What To Know When Buying Ancient Coins For The First Time
Adding ancient coins to your collection can be beneficial in a few ways. You can expand your current coin collection and buy pieces that can grow in value at the same time. The key is in shopping for ancient coins for sale by being selective about what you buy. Here are things you should know when buying ancient coins for the first time.
Choose a qualified coin dealer
A qualified coin dealer is someone who is certified to sell ancient and other collectible coins. The best way to find one is to seek someone who carries the strict qualifications and certifications that a numismatist should. A numismatist is a person who is an expert in both paper and coin money, and someone who is properly certified will only sell and buy quality, authentic pieces, as well as price them fairly for future buyers.
Decide what kind of coins you want
You need to decide what kind of ancient coins you want to collect. Popular collectible ancient coins will come from a variety of countries, and carry a vast amount of history in their use. Some coins you may want to consider collecting include:
- Roman coins
- Greek coins
- Spanish coins
- Celtic coins
You may want to research the history and rarity of ancient coins before deciding just which ones you want to collect for yourself. Very rare coins may be more time-consuming and expensive to collect, and will require the assistance of an ethical dealer to help you acquire them.
Know your budget
The most expensive ancient Roman gold coin ever sold went for a whopping $1,407,550, and was so rare there are only 2 known pieces of the coin in existence. While you likely won't be spending this much on your own ancient coin collection, you need to know your budget so you can acquire a few pieces you can actually enjoy. This means you need to have a few thousand dollars available so you can sensibly grow your coin collection. Ancient coins don't run cheap (half eagles of various years can cost you just under $2,000 apiece), so you need to expect to have a larger budget so you don't walk away from your endeavor empty-handed.
Buying ancient coins can be an exciting adventure. With the right coin dealer, you can buy a variety of coins within your budget that you will love. From foreign coins to American coins that carry a vast amount of history, ancient coins can add a lot of value to your coin collection.
Contact a professional like Harlan J. Berk, LTD for more information.