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RomanCoinCollecting

Discovertheexitinghobbyofcollecting[1]collecting

ThecoincollectinghistorystartwiththecreationofRomancoinage.Infact,thefirstknowncollectorofcoinswasthefirstRomanEmperorCaesarAugustus.Hecollectedoldpreciouscoinsandsomeofthemhegavetohisguestsasgiftsduringfestivities.

True,ancientRomancoinsareamazingpiecesofhistory.Today,manypeoplestillfindRomancoincollectingasanenjoyableandworthwhilepastime.

EarlyhistoryofRomancoins [2] ItisbelievedthatthehistoryofRomancoinshavestartedaroundfifthcenturyBC,ifnotearlier.Atthistime,Romaneconomywasgrowingandthebartersystem(exchangingoffarmproductsandothertradegoods)waswidelyused.

Aesrude(Roughbronze)

Ascommerceeventuallydeveloped,theRomansfelttheneedofhavingamoreeffectivemediumofexchange.Toaddressthisneed,peopleusedlumpsofbronzecalledaesrudeasmoney.Thevaluesofaesrudewereaccordingtotheirweight–heavierlumpsconstitutedhighervalue. Aessignatum(Signedbronze)

Later,theancientcoinswerestandardizedbymarkingdesignsonthecastlumpsofbronze.Thesewerecalledaessignatumwhichmeantsignedbronze.Withweightstillasthemeasureforvalue,marked“coins”hadtobebrokenwhensmallerdenominationswereneeded.Thesewereusedduring290-235BC. -Aesgrave(Heavybronze)

AesgraveorheavybronzecametotheRomancurrencyaround269BCandwasconsideredthefirsttrueRomancoins.Thesecoinsweremorepracticalandconvenienttousefortheyhadvaryingshapesandrecognizabledesignstodistinguishdifferentdenominationsandvalues.

TheaesgravebecameverylargelyusedbytheRomansintheirtrade.Eventuallyastimewenton,theRomanslearnedtheskillsofetchingmoreelaborateportraitsandmarksontheircoins.

IdentifyingyouroldRomancoins

IdentifyingRomancoinscanbeeasy,especiallywithancientRomancoins.ThefollowingbasicelementswereusuallyfoundontheRoman’scoinmoney:

Ontheobverseorheadsoftheancientcoin

Portraitofthereigningemperor;theimageofanemperor’srelativesuchashisson

Legend–thewordingetchedrightbelowtherim(outline)ofthecoinabovetheemperor’shead;usuallythelegendwouldbethenameofwhoseportraitappearedonthecoin.

Headdressoftheemperor–ifaportraitdoesnothaveaheaddress(oranyornamentsonthehead)itmaysignifyapersonoflowerrankthananemperor

Busttype–thedraperyorarmorthatiswornbytheimageonthecoinwouldshowhisrankorstatusinthegovernmentorsociety

OnthereverseortailsoftheantiqueRomancoin

Motif–themotifistheimageormessagestampedonthecoin.Itusuallyrecordedcertainimportanteventsduringthespecificperiodthatthecoinwasissued;sometimesthemotifsportrayreligiousimagesorcommemoratewonwars.

Somehistorianssupposethatthecoinswerealsousedas“newspapers”duringthereignoftheRomanEmpire

Legend–inthereversesideoftheancientcoin,thelegendorwordingrightbelowtherimofthecoinwouldbrieflydescribewhatthemotifisabout

Exergue–wassimilartoatrackmarkthatwouldtellwherethecoinswereminted(likeamintmarkinmoderncoins)

WhatisthevalueofRomancoins?

FactorsaffectingthevalueofRomancoinsincludeauthenticity,gradeorcondition,rarity,historicalsignificance,andeyeappeal.Ingeneral,coinsfromtheancientRomancivilizationareaffordablebecauseofthelargenumberofoldRomancoinsavailableinthemarkettoday.CollectingRomancoinsissaidtobethehobbyofnoviceandlow-budgetcollectors.

ToknowthepricesofRomancoinsfromearlyeras,refertoonlinepriceguidesorprintedRomancoincatalogs.Youcanalsoavailofcoinappraisalservices.

TakingcareofyourRomancoincollection

ProtectyourcollectionofRomancoinsfromdeteriorationanddamagebygivingthemthepropercareandmaintenance.Purchasecoincollectingsuppliessuchascoinholders,coinflips,albums,andfoldersforstorageanddisplay.Youmayalsoneedcottongloves&cointongsinhandlingyourcoins.

Alsoremembertochoosetherightqualityofcoinsupplies.Therearecheapbrandsthatcontainchemicalswhichreactadverselywiththecoinscausingpermanentdamage.

CleaningantiqueRomancoins [3] Cleaningcoinsisoftendiscouragedbynumismatistsexceptduringafewcircumstances.BecausemostoldRomancoinsarefullofgrimeandcorrosion,somecollectorswouldopttocleanRomancoinsusingdetergent,bakingsoda,orvinegarandcoinelectrolysisformorestubborndirt.

Whenyoudocleanyourcoins,alwaysconsultanexpertnumismatistfirst.