Saturday, March 21, 2009

Museum Quality: Part 1

Do you have old coin and want to know its value? Leave a comment/question and I will do my best to find out the price and history for you.

My lack of updates are a sign of a lack of finds. I was trying to steer all my college work to coin related items I was even going to make a coin sorter but I was out voted. So while at a recent art course in The Metropolitan Museum Of Art I took a side trip to find historical coins.

In numismatics ancient coins are not my strong point. I never got into them since they aren't found in change (normally) and the nice ones are expensive.

A collection of Visigoth coins meant to mimic Byzantine coins (images of Byzantine coins were too blurry to post) eventually they took on a style of there own.

Top to bottom, left to right...
Type/Country: Justinian & Maurice Tiberius Tremissis / Constantinople
Year: 527-602
Mintage: Unknown
Metal: Gold
Value: Hundreds(museum pieces often carry an unknown premium)

Type/Country: Imitating Valentinian Solidus / Toulouse, France
Year: 450-460
Mintage: Unknown
Metal: Gold
Value: Hundreds(museum pieces often carry an unknown premium)

Type/Country: Imitating Justinian Solidus / ?
Year: Mid-500s
Mintage: Unknown
Metal: Gold
Value: Hundreds(museum pieces often carry an unknown premium)

Type/Country: Imitating Imperial Tremissis / ?
Year: Mid-500s
Mintage: Unknown
Metal: Gold
Value: Hundreds(museum pieces often carry an unknown premium)

Type/Country: King Reccared Tremissis / Mérida, Spain
Year: 586-601
Mintage: Unknown
Metal: Gold
Value: Hundreds(museum pieces often carry an unknown premium)



Fake coins have always been all the rage especially in Egypt around 308-320. Real coins were pressed in clay then the after they dried you have these terracotta molds. Next coins were cast with molten/soften metal of equal or lower quality. Not all forgeries were intended to scam instead it was for the lack of circulating money throughout the Roman empire.


The case was full of coins but the reflection and my camera skills made shooting difficult. The coins were in a corner next to the elevator showing a complete lack of respect.


Type/Country: Augustus/Capricorn Silver Cistophorus / Ephesus (Turkey)
Year: 25 B.C.
Mintage: Unknown
Metal: Silver
Value: Hundreds(museum pieces often carry an unknown premium)

I'll show a few more at a later date and maybe do a little more research on what I saw and the museum experience altogether. I will post some more images on my other blog as soon as possible.

Do you have old coin and want to know its value? Leave a comment/question and I will do my best to find out the price and history for you.

24 dollars worth, for Comments/Questions click here.:

James (UK) said...

Thanks for these images and information. All very interesting.

A lot of museums seem to have their light levels low (I suppose to protect the exhibits from light damage) and that makes taking pictures hard. Did they have any postcards that were better lit pictures? You could always buy and scan them?

Don't worry about the lack of finds... look at my own dry spells. They were followed by great showers of "new" stuff. ;-)

Man said...

You are right about the low light levels because several times the security guards were yelling at visitors who had used flash photography.

I always skip the gift shops because I'm tempted to buy a lot when I have little spending money.

Since I'm on a tight budget I'm not using cash so that means no finds. I'm not too worried. Thanks for hope.

James (UK) said...

Reminds me when I was in Egypt and visiting the museum with the treasures of Tutankhamen.

They are kept in virtual darkness, and you are allowed to take "no flash" photos only.

Of course, being the British "idiot" tourist I am, I took one with the flash on by accident.

It wasn't nice being set upon by four or five rough guards, and I had to "pay" for my mistake! ("Baksheesh" as they like to call it)

Man said...

Dude you're an international outlaw. I bet on the plane back you didn't return your tray and seat to an upright position.

James (UK) said...

*Laughs*

Yes, AND I tore a page out of the in-flight magazine too! What a rebel!

;-)

Oh, and talking of "great showers" of finds after dry spells, you wait until you read about my weekend finds! U-N-B-E-L-I-E-V-E-A-B-L-E!

Anonymous said...

What r key dates for U.S. Coins and their value
Also are all versions of a krugerrand ( 1/2, 1/4, 1/10

Anonymous said...

sorry, are all versions of a krugerrand real gold is what i was trying to say

Man said...

key dates for U.S. Coins and their value
Too many to list mostly before 1930.

all versions of a krugerrand real gold ( 1/2, 1/4, 1/10)

Yes, they just made different sizes for anyone to afford.

Anonymous said...

could you just tell me some rare or key dates for the us penny

Man said...

rare or key dates for the us penny

Scarce dates: 1910-S, 1911-S, 1912-S, 1913-S, 1914-S, 1915-S, 1922-D, 1922-D, 1924-D

Rare dates: 1909-S, 1909-S V.D.B., 1914-D, 1922, 1931-S

Anonymous said...

Thanks

Anonymous said...

IS a 1/10 krugerrand 100% real gold

is a morgan dollar 100% real silver

curious collector said...

and

is bicentenniel Quarter all silver

What are some things that are gold/silver

Man said...

IS a 1/10 krugerrand 100% real gold
It contains 0.100 ounces(1/10oz) of gold but the gold 91.7% pure.

is a morgan dollar 100% real silver
It is 90% silver and 10% copper this is typicalof most silver coins.

is bicentenniel Quarter all silver
There were two types made
a copper-nickel clad that was put into circulation.
a silver clad made of 80% silver only sold in special sets.

What are some things that are gold/silver
Most pre-1965 coins from US, Canada, and a few modern countries were silver.
Nearly all countries issue bullion gold and silver plus special commemoratives.

Anonymous said...

I just found this site and I must say you do really great work in posting coin prices and pictures.

I am adding this blog to my favorites since it is so informative and helpful to novice coin collectors such as myself.

Thanks for all of the great work you have done.

Man said...

Thanks, drop a link for your blog if you wish.

curious collector said...

i have 8 ms 60 2009 D lincon cabin pennies how much could i get for them

thanks

Man said...

8 ms 60 2009 D lincon cabin pennies

About $0.01 each.

Anonymous said...

Someone is trying to sell me a 1862 carson city 20 dollar gold piece. How much is it worth?

Man said...

1862 carson city 20 dollar gold piece

No such thing. Carson City made coins from 1870-1893.

Anonymous said...

I had received an offer to buy a Byzantine coin for $50. Having no ancient coins in my collection (nor any dated pre-1600 ones), I naturally jumped at the offer, but told the dealer to wait until I actually had $50 at hand; thus, I'm able to ask you.
The coin is a copper Follis (the huge one with the M) of Justinian I, Anno XIIII (aka 540-1 CE). The condition looks G-ish to me, but I can't say for certain (it looks better than most examples I've seen on the Internet, though).
Question: how much is it worth, and would it make sense to buy it for $50?
Waiting for the answer :-)

Man said...

coin is a copper Follis (the huge one with the M) of Justinian I, Anno XIIII (aka 540-1 CE). The condition looks G-ish to me, but I can't say for certain (it looks better than most examples I've seen on the Internet, though).

I'll be honest and say ancient coins are not my strongest area.

That said if Good then $35.00
But as you say it may be more I suspect Fine-Very Fine since "Good" ancient Coins are not worth anything over $10 if copper.

$50 for a good+ is a fair value.
If you see nothing better on eBay then go for it but make sure it has not been cleaned or has verdigris.

Anonymous said...

"is bicentenniel Quarter all silver
There were two types made
a copper-nickel clad that was put into circulation.
a silver clad made of 80% silver only sold in special sets."


The bicentennial quarter in silver is 40%, not 80%.


Also I have a coin question? Could you identify this potentially ancient coin from a Tnet user?

http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/what/302266-square-coin.html

I can post your identification on Tnet, and will provide your site link to popularize it further. I am Sagittarius98 by the way.

Man said...

The bicentennial quarter in silver is 40%, not 80%.
--Correct, that was back in 2009 I have no idea why I made that mistake.

Could you identify this potentially ancient coin from a Tnet user?
--The image is not clear but it looks like a Half Tanka from India around 1500s.

The average about $2.00 and the 1 Tanka is more common and round.