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Home  Articles Antiques Reasons Why I Prefer Collecting Roman Coins
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Reasons Why I Prefer Collecting Roman Coins |
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Written by SimonAshley
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Monday, 29 June 2009 |
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If youve ever wondered what Roman Emperors like Julius Caesar, Nero or Constantine looked like or wanted to own something that may have been held by one of these historic men or someone living during that period then consider this.
by SimonAshley
If youve ever wondered what Roman Emperors like Julius Caesar, Nero or Constantine looked like or wanted to own something that may have been held by one of these historic men or someone living during that period then consider this.
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 you should consider collecting Roman coins then other Ancient Coins.
Firstly there are a wide variety of Ancient Roman coins to suite your tastes. This is largely due to the vast time and area that the Roman Empire covered. From as early as 27 BC to 496 AD there were many millions of coins minted spanning a large area of the globe featuring coins that reflect the time from when they were created.
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.
Collecting Roman coins can be a cheap hobby unlike other ancient coins created by the Barbarians, Greeks, Indians and Chinese.
This can come as a surprise to many considering how ancient these coins are. Yet they can be even cheaper then some of the modern day coins that coin collectors collect. There are two main reasons for this. Firstly as already stated the Roman empire was large and so there were a lot of coins minted. Many Roman coins are therefore not as rare as many believe. Another reason is that there are few collectors of ancient coins then modern coins. This makes the demand for them lower.
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.
Another reason why I enjoy collecting Roman coins is that they have more then just historic value. These coins have creative and artistic value. They have been beautifully crafted and reflect the culture and environment of where they were made.
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.
Factors that determine a coins worth
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 a coin can depend on how corroded the coin has become while it has been in the ground or how it was stored.
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.
Determining the grade of a coin can be tricky and sometimes you simply have to go with how appealing and detailed 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.
More people collect modern coins and therefore there is greater demand for them. Also because modern coins are less varied then Roman coins the value of a modern coin can be driven up if collectors are trying to complete their collections. This is less of an issue with Roman coins as the variety is much greater and collectors are less likely to complete their collection. Each collection will be different. Rare Roman coins do exist however. If an emperor was only in power for a short period of time less coins are likely to have been minted during his reign. These coins are harder to find and cost more.
You should not be tempted into purchasing a coin just because a coin seller describes the coin as being rare or very scarce. Coins that are described as rare are often not rare at all. If you are new to coin collecting then it is easy to be tricked by such claims. You should ask a number of questions if someone is selling what they describe as a rare coin. Does the dealer provide the range or RIC number for the coin. Dont buy a coin because it has been described as rare. You should look at other factors and ask questions first.
If you build up a collection of ancient coins you will be able to tell for yourself if a coin is uncommon, scarce or even rare.
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 get an idea of the diversity in price for different Roman coins, for $5 to $10 you can buy good quality coins minted under late third and forth century AD emperors.
If you were willing to pay $10-$20, you could collect a coin from the more well-known 1st and 2nd century emperors. Maybe some later ones in good condition. If you were willing to accumulate a collection of over 50 emperors in good condition with clear portraits and readable legends this should cost approximately $20 a coin.
Dont forget there are a variety of coins for each emperor. Some of these coins will cost much more and are in better condition or more scarce. However you shouldnt have to look much further if you want to assemble a collection of fairly good quality coins without having to spend too much.
Once in a while you might want to spend a bit more on a scarce emperor, or something that really arouses your interest, or a coin in truly nice condition. But then again, you might be attracted to cheaper coins that are not fully cleaned or legible, which can add to their mystery.
To summarize look for coins that you find appealing and from a period you find interesting. Perhaps you want like collecting coins from famous emperors or you are interested in Biblical coins. If you do purchase a more expensive coin dont worry about rarity too much but purchase a coin in good condition and grade. If you purchase the coin from a coin dealer dont forget to do some research first and ask the right questions.
About the Author:
If you want more advice on the interesting hobby of Roman coin collecting and how to find genuine Roman coins check out http://www.cheapromancoins.com which provides listings of genuine Roman coins for sale from approved dealers
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