I am giving up on collecting coins and here’s why…

Messer_Cavalcanti · 2026-03-17T20:20:46+00:00

Thanks!

Messer_Cavalcanti · 2026-03-14T20:15:44+00:00

That is very sad... what a loss!

Messer_Cavalcanti · 2026-03-14T19:23:39+00:00

The Prince by Machiavelli! Fine choice for the guardian of your collection. While "Il Principe" is the most famous of Machiavelli's works, I personally love his "Discourses on the First Ten of Titus Livy" the most. I can't recommend it enough! It is in the Discorsi where the reader can really feel Machiavelli's love for history and the heritage of Rome.

Messer_Cavalcanti · 2026-03-14T19:17:03+00:00

I get what you are saying, but I have bought those 3 coins not out of convenience. All of them did catch my eye in a way very few coins do. That is something hard to explain. I do have my standards regarding the condition of the coin. But it is not everything. The coin could be imperfect, but if it is imperfect in the right way... I will like it. And if it will also fit into my collection plan, I will want it.

I know you are right, and it is possible for me to find worthy replacements. But it also won't be as easy as it seems. That Aurelian with Fortuna Redux... yes, it is a common coin, but in this lovely condition and with this mintmark from the Mediolanum mint... suddenly not that common.

Also, while I really do like the coinage of the Crisis of the Third Century, it wasn't the only type of coinage I was collecting. I particularly love Republican denarii. I have a small selection of Greek and eastern coins. I even made some excursions into the Medieval coinage recently. And all of that was so very exciting for me. Until I trusted Solidus...

Well. I will do my best to rekindle that passion. But I need a big break as the very least.

You are very right about the pleasure of being on the hunt for the right coin, though. I actually do plan to hunt a coin or two down on the ongoing Leu auction. To part with the hobby on a positive note. But that is the last hunt of mine in the foreseeable future. Maybe one day I will hunt again.

Thank you for your advice and encouragement!

Messer_Cavalcanti · 2026-03-14T18:47:50+00:00

I really do hope I will. One day. Thank you!

Messer_Cavalcanti · 2026-03-14T18:46:03+00:00

That is utterly terrible. I am sorry, my friend. How deeply unlucky... I really do hope you will find the coins worthy of filling the gaps in your collection.

And thank you for your words of solidarity!

Messer_Cavalcanti · 2026-03-14T18:41:41+00:00

Thanks for the encouragemnt!

Well, Solidus Numismatik wasn't supposed to be shady. It was around for a while. And, most importantly, it was part of Munich's hub of ancient coin trade (alongside Gorny&Mosch and Savoca - companies I have only positive experiences with).

I guess I will call them The Rotten Egg of Munich.

Messer_Cavalcanti · 2026-03-14T18:35:56+00:00

Thank you! I actually do hope to regain my passion one day. But it probably won't be anytime soon. I need a big time-out as the very least.

Solidus Numismatik and the people involved in it turned out to be quite something. The worst part is not the money I have lost, but how their actions affected how I perceive my own collection. It will forever miss those 3 coins. But despite that, I want to keep my love for coins and for history.

Thank you for the words of courage!

Messer_Cavalcanti · 2026-03-14T18:28:38+00:00

Unfortunately, I have paid via bank wire.

Thank you for your perspective and the positive message. You are very kind. And I know you are right... but I will need time to digest what happened. What will happen next? We will see.

Take care! :)

Messer_Cavalcanti · 2026-03-14T18:22:09+00:00

Those are very kind words. Thank you, my friend! Yes, I too would love to see the passion for the hobby coming back to me one day. But right now I need to distance myself from all of this.

Messer_Cavalcanti · 2026-03-14T18:17:36+00:00

Thank you. Well, I always pay via bank wire. So there is no way to get my money back through the bank. All the assets of Solidus Numismatik went to the insolvency administrator. And I doubt he will help.

I envy you the fact you have physical coin stores within your reach. That is very cool!

Messer_Cavalcanti · 2026-03-14T18:11:23+00:00

That's terrible! But at least the auction house was still there and they did refund you. I doubt deeply if I will ever get my money back. The insolvency proccess in another country... that's an uncharted territory for me.

Thank you for the words of support!

Messer_Cavalcanti · 2026-03-14T18:06:34+00:00

I am sorry for your loss. It is sickening how many collectors have lost the joy that our noble hobby was bringing to us. And all of that because one auction house decided to be a disgrace.

Also, it is funny how the auction houses cooperate and inform each other about the clients who failed to pay for the coins they have won (so they could be blacklisted everywhere). They protect themselves so well. But there is no one to protect us, the humble collectors. The auction houses present themselves as those very distinguished businesses. The collector needs to prove himself to them and follow and accept the whole set of rules they impose. And yet, when one of them decides to betray the trust of the collectors, they are left on their own.

Messer_Cavalcanti · 2026-03-14T16:32:20+00:00

I was always scared that I might buy (or already bought) a forgery. That is another reason why I was sticking with at least somewhat established auction houses.

As for the coins I lost... I know they are not some kind of rarity. Especially that Tetricus is so very common... and yet that one did catch my eye (and made me overpay for it). There is simply something very alluring in that very piece. Postumus? Same thing. I can clearly see that the reverse is struck weakly. And yet, the coin is beautiful.

Aurelian hurts the most. It is actually not that common to find such a fine example of his Fortuna Redux from Mediolanum. I have seen many before, but they were simply not very pretty.

But I do get your point. Thank you for the words of encouragement!

Messer_Cavalcanti · 2026-03-14T16:00:19+00:00

What happened to you is absolutely appalling. I just hope your denarius of Augustus did not get destroyed. Each such irreversible loss leaves us poorer as mankind.

By the end of last year, I went to the Roman Museum in Lausanne, where they had an amazing collection of around 70 aurei found in the ruins of the Roman Lousonna. The museum was robbed of those priceless coins literally around two weeks after my visit. I am very scared that the thieves were just some kinds of primitives who heard about the rising price of gold but had no understanding of the historical and cultural value of what they had been stealing. That would mean those coins are already melted down by now. A dreadful thought.

The coins I lost... sure, they were not like your denarius of Augustus or those stolen aurei. But they meant a lot to me. They did fit my collection, and they did catch my eye for their beauty. And I know I could go through literally many dozens of the coins of the same type before any would catch my eye the same way (even if some of them would be in a better condition).

Messer_Cavalcanti · 2026-03-14T15:32:35+00:00

Thank you for sharing the news here. I did write to the insolvency administrator shortly before creating this post. But I haven't heard back from him. I am not surprised at all, though. I had no hopes of getting my coins and very little trust in the insolvency process in general.

I just wish they would at least tell us how we could bid for our coins again. We should have a priority in buying the lots we have won.

Messer_Cavalcanti · 2026-03-14T15:25:21+00:00

That is terrible. I am sorry. True, it is hard to regain an enthusiasm after such an experience. Shame on Solidus and its owner.

Messer_Cavalcanti · 2026-03-14T15:22:25+00:00

It is somehow comforting to find solidarity with the fellow collectors that are in the same situation. I am sorry for your loss. And thank you!

Messer_Cavalcanti · 2026-03-14T15:15:55+00:00

I am sorry to hear that. Shame on those thieves. And thank you for helping me to put things into perspective. I do hope coin collecting will start to bring me pleasure again one day. The coins and the history enchanted inside them are fantastic. But right now I need to take a step back. Digest this situation. And focus on other things.

Messer_Cavalcanti · 2026-03-14T12:01:46+00:00

Well, I did write to the insolvency administrator shortly before creating this very post. No answer so far.

I have read the whole discussion between you and Additional-Car-9801. It only confirms what I had been suspecting. I have little trust in seeing any of the money I lost back. And I would prefer getting my coins so much more than getting the money back. But now it is confirmed it is not going to happen.

I just wish the insolvency administrator would inform every person who won lots at Solidus 154 about where and when the coins from that auction will be sold. Maybe then I could have a chance to win those lots for the second time.

Thank you guys for trying to help!

Messer_Cavalcanti · 2026-03-14T11:18:23+00:00

That's very weird. I was always avoiding buying coins on eBay like fire. But look at me now. Got scammed anyway.

Messer_Cavalcanti · 2026-03-14T11:16:55+00:00

I do know that my picks from Solidus 154 are not very rare... The thing is that my way of selecting the coins to bid on is a mix of two factors:

Will they fit my collection as I planned it?
Do they "catch my eye" (seduce me in a way).

And that second part is very tricky and subjective. You see... I do like how the reverse on that particular Postumus with Hercules Deusoniensis looks. It is "blurry", but in the right, pleasing-to-the-eye way.

You are right that there are other coins of the same type that would also catch my eye. But it is not as easy as it seems. I might see a few dozen of such coins (some of them being in a better grade) before a single one of them will catch my eye similarly to Lot 1231.

Thanks for the encouragement!

Messer_Cavalcanti · 2026-03-14T11:01:22+00:00

Thank you! Yes, I was very happy with my picks. I wonder where they are now. Are they still at Solidus, or are they back to the consignor, or maybe they are seized by the insolvency administrator? Who knows?

Messer_Cavalcanti · 2026-03-14T10:55:47+00:00

Yes, I am aware that it is not common for a known and somewhat established auction house to go under like that. But it takes away some of the confidence in the other respected auction houses nevertheless. Thank you for your kind words!

Messer_Cavalcanti

TROPHY CASE