Ancient Coins

Common, scarce and rare ancient Greek coins; ancient Roman coins; ancient Byzantine coins; and medieval coins at Mintmark.com.

Ancient Greek Coins

Ancient Roman Coins

Ancient Byzantine Coins

Medieval Coins

“HISTORY OF COINS—The history of coins extends from ancient times to the present, and is related to economic history, the history of minting technologies, the history shown by the images on coins, and the history of coin collecting. Coins are still widely used for monetary and other purposes. All western histories of coins begin with their invention at some time slightly before or after 600 B.C. in Western Turkey. Since that time, coins have been the most universal embodiment of money. These first coins were made of electrum, a naturally occurring pale yellow mixture of gold and silver that was further alloyed with silver and copper. Also, the Persian coins were very famous in the Persian and Sassanids era. Most notably, in Susa and in Ctesiphon. Some of the most famous and widely collected coins of antiquity are Roman coins and Greek coins. The Byzantine Empire minted many coins (see Byzantine currency), including very thin gold coins bearing the image of the Christian cross and various Byzantine emperors. A tomb of the Shang Dynasty dating back to the 11th century B.C. shows what may be the first cast copper money Tong Bei. Coinage was in widespread use by the Warring States Period and the Han Dynasty. Some of the earliest coins were beaten at the edges to imitate the shape of a cow, in indication of their value. Most coins are circular but some were rectangular. Also a lot of coins, especially in China had a hole through the center so they could be tied on to a string. Some of the earliest coins to be made purely from silver and gold were the silver Dirham and gold Dinar in the early Islamic Caliphate from the 7th century. Minting technologies—Coins were first made of scraps of metal. Ancient coins were produced through a process of hitting a hammer positioned over an anvil. The Chinese produced primarily cast coinage, and this spread to South-East Asia and Japan. Relatively few non-Chinese cast coins were produced by governments, however it was a common practice amongst counterfeiters. Since the early 1700s and before, presses (normally referred to as mills in coin collecting circles) have been used in the west, beginning with screw presses and progressing in the 1800s towards steam driven presses. The first of these presses were developed in France and Germany, and quickly spreading to Britain. Recently modern minting techniques involving electric and hydraulic presses have been more commonly employed. The type of mintage method (being hammered, milled or cast) does limit the materials which can be used for the coin. For example, antimony coins, (which are very rare) are nearly always cast examples, because of the brittle nature of the metal, and thus it would break if deformed, which is a key part of the milling or hammering processes . . .” — HISTORY OF COINS AT WIKIPEDIA

“Ancient coins are far more than a lucrative investment; they are a window into history. In an age when messages were still carried by runners, coins were part of the way people communicated. Roman emperors had their own images engraved on coins, and for some people, this was all they would ever see of their ruler. Coin likenesses have never been very exact, although in one very famous instance, they changed the face of history (Louis XVI was apprehended in mid-flight by French revolutionaries who recognized his profile from its representation on the currency). Ancient coins were a way of demonstrating power. Rulers who wanted to appear more stable than they were struck coins with their image, assuming that once these started circulating, people would accept their authority. Having one's image on a coin immediately connoted power and legitimacy as far into history as the 18th century. Collecting such coins is a fascinating study in historical power struggles. Coins gathered from ancient treasure hoards, as well as ordinary archaeological digs, tell us a great deal about the religious beliefs of the time as well. Early Roman coins feature portraits of the emperors, who portrayed themselves as living gods, Jupiter's representatives on earth. Temples or other sacred buildings were usually portrayed on a coin's reverse side, solidifying the link between church and state. The provenance of ancient coins may also add value to your purchase. For example, owning a bag of ancient Roman coins unearthed from ruins near Mt. Aetna is not as historically interesting as owning a bag of ancient Roman coins unearthed from ancient Silk Road trails in Central Asia, or in the Nubian sands south of the Egyptian kingdoms. Coins or coin collections with documented histories will cost you more, but will increase the value of your overall collection in the long run.” — EBAY

▶ Ancient Greek Coins | Ancient Roman Coins | Ancient Byzantine Coins | Medieval Coins

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