by Anneliese Edwards
Have you ever imagined what Roman Emperors like Julius Caesar, Nero or Titus looked like. Perhaps you would also like to own something that may have been held by one of these historic men or someone living during their time.
If you are someone who has an interest in the Ancient past or perhaps someone who just likes collecting historic antiques but your not willing to spend much money then you should consider taking up the hobby of Roman coin collecting.
There are a number of reasons why I prefer collecting Roman coins then other antiques including other ancient coins.
Unlike other ancient coins there are a wide variety of Ancient Roman coins featuring many different Roman emperors. This is due to the vast time and area that the Empire covered. Countless coins were made between the 1st and 5th century over a large area of the world which the Roman Empire covered and these coins reflect the location and period that they were minted.
Another reason is that it was a tradition to inscribe the portrait of the emperors on the coins that were minted during their reign. It is therefore possible to get an idea of what the various emperors looked like which is amazing considering that they lived thousands of years ago.
There were many Ancient coins created by the Greeks, Barbarians, Celts, Indians and Chinese but Ancient Roman coins are the most in-expensive of all of these.
Collecting Ancient roman coins is less expensive then collecting modern day coins because more people collect modern coins then Ancient coins so there is less demand for them. Secondly as I have already stated the Roman Empire was vast covering a large area and over a long period of time. Because so many Roman coins were minted they are not as rare as some may believe.
There are also less forgeries of Roman coins then other coins particularly modern day coins. This is largely due to the fact that they are less rare and expensive.
These coins dont just have historic and monetary value. They also have artistic value being beautifully crafted and containing a narrative or story of the area and period that they were minted.
Roman Coins had intrinsic value. Unlike coins today these coins were made from Gold, Silver, Bronze etc. Should you have a higher budget this gives you the chance to collect the more special and rarer Gold and Silver coins which were worth many more times their weight in those metals.
The Factors that determine the worth of a Roman coin
Prices for Roman Coins vary significantly and are due to a number of variables. The top two important are the grade of the coin when it was minted and the condition that the coin is in now.
The condition of the coin depends on how the coin was stored before being found or how tarnished the coin has become due to minerals in the ground.
The grade is determined by how the coin was minted during Roman times. These coins were hand made and so are not always very circular or detailed. A Roman coin can be less detailed and of less value if it was struck by dies that were worn down.
How you grade the coin can sometimes be problematic and sometimes you just have to estimate it based on how appealing or detailed you think the coin is to your own eyes
Another factor that determines a coins worth is its rarity. Surprisingly rarity is less of a factor in determining an ancient Roman coins worth then modern day coins.
Coin collectors are less likely to be competing for the same coin when trying to complete their Roman coin collection and each collection will be different. Also more people collect modern coins and so there is greater demand. Rare Roman coins do exist thanks to Emperors who had a short reign. Fewer coins would have been minted during their reign making them rarely and more expensive today.
You should be wary of coin dealers that use terms such as rare or very rare to describe a coin. A coin that is described as rare may not necessarily be rare. Some of those who are new to coin collecting will be misled by such claims. If someone describes a coin as rare you should determine how rare and why the coin is rare. Does the dealer of the coin give an RIC number and provide the range. Do not be tempted to purchase a coin just because someone describes it as rare.
If you become a professional coin dealer of have even just built up a collection of ancient coins determining whether a coin is rare or not will become much easier.
Price of different Roman coins
Truly rare coins that are sort after will not sell for much less than $100, and often for much more. Hence, a coin of Constantine described as rare with an asking price of just a few dollars is very unlikely to be so. There are sellers on eBay who claim that their coin is rare, or they have only seen one in 10 years, but there is another one just like it being offered on eBay by someone else.
To give you an idea of the variation of price for Roman coins, for $5-$10 you can buy decent quality coins issued under a number of the late-3rd and 4th century AD emperors.
For approximately $10 – $20, you should be able to collect a coin from the more recognized 1st and 2nd century emperors, and many later ones in good condition. In fact you could collect about half of the emperors of which there is about fifty with clear portraits and readable legends for about $20 a coin.
There can be a large variety of coins for each emperor. Some will be in better condition, or more rare, but if your interested in purchasing decent quality coins and you dont want to pay too much you may not have to look much further.
You could occasionally splash out on a rarer coin which catches your interest or one in much better condition. Or even a Gold or Silver coin worth more then their weight in these precious metals. Some people are attracted to coins that are dirty or not fully legible as it can add to their mystery and even lead to a rare and expensive find.
So, to summarize, buy coins that you find interesting and that appeal to you. No two coins of the same type will be exactly the same; choose the one that you think is better value for your money. Look around to see if a nicer looking coin might be also affordable if that is what you really want, and hence save yourself the trouble of replacing it later or regretting that you bought it in the first place. Do not worry about rarity too much!
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Roman coins and the currency throughout that period. Ancient Roman coins have artistic and cultural value