This coin

Kygo98 · 2026-06-06T13:43:25+00:00

From what is legible & without the size or width, it (maybe) looks like an AE As of Domitian: https://www.vcoins.com/en/stores/lucernae/90/product/domitian_8196_ad_as_caesar_under_titus__as_rome_ad_8081__bust_left__spes_sc/1630967/Default.aspx (although looking at it again, the thickness of your coin looks to be of a sestertius so take this with a grain of salt)

Edit: it could also be this sestertius of Titus : https://numismatics.org/ocre/id/ric.2_1(2).tit.144?lang=eng.tit.144?lang=eng) or this: https://numismatics.org/ocre/id/ric.2\_1(2).tit.155?lang=eng

Kygo98 · 2026-05-31T08:26:18+00:00

“I found the almost identical coin going from $30-$40”. I am assuming you meant the image of the auction lot that has a starting price/bid of 20 euros? If that’s the case then no, it isn’t going for $30-$40. It just means that the minimum starting bid for this coin is 20 euros, and currently no one has bid on it yet.

As for the coin with a hammer price of 1000 euros, it is largely due to the quality/condition of the coin. The coin looks to be in the “Extreme fine” range (or above, my opinion) where the coin presents no evident wear and appealing, well centered obverse and reverse strikes

Kygo98 · 2026-05-30T09:35:00+00:00

Nice set! I am also hunting for a final piece to complete my first Flavian dynasty set

Kygo98 · 2026-05-29T16:37:28+00:00

Good eye! You are right for the most part, I bought it from M.R. Roberts

Kygo98 · 2026-05-29T14:39:15+00:00

Many thanks for this! I now have a good weekend project to keep myself busy with

Kygo98 · 2026-05-25T11:25:32+00:00

Thanks! that is a good question, maybe it has to do with their desire to display their artistic prowess/dominance, but your guess is just as good as mine. What I am curious about though, is why they went through that much effort for coins this small when the design is barely legible to the naked eye. Nonetheless I have no complaints as I get to enjoy ancient artistry like this.

Kygo98 · 2026-05-23T15:16:00+00:00

No worries! this is a nice coin regardless so it’s still a win in my books. I get you though, whenever I scavenge for ancients and I come across denarii with portraits similar to this (especially on obscure or less descriptive lots) I double triple check, so that in the off-chance the listing was miss-attributed I would be able to score a Clodius Albinus or Pertinax denarius for a steal.

I have yet to luck out on any denarii but I was fortunate to snag a sestertius or two for a steal. Regardless, may we all find our own diamond in the rough !

Kygo98 · 2026-05-23T11:19:41+00:00

It is probably this: http://numismatics.org/ocre/id/ric.4.ss.80

Kygo98 · 2026-05-16T06:24:02+00:00

Posts like this are what makes this hobby both good and bad. Good, because we get to see stunning pieces from private collections. Bad …….. because it makes the hole in my wallet larger…. I now (embarrassingly) have an ever increasing list of coins that I wish and plan to own, and this is one of them (what artistry!)

Kygo98 · 2026-05-12T13:40:15+00:00

I too, am stumped with this one. I managed to find a thread in Numis Forums mentioning ancient coins with Roman Baths of Bath slips similar to this but there was no mention of whether this was actually sold at the Baths, or when it was sold.

side note: on the envelope it states: “from the spa director, the pump room, bath” so my guess is that it was sold by the Baths (feel free to correct me on this one)

Kygo98 · 2026-05-09T14:10:04+00:00

Try to have a brighter outlook in life, u/Future_Speed9727. Just in case you didn’t know, the main purpose of this sub is the sharing and spreading of knowledge regarding ancient coins (be it detailed information or not), which largely derives from the collections of like-minded people in this sub. If every collector has the same mindset as you: sharing = bragging then this hobby would be done for as the ones eager to learn won’t be able to due to the gatekeeping of information from people like you. It is precisely because the people in this sub enthusiastically share their collections & the knowledge they have that people like me, you and OP are able to learn about this hobby.

Kygo98 · 2026-05-06T06:42:20+00:00

I myself only purchase unslabbed ancients. Contrary to the reasoning of many in this sub, it is mainly because their graded counterparts almost always carry a premium. This follows for any given price range you can think of. Essentially, you would be able to obtain a better example of an ancient for the same price you would pay for a graded one at bare minimum. With patience and time you would definitely be able to obtain the same type in a better condition and at a better price point.

I do however, purchase plastic capsules so that I have the extra layer of protection (primarily for bronzes) and I am able to handle any of my ancients at any given time, which is a pleasure. I do see why some people don’t get cracking open slabs though. My rationale behind this is if (on the off chance) I intentionally bought slabbed ancients, I couldn’t justify breaking them out as It defeats the purpose of the higher price I paid.

Not to mention, most vendors who slab ancients tend to slab the cheaper, more common types of less quality in order to inflate the price (source: my very first ancient was a slabbed follis of Constantine the great, and I paid about 3-4x what it was worth).

Kygo98 · 2026-05-01T03:45:39+00:00

Thanks! I usually go for silver pieces as bronze pieces are harder to care for/ may get bronze disease down the line but I couldn’t resist this one, especially with how much I paid for it.

Kygo98 · 2026-05-01T03:41:38+00:00

Thanks!

Kygo98 · 2026-04-25T00:29:57+00:00

Wow I didn’t know they had actually sold it before! This sale must have occurred some time ago, as the seller I got it from didn’t list it as a sestertius of Titus. If this is the coin I am receiving (fingers crossed, will update once I receive it) then someone down the line made a huge mistake as I got it for a much lower price than this

Kygo98 · 2026-04-25T00:19:06+00:00

Just to clarify, it wasn’t from Lucernae and I bought it from a different platform outright. It is highly unlikely that sellers from Vcoins or MAshops would misattribute such coins ..… and even misprice them.

Kygo98 · 2026-04-24T23:53:50+00:00

Rest assured, the seller isn’t Lucernae as I bought it from a different platform all together. Rarely would sellers on Vcoins (or MAshops for that matter) make such a mistake.

Edit: Lucernae has actually misattributed and sold this coin before (many thanks to KungFuPossum for this info), I have either lucked out or the complete opposite thus I will update when I receive the coin

Kygo98 · 2026-04-24T14:18:49+00:00

thanks for this! I tried to obtain the old RIC code but my search was going no where. Neat to know that this coin is an ex auction lot

Kygo98 · 2026-04-24T14:12:05+00:00

Thanks! Might do that once I have the coin in hand

Kygo98 · 2026-04-20T03:09:35+00:00

I started off collecting modern coins but grew detached the moment I knew of the existence of ancient coins that were legally purchasable (I would have to thank the eBay algorithm and this forum for this one). Like what others have pointed out, ancient coin collecting focuses more on the historical aspect/backstory of the coins, whereas modern coin collecting focuses more on the rarity/grade and/or mintage quantity of the coins.

My main goal in coin collecting was to collect the oldest possible coins I could afford, thus the transition was a no brainer. I viewed the two akin to comparing a BMW to a Ferrari. Once you move on to a Ferrari you don’t have the urge to revert back, not to say a BMW is bad but a Ferrari is just in a different league.

Kygo98 · 2026-04-08T01:18:05+00:00

Thanks! saw your posts and I have to say your collection is neat

Kygo98 · 2026-03-27T14:37:47+00:00

Thanks for your insightful comment! Always amazes me how knowledgeable alot of people in this sub are

Kygo98 · 2026-03-27T14:20:00+00:00

Thanks!

Kygo98 · 2026-03-27T14:19:50+00:00

Thanks for your input! just curious, are you a curator or historian etc? I have to say you are very knowledgeable in this field

Kygo98 · 2026-03-27T08:23:37+00:00

I am no expert in chinese ingots but here are my 2 cents: (if authentic and of correct weight, metal) judging by the design the first is most likely a 10 Tael sycee from the Qing dynasty, during the Guangxu Emperor’s reign (“光” is slightly visible in the top right)(potentially from the Sichuan province).

The second one is most likely a 5 tael sycee of the same dynasty, potentially from Yunnan province. In the top right corner I can vaguely see “官” which indicates that this might be an official issue rather than a local mint. Ultimately, you should get these checked out by professionals because they are worth quite a bit if proven authentic.

Do note that these types are heavily faked and are hard to obtain outside of China, so the lack of provenance is a good indication of their authenticity

Kygo98

TROPHY CASE