| Why You Should Consider Collecting Roman Coins |
| Written by EleanorWright | |
| Friday, 18 September 2009 | |
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Ever wondered what Emperors like Constantine the Great, Cleopatra or Julius Caesar looked like and wanted to hold something in your hand that may have been held by one of these Emperors or someone living during that time.
Ever wondered what Emperors like Constantine the Great, Cleopatra or Julius Caesar looked like and wanted to hold something in your hand that may have been held by one of these Emperors or someone living during that 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. I prefer collecting Roman coins for a number of reasons. 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. Also its great to know what the Roman Emperors looked like. It was common practice during the time of the Roman Empire to inscribe the portrait of the Emperor on the coins that were minted during their reign. Roman coins are the least expensive of all Ancient coins. Other ancient coins include for example Greek, Barbaric, Celtic, Parthian, Nabathaean, Islamic, Indian and Chinese. In fact they are less expensive to collect then many modern day coins which can come as a surprise to some. As already stated the Roman Empire was large and existed over a long period of time. Therefore there were a lot of Roman coins and so they are not as rare as some may believe. Also fewer people collect ancient coins then modern coins and so the demand for them is 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. 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 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 of the coin depends on the tools and experience of the person who minted the coin during the Roman period. These coins were made by hand and so are not always very well minted. They may be oval rather then circular and lack detail. This can happen 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 The third most important factor that determines the worth of a Roman coin is how rare that coin is. However rarity is less of a factor with Roman coins as it is with modern coins as Roman coins are so diverse and numerous. Coins are worth a lot more if fewer were minted and there are fewer of them in circulation. Given the large number of collectors of Modern day coins this is more of a factor with Modern coins. This would drive up the cost of a rare coin if collectors are trying to complete their collection. Sellers of ancient coins will often use terms such as scarce, rare or very rare to describe a coin. Just because someone describes a coin as rare does not mean that it actually is. Unfortunately, some sellers will attach this label to ancient coins to attract novice collectors who do not know better. If someone describes a coin as rare or scarce does the person explain why the coin is rare? Does he give it an RIC number and explain the variety? If you are new to collecting ancient coins, you should not jump on a coin just because is it described as rare. Once you become more experienced it will be much easier to determine yourself if a coin is uncommon, scarce, rare or very rare. How much should you pay for a Roman Coin If you want to purchase a really rare Roman coin then they will not sell for much less than $120. Some will sell for more then this. For example a coin of Nero described as rare with an asking price of just a few dollars is very unlikely to be so. There are ebay coin sellers who will claim that their coin is rare, or they have only seen one in a decade, yet there is another one exactly the same being sold on eBay by someone else. To get an idea of the range in price for Roman coins, for $5 to $10 you can purchase good quality coins manufactured under late 3rd and 4th 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. On top of this, there are numerous varieties available for each emperor. Of course, just as with modern coins, you can buy ones that cost much more; ones that are in better shape or are more scarce, but if you are just interested in decent coins and history then you may not have to look any further. 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 sum up, purchase coins that appear to you personally. Every coin will be different. Choose the one that you think is better value for your money. You may even be able to resell such a coin later and make a profit. Occasionally buy a more expensive coin of a higher grade and condition. Dont worry about rarity too much but if want a rare coin you should make sure the coin really is rare by asking the dealer the right questions. This can save yourself a lot of money. About the Author: If you want further information about Roman coins and why Roman coin identifying can be such an interesting hobby visit http://www.genuineromancoinsforsale.com/ which provides advice on identifying Roman coins and their metal content From the Webmaster: "Having the opportunity to share my hobbies and interests with so many people around the world gives me great satisfaction. As a bonus, I blog and produce websites about topics that interest me and receive ad revenue from the websites and Blogs." You can live like this too. Get your domain name and set up a blog on your favorite place or topic. No come-ons. No "Get-Rich-Quick" promises. The results are worth the time and effort needed to build a REAL business.You can start your first or your fiftieth Blog or website to build long- term, ever-growing profits that can take you where you want to go. For less than $10 dollars a year for a domain name and $3.95 a month for basic blog hosting you can start to earn from your hobby or interest. To begin, Click here to sign up for a domain name and Blog hosting . Or, Click here to learn more about starting a blog or website for profit. |