Coins and Paper Money -> Coins: Ancient -> Roman: Republic
When it comes to collecting coins or paper money, many prefer to go straight to roman coins. These are highly historic collectibles that may actually be worth a good deal of money and many are quite rare. When you consider the fact that the coin had to survive for thousands of years, it’s easy to see why they are so popular, and why many can fetch such a high price at auction.
Roman coins were originally made in either silver, bronze or gold. Golden coins are considered to be the most rare, and are very hard to find today. However, a few collectors have managed to create quite a private collection of these rare coins. Silver was the most commonly used metal for coins in the period and during 200 B.C., the majority of coins produced were made of this material.
Interestingly enough, many Roman coins are actually made in the Greek style. This has been attributed to the fact that many Romans were doing business with Greeks, especially in certain parts of Italy, and they needed to have coins that would be acceptable to those that they were doing business with. Whatever the real reason might have been, it is obvious when you look at Roman coins that Greek designs did have a big influence on the finished products.
There are many different denominations of Roman coins, but drachmae are the most common. These were used by even the every day people in the city and for many workers, this was their daily wage. Many thousands of these coins were produced, and if you do find a Roman coin today, it will most likely be a drachmae since they were the ones that were the most mass produced. They were usually made of silver.
Bronze Roman coins are quite popular among collectors and while they are rarer than silver coins, they are not worth quite as much as their golden counterparts. Bronze coins were typically used for smaller denominations and were very common during the height of the Roman empire.
If you are looking to collect Roman coins, it is important to make sure that you are dealing with authentic pieces. The coins should not be perfect, in fact, they will have some oddities with their shape. This is due to the fact that the coins were all made by hand during this time period and it was natural that they would not be perfectly round. Most Roman coins will have the relief of an emperor, and this is a great way to tell just how old the coin may be.
Once again, the relief will not be perfect, and you should be able to tell that the coin was handmade. Roman coins that have survived throughout the years may be a bit dull in appearance, which is a good indicator of their authenticity. If you come across a coin that is simply too shiny, you may be dealing with a counterfeit.
To protect yourself when collecting Roman coins, it is always best to get an appraisal before you buy to ensure that they are authentic.
Originally posted 2008-09-05 05:00:05. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
Related Posts -
1902 Barber Dime Money -> Dimes -> Barber-1892-1916 The value of a 1902 Barber dime varies, depending mostly on the condition of the dime. While the face value may be only 10 cents, they’re often worth several dollars—sometimes hundreds of dollars. The best way to determine the value of your Barber dime is...... -
Enjoying a World Coin Collection Most people who begin to collect coins actually do so by collecting regional coins from their own mother country. So for example, if you are from the United States, then you may want to collect United States coins first and foremost. This is because you are already familiar with the...... -
Introduction to Numismatics Since ancient days, coins have been utilized as a primary method and medium for exchange. The entire economy concept stands on the foundation that is provided by coins and paper currency, though the history of coins is much deeper than paper versions of money. In most languages, the term currency...... -
Silver Bullion Coins Coins & Paper Money -> Bullion -> Silver People buy silver bullion coins for a few different reasons. Some buy them because of the precious metal content as an investment and buffer against inflation. Some people buy them because they fear that one day our popular currency will become worthless,...... -
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......
Related Websites -
Niche Marketing and Choosing a Niche Niche marketing is a type of marketing that falls out of the normal realm of mainstream business, or that involves focusing on one specific product or one specific type of need that allows niche marketing businesses to boom. Niche marketing is capable of meaning different things to different people because...... - Activities necessary for a successful home based business Live the American dream of having a business, but avoiding the high overhead and start-up costs of a brick and mortar location. If the thought of working from home is attractive, but you do not know where to start, here is a procedural article. Activity 1 Choose what portion......
- Federal Reserve cracks down on competitive money The almighty dollar has some would-be competition: The Liberty Dollar purports to be an alternative to the U.S. Dollar; "Fed Ex competes with the Post Office [...] now there's the Liberty Dollar competing with the greenbacks printed by your government," Paul Harvey is quoted as saying on the Liberty Dollar......
- The E-Myth Revisited By Michael Gerber One of the most important keys to success as a corporate blogger is having the right mindset and the right expectations for your blog. If you go in thinking that it is going to change your entire company and you’ll be at the top of the list of the Fortune......
-
New Million Dollar Coin In part as a marketing exercise, The Royal Canadian Mint has produced a $1 million face value coin containing 100kg of .99999 pure gold. With gold currently trading at $660 per ounce and each kilogram containing 31.1 ounces, the actual cost of the gold in the coin is worth......
