Where?

Where do you guys find some of these coins. Like I will be reading through the identification forums and there will be people asking for identifications on ancient or medieval coins. So where do you get them? Do you find them out and about, do you buy them, or what? Thx.

 eBay 

I have quite a few saved Searches, and Sellers. 

 Each day when new notification emails arrive there is 

a ‘You might also like’ below them, and sometimes some 

unexpected interesting lots in there - and among those lots there

might be a coin that is wanted even though the rest not so much. 

I think people just buy them that’s what I do.

Occasionally we hear from people who live in the Balkan region, or Turkey or so, who goes detecting and finds a coin, and might ask for help identifying. But mostly we contact coin dealers who specialize. 

Since I think you live in the US, if you have a car and Sundays free, I recommend visiting a coin show. You might find a dealer in ancients, or world coins, or more than one! Though 90% will have only US coins, and/or gold and silver bullion. You can feast your eyes on those as well, while you are there. Bring cash!😇

I mostly get my coins from antique or charity shops here in the UK, or from online auctions.  Happy to pay the Charity shops whatever they want, which can become a bit expensive for what I eventually get, but occasionally something interesting gets missed in a box or bag of mixed coins which I can then research.  I've also found a local antique dealer who is only really interested in silver or gold coins, so happily hands over coins, medals or tokens of other metals at a reasonable price.  I don't tend to spend much on my coins, apart from the occasional new issue from the Royal Mint, Pobjoy or the Westminster Collection, and enjoy finding interesting Exonumia as much as a new or different coin.

Other than that, I have an ever expanding list of friends who are happy to bring back circulation coins from the various countries they visit in return for BBQ invitations or a bottle of wine, as well as relatives and friends of my Dutch wife who keep an eye out for unusual Euro designs in their loose change.  Not sure if any of that helps coin collectors in the USA, but it may spark an idea for an alternative source.

Good luck 😀