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What's your earliest purchase you'd be just as excited buying now as when you bought it?

ClioClio Posts: 541 ✭✭✭✭✭
in World & Ancient Coins Forum

Just to clarify since I couldn't fit it all in the title, I mean what is the coin you've owned the longest you'd be just as excited buying today as when you bought it.

The reason I ask is that for me my collection seems to churn a fair amount and I have changed tastes over time, grown, become a better grader and found upgrades along the way. I've collected since 1999 but in a more serious capacity only since 2017. My earliest purchase I'd still buy today is the coin in my profile picture. I would prefer something you bought for your collection rather than something you just bought to flip. I'm not just after normal coins that are cheap, I want to see exceptional coins that are timeless.


I purchased this raw March 5th of 2020 and was very anxious about it, being the most I had spent on a raw coin. I paid $220. Despite all my upgrades and auction wins I've yet to find an example I like better which almost every other coin from that year has since been sold and replaced.

https://numismaticmuse.com/ My Web Gallery

The best collecting goals lie right on the border between the possible and the impossible. - Andy Lustig, "MrEureka"

Comments

  • ClioClio Posts: 541 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @pruebas said:
    Purchased in 1998 and it got me seriously in to Mexican pattern coins. This is the first Peso of Mexico, and it's also struck in Mexico. Finest of two known.

    I still get excited seeing this coin and would happily buy it again today (but might not be able to afford it).

    Incredible piece! Seems like you got into it at the right time.

    https://numismaticmuse.com/ My Web Gallery

    The best collecting goals lie right on the border between the possible and the impossible. - Andy Lustig, "MrEureka"

  • AbueloAbuelo Posts: 1,820 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @pruebas never disappoints.

  • WCCWCC Posts: 2,571 ✭✭✭✭✭

    I'm buying from the same series almost exclusively the last 14 years, so I don't have the same perception of each coin as I did when I had far fewer.

  • ClioClio Posts: 541 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @SmEagle1795 said:
    Mine would be my avatar coin which marked my transition from US early gold (my username) to ancients. I bought it 13 years ago and it still fits to this day, unlike many other pieces I bought in that era purely out of excitement:

    That's a great looking piece! I have to say this feels way too close to home though:

    pieces I bought in that era purely out of excitement

    :#

    https://numismaticmuse.com/ My Web Gallery

    The best collecting goals lie right on the border between the possible and the impossible. - Andy Lustig, "MrEureka"

  • ClioClio Posts: 541 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @Bob13 said:
    Here's a coin I bought in 2018. At the time, one of my first world coin forays - probably inspired by @Zohar .

    But, mint state, 300 year old, beautiful looking, dollar sized coin for a modest amount of money? I was hooked!

    That's an outstanding coin. I can't imagine any coin matching those parameters is ever a bad purchase.

    @robp2 said:
    Probably this 1697y transposed French and Irish shields shilling I picked up on ebay over 20 years ago.

    Not a thing of great beauty, but it became the second known of what is an unquestionable rarity. The other is the ex Jackson-Kent and Manville coin which is better, but only VF. It didn't come cheap as the seller put a reserve on it, but rather than act in typical ebay buyer fashion and put in a lowball offer after it has failed to sell in the hope of getting a bargain, I was happy to put in a realistic bid. Not seen another one since.

    It is also quite an informative coin, as the person who put the dies in the press clearly used the top of the King's head (obv.) and French arms (rev.) for alignment. Consequently, all the other shields are in the wrong position for the normal inverted die axis, and the date appears at 9 o'clock!

    I have to say given infinite amount of time I don't think I would've discovered how it was significant. Very interesting purchase and a good example of how knowledge pays off while I'm out here just buying shiny coins haha.

    @coinkat said:

    What a great thread... I suppose now I need to find something to share. Both of these were submitted about 18 years ago... looking for an image of something earlier which likely is not going to produce something I can share that is earlier.

    Both lowly coins. That W&M is wonderfully wholesome. The perfect circ example. The William is of course outstanding as well!

    https://numismaticmuse.com/ My Web Gallery

    The best collecting goals lie right on the border between the possible and the impossible. - Andy Lustig, "MrEureka"

  • ClioClio Posts: 541 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @bosox said:
    1858 Canada Cent, PCGS MS-65RB, pop 3/0. Also, a scarce die pairing. Bought this one in 2005. Probably should get it re-holdered to eliminate the plastic scratches.

    Great looking piece! You can get most of those scratches out with Headlamp polish used on cars.

    https://numismaticmuse.com/ My Web Gallery

    The best collecting goals lie right on the border between the possible and the impossible. - Andy Lustig, "MrEureka"

  • ClioClio Posts: 541 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @ELuis said:
    To me maybe this one has some others but this one I bought for less that $70 bucks raw, was marked as F condition, and the images did not do any help, waited too long to be sent it for grading, came up as MS63.

    Wow that is an excellent coin to get for that price! Great look to it. I love it!

    https://numismaticmuse.com/ My Web Gallery

    The best collecting goals lie right on the border between the possible and the impossible. - Andy Lustig, "MrEureka"

  • TwoKopeikiTwoKopeiki Posts: 9,683 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @FistFullOfDollars said:
    I could not stop thinking about this coin and had to have it, a great addition to my type set.

    My kind of coin and exactly the grade range and eye appeal i look for as I build the collection. Congrats!


    8 Reales Madness Collection
  • ELuisELuis Posts: 1,063 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Another coin is a 1923 Mo Peso "Resplandor".
    That I got from my Mom back in 1971.
    1923 was her birth year.

    Do not have it anymore back then you can buy one for $2USD.or less.

  • ClioClio Posts: 541 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @TwoKopeiki said:
    I've posted this Guadalajara 8 Reales from Mexico's War for Independence period before, but this was my first 8 Reales that both introduced me to the series and showed me what original surfaces could look like on a 200 year old coin. Later, thanks to Calbeto's "Compendium", I discovered that it was also a variety (no dot before HISPAN on the reverse) and I've been obsessed with 8 Reales varieties ever since.

    If John Kantymir of Niagara Coins & Collectibles only knew what he started when he sold this coin to me back in 2006.

    Always awesome to me to have the coin that sets you on a life long addiction haha :D

    https://numismaticmuse.com/ My Web Gallery

    The best collecting goals lie right on the border between the possible and the impossible. - Andy Lustig, "MrEureka"

  • SimonWSimonW Posts: 870 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @ChopmarkedTrades said:
    This was my first 'serious' chopmarked coin, an 1811 Capped Bust Half Dollar....

    Some seriously cool stuff!

    Also, I can't believe this was purchased though Heritage's "make an offer to owner" program! I didn't think that EVER worked! I've NEVER heard of anyone that even got a response through that.

    I'm BACK!!! Used to be Billet7 on the old forum.

  • ClioClio Posts: 541 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @ChopmarkedTrades said:
    This was my first 'serious' chopmarked coin, an 1811 Capped Bust Half Dollar. Came off of HA's Make Offer to Owner program from a sale seven years prior, and kickstarted the type set I've been working on for nearly a decade at this point. It's still a significant rarity with chopmarks and perhaps the finest chopmarked example of the type.

    And in keeping with the dark side theme, this is probably the earliest non-US type I would gladly purchase again, came out of the Colleccion Bohol sold by Aureo in 2017.

    That is an outstanding 2R! I love it.

    https://numismaticmuse.com/ My Web Gallery

    The best collecting goals lie right on the border between the possible and the impossible. - Andy Lustig, "MrEureka"

  • ELuisELuis Posts: 1,063 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @ChopmarkedTrades said:

    Very nice 2R - have seen one in the same condition, but had a kind of sun on one of the globes on the left one and on reverse two punches, yours have only one, also above the R in the same location as yours, do these mean something?, just curious. Thanks.

  • ChopmarkedTradesChopmarkedTrades Posts: 518 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @SimonW said:

    Some seriously cool stuff!

    Also, I can't believe this was purchased though Heritage's "make an offer to owner" program! I didn't think that EVER worked! I've NEVER heard of anyone that even got a response through that.

    Ha, I was certainly surprised as well, especially given how long it had been since the actual auction.

    @ELuis said:
    Very nice 2R - have seen one in the same condition, but had a kind of sun on one of the globes on the left one and on reverse two punches, yours have only one, also above the R in the same location as yours, do these mean something?, just curious. Thanks.

    The placement doesn't mean anything to my knowledge, though there may have been some preference for certain placement among those applying the chops.

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