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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.
