIC has been out for a long time, is very detailed, but expensive. RIC VIII is the family of Constantine, so would cover the time period of Constans. Sear's millennium series is somewhat less detailed (I have at least a couple of coins which are in RIC but not in Sear), is a bit less expensive per volume (and fewer volumes), but Constans isn't covered until volume V which isn't quite out yet. It should ship this month, though.

In addition to Sear and Van Meter lesser known books on coins:
Encyclopedia of Roman Imperial Coins II ERIC II
and the equivalent of coin porn 100 greatest

No problem. You can find that information in this book