Prieure de Sion Posted July 13 · Member Share Posted July 13 There are coins that have been won that I'm not sure whether I should be happy or not - like this gold aureus of Septimius Severus with Sol on the reverse. At the Baldwin auction weeks ago I discovered the Caracalla denarius (which I presented in the other thread) and won it. When I went through the individual lots of coins weeks ago, I don't even know exactly why, I placed the minimum bid of 8,000 British pounds for this aureus. But I actually realised that the minimum bid would not be enough to win the gold aureus. But I won the coin with the starting bid alone. Maybe I should be happy, because in 2016 this coin was auctioned by NAC Switzerland. The hammer price around 8 years ago was CHF 12,000 (around CHF 14,500 with fees). So significantly higher. Actually a reason to be happy? NAC Auction 2016: https://www.numisbids.com/n.php?p=lot&sid=1667&lot=320 But I want to be honest - I don't really know if I can be happy. On the one hand, the Severans have a large number of really great Gold Aureus types. Septimius Severus together with Julia Domna and on the reverse one of the children. Or Julia Domna on the obverse and both children on the reverse. And many other great family motifs. But these Aureus types often end up in auctions at 20,000, 30,000 or much much more USD in price money. I was somewhat surprised by the price of "only" 16,000 euros for this type at the last Numiscorner auction: https://www.biddr.com/auctions/numiscorner/browse?a=4660&l=5591291 Nevertheless, it can be said that the rare Severer types are all very expensive. I got a Severer Gold Aureus quite "cheaply" - but to be fair, it's a Sol type. Yes, Severan gold is rare and expensive and yes, it's also the Sol type - but it's not one of the highly sought-after Severan family gold aureus. But that's where the mouse bites its own tail. If it were a Severan with the family, I wouldn't have got the Aureus for this price - if you get a "cheap" Severan, it's not one of the family types. Or to cut a long story short, I don't know whether I should be satisfied, because the fact is, my budget is not sufficient to invest a 50,000 USD Aureus privately - but if I wanted a Severer Aureus, one of the family types would be my first choice. And the second issue that makes me a bit unhappy - such an expensive Aureus blocks a lot of budget for potential other coins. How many interesting bronzes and silver pieces could you buy with the money from a single gold coin? Long story short, the second (realisation) - perhaps you should only buy (expensive) Gold Aureus if your budget doesn't matter, if money doesn't matter and you don't even notice when 10,000 USD or much more is no longer there. But now enough philisophy - I would like to present my "starting bid" from the Baldwins auction, lot 85, Septimius Severus with Sol, in more detail. Here is the description of the Baldwin auction house: Quote Septimius Severus (AD 193‑211) AV Aureus, mint of Rome, AD 202‑210, 7.20g. Septimius Severus (AD 193‑211) AV Aureus, mint of Rome, AD 202‑210, 7.20g. SEVERVS PIVS AVG, laureate head of Severus facing right. Rev. PACATOR ORBIS, draped bust of Sol facing right. (RIC 282; Calicò 2487a (same reverse die)). Good Very Fine. Very Rare. Ex. NAC Auction 95 (06/10/2016) lot #320. Baldwin Auction Webpage: https://baldwins.co/en-GB/auction/4fa31230-eb64-45de-84b3-426f855b3607/lots?page=84#/lots/a0b0dc09-c5a2-4fc7-b5e1-2b90a2deb69f?auction_uuid=4fa31230-eb64-45de-84b3-426f855b3607 Numisbids Auction Webpage: https://www.numisbids.com/n.php?p=lot&sid=8196&lot=85 In 2016, NAC described the type as follows: Quote This spectacular aureus of Septimius Severus with the reverse legend PACATOR ORBIS and accompanying radiate and draped bust of the sun god, Sol, declares him as the restorer of peace to the Roman world. It is commemorative in nature, having been struck late in AD 207 but refers to Septimius' successful repulsion of the Parthian invasion of the eastern Roman provinces a decade earlier in AD 197. The figure of Sol thus serves as a reminder of the Roman victory by its connotations to Rome's eastern border, where the sun god begins his ascent through the heavens each day, but also implies a radiant brilliance to the Severan dynasty. Additionally, we know that the cult of Sol Invictus (the Unconquered Sun) was brought back to Rome when Septimius returned there after his eastern campaign. The type is also found on rare silver denarii of Septimius (RIC 282) as well on even rarer aurei and denarii (RIC 163) of his son and co-emperor, Caracalla, but over the next several decades and especially under Postumus, Aurelian and Constantine I, Sol became a regular feature on Roman coinage, at times even serving as the companion (comes, e.g., Soli Comiti Augusti or Soli Invicto Comiti Augusti) to the emperor. 14 1 10 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prieure de Sion Posted July 13 · Member Author Share Posted July 13 -------- I'm looking forward to seeing pictures and information about your Gold Aureus coins. I'd also love to hear how you got your gold coin. Or your opinion! What do you think about buying Gold Aureus? Are these gold coins too expensive for you because you could get a large number of other coins for them and don't want to spend so much money on a single coin? Or would you at least like to buy a gold coin for your collection? 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AncientJoe Posted July 13 · Member Share Posted July 13 (edited) I think you paid a justifiable price for that aureus as long as the surfaces are fine and not smoothed (hard to tell from the pictures). The NAC images look noticeably lower grade but that's at least in part a photography difference. An example in a grade higher sold for $50K hammer in 2014 at Heritage (estimated at $50K), then was resold for 26K CHF in December 2016 (estimated at 25K), then again in 2023 for 28K CHF also at NAC (estimated at 25K again). 2014 was a very expensive time for aurei in general. 2016 was much more affordable and 2023 is a time of relative stability in the market, having not come close to its 2012-14 peak. For what it's worth, your coin sold in 2021 at Roma for 6K GBP hammer on a 10K estimate (so, just the 60% reserve) and then was unsold in Baldwin's in March 2024 at a 9-10K GBP estimate (so probably a slightly higher reserve than this latest sale). It's an interesting type, and seems to only be held back by being a hair low grade to not be of interest to the buyers who would rather pay 25K for a slightly nicer coin. My guess is it may take some time to find a buyer as the coin isn't "fresh" to the market, having been in sales several times in the last few years. However, you're helped by the fact that Baldwins' sales aren't particularly well attended which may mean a collector seeing the coin on VCoins would look at it with fresh eyes. Hope this helps! Edited July 13 by AncientJoe 15 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rasiel Posted July 13 · Member Share Posted July 13 Congratulations on your gold Sep. It's in great shape (I'd call it about EF). However, it's actually one of the most common of his aurei; there are 17 on Coryssa. Still, it's worth every penny you paid. Only Severan aureus I have is this shitty Julia Domna but, hey, any better would cost an arm and a leg. Rasiel 18 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prieure de Sion Posted July 13 · Member Author Share Posted July 13 (edited) 21 minutes ago, AncientJoe said: Hope this helps! It helps! Thanks a lot for that references. I like it to see what way in the last years the coin will have gone. Btw. - I think I will give the Aureus to NGC Office here in Munich, they will send it to USA for grading and slabbing. And then I will hold the coin for the next time. Must think about that this weekend. Edited July 13 by Prieure de Sion Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prieure de Sion Posted July 13 · Member Author Share Posted July 13 15 minutes ago, rasiel said: Congratulations on your gold Sep. It's in great shape (I'd call it about EF). However, it's actually one of the most common of his aurei; there are 17 on Coryssa. Still, it's worth every penny you paid. Yes it was nice and common - but one of the cheapest types you can get. Or in other words - I think the only one of type I can pay. My dream, as I said, was a family type - but I am sure you know the market prices. 17 minutes ago, rasiel said: Only Severan aureus I have is this shitty Julia Domna but, hey, any better would cost an arm and a leg. Wow a Julia Domna Aureus! I didn’t watch the prices of the Severus family the last month and years - but the price? Same as my… or higher? My feeling says, the Domna Gold coins rated higher …?! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CPK Posted July 13 · Supporter Share Posted July 13 A lovely coin @Prieure de Sion which would be a gem in any collection. But as you say, sometimes even a gem just doesn't quite hit the spot the way you thought. Hopefully, this is not one of those though! 😉 I don't own an aureus. I'd love to but I don't know if I ever will, just because as you say you can get some awfully nice bronze and silver for the entry level price of an aureus. But hey, who knows? Maybe someday! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prieure de Sion Posted July 13 · Member Author Share Posted July 13 In the beginning of 2024 i get my first Severian Gold Coin with the young Caracalla and Geta (RIC 17). But I sold that coin directly for 13.000 USD. Why was it so cheap? The aureus had two repaired holes! And the aureus was cleaned and restored! When this type was original in this condition - the price will be minimum the double price. Severian Gold coins are so expensive 😞 11 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Salomons Cat Posted July 13 · Member Share Posted July 13 Congratulations! Aurei are usually not in my league and therefore I really have difficulty to estimate prices for them. But if Roma and Baldwin's estimated the coin at 10k (as Ancient Joe says), then the price that you paid seems quite good to me. As you say, @Prieure de Sion, I prefer buying a few very nice silver coins instead of 1 aureus. This is the only "aureus" that I have: TIBERIUS (14-37). Aureus fourré over a denarius from the Lugdunum mint. Weight: 3.65 g. Diameter: 19 mm. Obv: TI CAESAR DIVI AVG F AVGVSTVS. Rev: PONTIF MAXIM. Livia (as Pax) seated right on throne, holding sceptre and olive branch. It was very affordable. I've already posted it here before and I had the impression that nobody liked it 😄 But I find it interesting and I like it a lot. If you look at the weight, it seems very hard to believe that this coin could fool anyone in ancient times. Therefore, I wonder what happened to the forger. Punishments for counterfeiting aurei in ancient Rome were draconic: In the case of illegal actions made on gold coins, the sinner would have been thrown to wild beasts in the amphitheatre while slaves were tortured to death. The basis of Roman law concerning counterfeiting is considered to be the Lex Cornelia de falsis from 81 BC. 10 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Romismatist Posted July 14 · Member Share Posted July 14 @Prieure de Sion, your Severan aureus is incredible. As @CPKand @Salomons Cat have mentioned, aureii are also currently out of my league and I am more focused on denarii and antoninianii at the moment. The fact that I am also building a few different sub-collections (Messapian mints in Magna Grecia, East Frisian coinage) in addition to my Roman core collection (as well as the fact that my budget is perhaps more modest than many of those on this Forum) makes it difficult to sink the kind of money required into aureii. But I still consider them to be beautiful coins. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JayAg47 Posted July 14 · Member Share Posted July 14 (edited) Acquiring an aureus is a big commitment, similar to buying a second-hand car or an expensive bike. It largely depends on one's budget. Based on your coin, I think the price you paid was appropriate. There are generally two types of aureus buyers: those who want to add an aureus, ANY aureus to their collection and those with deep pockets who collect and specialise in aurei like others do with denarii. I think your coin falls in the middle, while it's certainly expensive to be an entry-level aureus, it might not be the first option to collectors who regularly spend five figures on aurei. If you plan to keep the coin, there’s no issue. However, if you intend to sell it, then you may need to look into where to consign it, to a house that attracts the high-enders or one that attracts collectors from every budget. I've always wanted an aureus. My collection has evolved from adding multiple inexpensive coins to focusing on fewer, higher-quality pieces. A couple of years ago, I acquired my first ancient gold coin, a Justinian solidus, to check off Roman gold from my list. However, it never fully satisfied me, despite the solidus itself being fine. Every time I handle a denarius, I've always wondered how dense and 3D-like the portraits would look on an aureus, and not to mention the primal allure of gold. I considered various options for ancient gold coins, like a gold stater of Mithradates, which is much cheaper than a Nero aureus, but the artwork didn't appeal to me. The Koson stater is another option, but it lacks a portrait and has murky attributions. Bosporan Electrum staters are affordable, but their artwork and metal composition are issues for me. Greek fractions in gold are another inexpensive option, but I don't want to spend hundreds or thousands on a tiny, artless piece of incused gold, especially since I already have a Sri Vijayan gold Massa that looks like a Hekte. Ultimately, I wanted a coin I’d be happy to own, not just to check off a list, and decided on an aureus. Even for a budget aureus, I wanted a problem-free coin issued under any emperor or empress up to the Severan era. While aurei from the crisis period are interesting, they are scarce and expensive. In fact I'd love to own a severely underweight aureus (1-3g) of Gallienus! but the coin I wanted needed to weigh more than 7g, not be drastically off-centered, and have uniform wear without distracting scratches, preferably with an interesting reverse. Initially, I considered a Nero aureus, but none met all my criteria until I found a newly listed one on MA-Shops that I liked, despite it being slightly off-centered, and priced at 3k AUD, the cheapest I've seen for a problem-free coin on retail. I also saw the coin I eventually purchased listed for 4k AUD from the same seller. Although it was over my budget, I instantly fell in love with its reverse and also the well-centered obverse, meeting all my criteria. Additionally, it had recently been sold by HD Rauch and had multiple reverse die-matches, including a coin from the Boscoreale hoard, which convinced me to buy it. I could have bought many coins with that budget, like completing a 12 Caesars set, upgrading my Attica or Alexander tetradrachms, or adding other high-quality tetradrachms or denarii. However, I chose this aureus because it felt like the right time. I had enough interest, knowledge, and funds to make such a purchase. I thought, "If not now, when?" I was fine with this one large purchase to my collection rather than adding various other coins and still having a large gap for an aureus. Additionally, with the rising price of gold, I felt that now was as good a time as any. It's no surprise that numismatic gold carry premiums multiple times their face value, but it does increase with the spot price. Seeing posts from people who bought a solidus for $45 in the 60s/70s or $100-$200 in the 90s or 00s further justified my decision. Obv: T CAESAR IMP VESPASIAN. Head of Titus, laureate, right. Rev: COS IIII. Bull butting right, lashing his tail, left. AD 75, 7.09 g, 20 mm. RIC II.1 780 (Vespasian), Biaggi 361 (same rev die), Calicó 731. Ex H.D. Rauch E-Auction 43, Lot 423. 3-7 Apr 2024. Edited July 14 by JayAg47 15 1 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Al Kowsky Posted July 14 · Member Share Posted July 14 (edited) On 7/13/2024 at 4:16 PM, Prieure de Sion said: There are coins that have been won that I'm not sure whether I should be happy or not - like this gold aureus of Septimius Severus with Sol on the reverse. At the Baldwin auction weeks ago I discovered the Caracalla denarius (which I presented in the other thread) and won it. When I went through the individual lots of coins weeks ago, I don't even know exactly why, I placed the minimum bid of 8,000 British pounds for this aureus. But I actually realised that the minimum bid would not be enough to win the gold aureus. But I won the coin with the starting bid alone. Maybe I should be happy, because in 2016 this coin was auctioned by NAC Switzerland. The hammer price around 8 years ago was CHF 12,000 (around CHF 14,500 with fees). So significantly higher. Actually a reason to be happy? NAC Auction 2016: https://www.numisbids.com/n.php?p=lot&sid=1667&lot=320 But I want to be honest - I don't really know if I can be happy. On the one hand, the Severans have a large number of really great Gold Aureus types. Septimius Severus together with Julia Domna and on the reverse one of the children. Or Julia Domna on the obverse and both children on the reverse. And many other great family motifs. But these Aureus types often end up in auctions at 20,000, 30,000 or much much more USD in price money. I was somewhat surprised by the price of "only" 16,000 euros for this type at the last Numiscorner auction: https://www.biddr.com/auctions/numiscorner/browse?a=4660&l=5591291 Nevertheless, it can be said that the rare Severer types are all very expensive. I got a Severer Gold Aureus quite "cheaply" - but to be fair, it's a Sol type. Yes, Severan gold is rare and expensive and yes, it's also the Sol type - but it's not one of the highly sought-after Severan family gold aureus. But that's where the mouse bites its own tail. If it were a Severan with the family, I wouldn't have got the Aureus for this price - if you get a "cheap" Severan, it's not one of the family types. Or to cut a long story short, I don't know whether I should be satisfied, because the fact is, my budget is not sufficient to invest a 50,000 USD Aureus privately - but if I wanted a Severer Aureus, one of the family types would be my first choice. And the second issue that makes me a bit unhappy - such an expensive Aureus blocks a lot of budget for potential other coins. How many interesting bronzes and silver pieces could you buy with the money from a single gold coin? Long story short, the second (realisation) - perhaps you should only buy (expensive) Gold Aureus if your budget doesn't matter, if money doesn't matter and you don't even notice when 10,000 USD or much more is no longer there. But now enough philisophy - I would like to present my "starting bid" from the Baldwins auction, lot 85, Septimius Severus with Sol, in more detail. Here is the description of the Baldwin auction house: Baldwin Auction Webpage: https://baldwins.co/en-GB/auction/4fa31230-eb64-45de-84b3-426f855b3607/lots?page=84#/lots/a0b0dc09-c5a2-4fc7-b5e1-2b90a2deb69f?auction_uuid=4fa31230-eb64-45de-84b3-426f855b3607 Numisbids Auction Webpage: https://www.numisbids.com/n.php?p=lot&sid=8196&lot=85 In 2016, NAC described the type as follows: P. de Sion, Congrats on scoring this handsome aureus 🤩. Getting the coin slabbed is a good idea just for the assurance that it hasn't been tampered with 😉. Edited July 14 by Al Kowsky spelling correction 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
friedberg Posted July 14 · Member Share Posted July 14 15 hours ago, Prieure de Sion said: I'm looking forward to seeing pictures and information about your Gold Aureus coins. Hello Jörg, actually quite simple. If you bought the piece for your shop it was almost a bargain. And if you bought the piece for your own collection then given your experience you should know what you are doing by now. Here is my last Aureus: RIC II 1² Vespasian 1348 Obv.: IMP CAESAR VESPASIANVS AVG Rev.: CONCORDIA AVG Vespasian 69-79, Aureus 69-70, uncertain western mint, Spain, 19mm 7,38g, -vz, (R2), INV:R339 Ex. Numiscorner, A2, Lot 1082, 15.06.24 Ex. NAC, A125, Lot 502, 24.06.21 Ex. Bertolami, A29, Lot 444, 29.03.17 Three (four) examples of the type RIC II 1² Vespasian 1348 with the CONCORDIA AVG reverse are known. 11 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Victrix Posted July 14 · Member Share Posted July 14 That definitely is a lovely pick up ! I personally love the appeal of aureii. The thought of whose prominent hands these might have passed through keeps me wondering. Hopefully in the near future I can get my hands on a claudius or caesar one but settled for a worn Nero to atleast have one of the type 😛. 9 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
I_v_a_n Posted July 14 · Member Share Posted July 14 19 hours ago, Prieure de Sion said: -------- I'm looking forward to seeing pictures and information about your Gold Aureus coins. I'd also love to hear how you got your gold coin. Or your opinion! What do you think about buying Gold Aureus? Are these gold coins too expensive for you because you could get a large number of other coins for them and don't want to spend so much money on a single coin? Or would you at least like to buy a gold coin for your collection? Congratulations with a resonable purchase of beautiful coin! I think now the prices for middle range quality aureuses much more affordable than some time before. High quality in general $10k+ and out of my range, but I also catch my chance with this Faustina aureus with a bid I was thinking would not be the winner. It also was looking like an overbudget at the moment for me. But I never regret it after. 8 1 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prieure de Sion Posted July 14 · Member Author Share Posted July 14 18 hours ago, Salomons Cat said: It was very affordable. I've already posted it here before and I had the impression that nobody liked it 😄 But I find it interesting and I like it a lot. If you look at the weight, it seems very hard to believe that this coin could fool anyone in ancient times. Therefore, I wonder what happened to the forger. Yeah - it was not the Brad Pitt of Gold Aureus - but I like it, because the coin and his historic was very interesting. 16 hours ago, Romismatist said: as well as the fact that my budget is perhaps more modest than many of those on this Forum I am not sure my budget will fit for this Aureus too 😄 ... 8 hours ago, JayAg47 said: Acquiring an aureus is a big commitment... Thanks for your interesting posting with many arguments... And thanks for posting your interesting Titus Aureus. Great typical Titus head and for my opinion not a common reverse presentation. 5 hours ago, Al Kowsky said: Getting the coin slabbed is a good idea just for the assurance the it hasn't been tampered with 😉. Yes, I think that will I do that... 🙂 5 hours ago, friedberg said: your experience you should know what you are doing by now. I am not sure I know that (every time) ... 😄 What a cool - for my opinion - untypical Vespasianus Aureus, very interesting. The Portrait looks for me so fine - not typical big Vespasianus portrait. Clear legends, well centered - nice example! Lovely. Great. 4 hours ago, Victrix said: That definitely is a lovely pick up ! I personally love the appeal of aureii. The thought of whose prominent hands these might have passed through keeps me wondering. Hopefully in the near future I can get my hands on a claudius or caesar one but settled for a worn Nero to atleast have one of the type 😛. Important - your Aureus has a fantastic typical Nero portrait.... 🙂 2 hours ago, I_v_a_n said: Congratulations with a resonable purchase of beautiful coin! Thanks. Thats your Faustina Aureus?! Perfectly centered, full legends, clear sharp stroked - and - what a wonderful Faustina Portrait - wow... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coinmaster Posted July 14 · Member Share Posted July 14 A true gem in your collection, congrats and enjoy!! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Qcumbor Posted July 16 · Supporter Share Posted July 16 (edited) On 7/13/2024 at 10:20 PM, Prieure de Sion said: I'm looking forward to seeing pictures and information about your Gold Aureus coins. I'd also love to hear how you got your gold coin. Or your opinion! What do you think about buying Gold Aureus? Are these gold coins too expensive for you because you could get a large number of other coins for them and don't want to spend so much money on a single coin? Or would you at least like to buy a gold coin for your collection? Although I don't own any aureus, I can drop some thoughts in. On the one hand, my ancient coin collection can live (and me with it) without gold coins : as you wrote, they are expensive, and there are many cointypes in silver or bronze that I can equaly like. That said, I will probably be tempted, should an opportunity occur, to add an aureus at some point. For example, I would be thrilled with a lupa romana reverse of some sort ! In my specialized field on the other hand (Dombes principality for the few here not aware yet 😉), the gold coinage is highly significant and an essential part of the whole, especially when you want to build a comprehensive collection. The gold types that were minted there have no equivalent in any other metal. I feel thus in the "obligation" to add them as well. It is a big sacrifice in terms of expenses, preventing me from other purchases, but will be the backbone of the collection (save for the 1578 demi-pistole and pistole, they are all exceedingly rare, less than 10 specimens known for the most part, some being unique to date). ND - Pierre II de Bourbon, Duc de Bourbon (1488-1503), Franc à cheval 1578 - Louis II de Montpensier (1560-1582), Pistole 1641 - Gaston d'Orleans (1627-1650), Ecu d'or Q Edited July 16 by Qcumbor 7 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alegandron Posted July 17 · Supporter Share Posted July 17 I digress, but the size of any gold coin at around 1/4 TOZ (7.75g) is always very attractive to me. I have yet to pull the trigger on an Aureus, as I am REALLY interested in a Republican Era Aureus, and those are a bit pricey... I collect Modern Gold, and those coins roughly 1/4 TOZ just "feel" so well in my hand! Here is an ancient roughly 1/4 TOZ of mine (apologies for not being an Aureus): PERSIA Achaemenid Darius I - Xerxes II 485-420 BC AV Daric 14mm 8.3g LydoMilesian Sardes King wearing kidaris kandys quiver spear bow Incuse Carr Type IIIb Group A-B pl XIII 27 7 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prieure de Sion Posted July 17 · Member Author Share Posted July 17 7 hours ago, Alegandron said: apologies for not being an Aureus Nobody has to apologise here - all coins are welcome in the forum 🙂 - great gold you have there, by the way... 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GERMANICVS Posted July 17 · Member Share Posted July 17 (edited) I don"t know what your collecting tastes or standards are, @Prieure de Sion, but I can tell you I would be VERY happy to be able to add that Sep. Severus aureus to my collection. Congratulations! I started collecting Roman coins around 1987, but it was not until 2004 that I was in a financial position to be able to afford an aureus, and only because a miracle happened and I actually received a Tax Rebate on my income taxes here in Germany. (If you live here, you will probably know that this does not happen often.....it is mostly the other way around....🤨). I was so happy that I managed to convince my wife to allow me to spend the tax rebate (about 3600 euros) on two aureii that were being offered at auction. Needless to say, that was the largest sum I had ever spent on coins, by a long shot. Here they are, an aureus of Claudius with the usual SPQR P.P OB CS surrounded by a wreath reverse, a reverse type that I really like on my sestertii and denarii as well. Also, an aureus of Domitian with the emperor on horse in rather low grade, but I ran out of money after the Claudius. Edited July 17 by GERMANICVS 6 1 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prieure de Sion Posted July 17 · Member Author Share Posted July 17 2 minutes ago, GERMANICVS said: I was so happy that I managed to convince my wife to allow me to spend the tax rebate (about 3600 euros) on two aureii that were being offered at auction. Without the woman having received something of equal value? I always had to give a gift in return... 😄 3 minutes ago, GERMANICVS said: Here they are, an aureus of Claudius with the usual SPQR OB CS surrounded by a wreath reverse, a reverse type that I really like on my sestertii and denarii as well. Also, an aureus of Domitian with the emperor on horse in rather low grade, but I ran out of money after the Claudius. Yes the Domitian is a little bit in lower grade - but the interesting reverse presentation brings it back. And the Claudius - absolut cool - a Claudius Aureus - with an interesting reverse too. I see two very nice Gold coins - and booth have not a daily reverse. Cool - same here - Gratulation for booth coins! 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CPK Posted July 17 · Supporter Share Posted July 17 12 minutes ago, GERMANICVS said: I don"t know what your collecting tastes or standards are, @Prieure de Sion, but I can tell you I would be VERY happy to be able to add that Sep. Severus aureus to my collection. Congratulations! I started collecting Roman coins around 1987, but it was not until 2004 that I was in a financial position to be able to afford an aureus, and only because a miracle happened and I actually received a Tax Rebate on my income taxes here in Germany. (If you live here, you will probably know that this does not happen often.....it is mostly the other way around....🤨). I was so happy that I managed to convince my wife to allow me to spend the tax rebate (about 3600 euros) on two aureii that were being offered at auction. Needless to say, that was the largest sum I had ever spent on coins, by a long shot. Here they are, an aureus of Claudius with the usual SPQR OB CS surrounded by a wreath reverse, a reverse type that I really like on my sestertii and denarii as well. Also, an aureus of Domitian with the emperor on horse in rather low grade, but I ran out of money after the Claudius. Beautiful! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idesofmarch01 Posted July 18 · Member Share Posted July 18 (edited) On 7/13/2024 at 3:30 PM, AncientJoe said: 2014 was a very expensive time for aurei in general. Interesting observation! I hadn't noticed this myself but I do note that I didn't acquire any aurei in the 2014 - 2015 period. Maybe that's why. In your experience and observation, are current prices for aurei still lower than 2014? Edited July 19 by idesofmarch01 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AncientJoe Posted July 19 · Member Share Posted July 19 21 hours ago, idesofmarch01 said: Interesting observation! I hadn't noticed this myself but I do note that I didn't acquire any aurei in the 2015 - 2015 period. Maybe that's why. In your experience and observation, are current prices for aurei still lower than 2014? Anecdotally, they've stabilized now around the 2014 level. The non-portrait Julius Caesar A Hirtius Praetor types are still absurdly overpriced but even some more important Twelve Caesars have have slipped through the cracks recently. Prices are strong if they grade well (i.e. no "brushed" or "light marks" from NGC) but there have certainly been some outliers. In part, this is due to the largest new buyer (a comparatively recent re-entrant to the market over the last few years) acquiring enough of the types already and not hoarding others. Russian buyers who were extremely aggressive in the 2012-14 era are out of the market due to obvious political/financial reasons and there haven't been any marquee, fresh-to-market collections of aurei sold recently. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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