There are three different points in time that Ancient Greek coins are divided into. The first period of time for the history of ancient Greek coins is known as the Archaic period. This particular period of time expands from when coinage first appeared in the Greek World in 600 BCE until 480 BE which was when the Persian wars erupted. After this, the next period of time that existed was the Classical period for Greek coins, and this period endured until Alexander the Great appeared in 330 BC.
The third period is the Hellenistic period, which drew out until the Romans preoccupied the Greek world in the 1st century BCE. The Greek cities extended in order to create their own coins for additional cities under the rule of Rome. These coins were each completely handmade, and they depicted a wide variety of different scenes, buildings, figureheads and symbols.
All of the Ancient Greek coins were created by hand unlike how modern day coins are made. Ancient Greek coins were eventually invented in a kingdom known as Lydia, which is now known as Turkey, during 620 BCE. When the Ancient Greeks began to create Greek coins from the very start, these coins had a number of different figures, inscriptions and symbols that were specifically designed to exemplify the independence of the poleis.
Even though the Greeks were under the command of Hellenistic kings or autocrats, the Greeks were always generally independent in nature. Their coins were a great way for them to substantiate their independence throughout their history. In other words, Ancient Greek coins are a symbol of independence among a people that struggled with independence for many centuries. Ancient Greek coins are made up of historic pictures and symbols and are now perceived as being artistic, lending to the history of a true art. The examples of the oldest Greek coins are capable of including a lot of sanctified temples and buildings, and this permits individuals to understand how grand those buildings once were in Greek history and lore.
Greek coins, then, were a lot more than a simple system of commerce or a collection of carved or stamped metal. The purpose of Greek coins had so much more to do with independence and religious pride, meaning that they are extremely meaningful as history of art, and the history of a people that struggled for independence and flourished for many years despite being under the rule of others, including Hellenistic kings and the Romans. If you are looking for a type of collection that you can be proud to have in your possession, consider collecting Greek coins so that you can learn the history of a unique people and revel in the signs and symbols of their fight for independence. The more you learn about Greek coins, the better you will be able to benefit from collecting these unique coins.
Photo Credits: I likE plants!
Originally posted 2009-07-24 05:27:24. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
Related Posts -
Rare Gold Coins money -> Coins-World -> Gold Gold is one of the most popular substances in the world, and rare gold coins are highly sought out by collectors, not just for the precious gold content, but because of the rarity of the coins and the designs themselves. How do you know...... -
Buffalo Nickels Coins and Paper Money -> Coins - US -> Nickels -> Buffalo (1913-1938): 1913-19, 1920-29, 1930-38, Mixed Lots The popular US coin called the Buffalo Nickel was only minted from 1913 to 1938, but it quickly became one of the most popular coins and certainly one of the most collectible....... -
Liberty Head Silver Dollars money -> Coins-US -> Dollars Liberty Head silver dollars have been referred to in many different ways over the years. First they were called Buzzard Dollars, because no one really liked the original design of the rather scrawny eagle on the back. The large, heavy coins were also referred...... -
Military Coins Coins and Paper Money -> Coins US -> Coins - World Whether you were once in the military, or you are a collector all of things militaria, military coins are a great and valuable item to start amassing. There are many different kinds of military coins that are currently available...... -
Determining Rare Coin Values in Your Collection When you are deciding whether or not you would like to add a specific coin to your collection, one of the things that you are going to want to take into account is rare coin values. The rare coin values that you find will ultimately be determined by availability of......
Related Websites -
The Difficulties of Writing Really Old Erotic Historical Romances. [/caption]Ever wondered why there aren't more erotic historical romances out there? I've always written the odd historical romance, but my output has dropped considerably since the market bottomed out rather dramatically a few years ago. Since erotic romances bloomed in the early 2000's I naturally switched my attention over to...... -
101 Quotes About The Environment. Thank God men cannot fly, and lay waste the sky as well as the earth. ~Henry David Thoreau Environmentalists have long been fond of saying that the sun is the only safe nuclear reactor, situated as it is some ninety-three million miles away. ~Stephanie Mills, ed., In Praise of Nature,...... -
Stop And Smell The Roses - Symbols in Our Collective Unconscious "why is the primary reference to ‘smelling a rose’? Or why smelling a flower at all? Why not stop and eat a grape? Or stop and watch the sunset?n... - Collectible elongated coins When I was still in elementary school, I remember a day when a passenger train was coming into town. There hadn't been a passenger train in town for a long time, so this was a big event. Prior to the train's arrival I put a penny on the railroad tracks.......
-
450 Random Useless Facts [/caption] Most American car horns honk in the key of F. The name Wendy was made up for the book "Peter Pan." Barbie''s full name is Barbara Millicent Roberts. Every time you lick a stamp, you consume 1/10 of a calorie. The average person falls asleep in seven minutes. Studies......
