KNOW BEFORE YOU BUY!!!

Much of the guides here focus on the uncleaned gold found category, and rightly so. No shmuck is about to let a 5000$ Aureus pass through his hands, so common sense is pretty much all you need there. But when you are buying individual coins for the first time, or even small lots, there is still a lot to watch out for.

1. I often see a lot of coins offered here with absolutley zero patina. A patina is the natural covering a coin aquires overtime by oxidation, with bronze coins, this patina is normal Copper or Cuprous Oxide. There are lots of coins on offer here that have had that patina removed, and you get a nice shiny, blurry coin. Well, that coin is worth zilch to all serious collectors, and a previously desireable coin may be reduced to a small paperweight by overzealous cleaning. There is also the issue of fake patinas. Be suspicious of a perfect uniform green, black or brown colouring on the coin, but this is not a hard and fast rule and some select coins also have these uniform, naturally formed patinations. Summary: PATINA IS GOOD!!

2.Fakes and reproductions. This is hard. In fact, it takes study to suss out a fake. Its up to you to do your research. Most fakes are made by metal castings into moulds, and this gives a different set of surface charecteristics than a genuine struck coin. Major incators of castings are bubbles or pits in the coins surface, the EXACT same coin being offered (no genuine coins are ever the same), and the soft, mushy appearance of the the coins details. WARNING: Dont think reading this makes you an instant expert. People have even done doctoral theses on the study of ancient coin forgery, so it is a massive field, encompassing a lifetime of study. But now you are at least aware of these things and I will shortly direct you to the proper channels to begin your education! Look before you leap!

3. Tooling. Many many coins are being put forward that are selling for astronomical prices. Great investment right? If the coin has been tooled, no. No respectable auction house will even remotely consider selling your very expensive tooled investment with a 60ft barge pole. Tooled coins are worn coins that have been etched or carved into the metal to improve its grade. This produces a coin that looks detailed, but not as if it has been struck, but cut into. These coins always have artifical patinations, done using chemicals. With but a little training, you can immediatly detect a grossly tooled coin.

In conclusion, the above is merely a basic awareness course. If you want to be a really informed, competent ancient numist, start here:

forumancientcoins

DONT BE A SHMUCK, BE INFORMED!