Add Ancient Coins To Your Collection

Ancient coins collecting use to be considered as the hobby of kings, but today it is the very best way to learn about the history of ancient civilizations. Adding ancient coins to your collection adds a degree of prestige to your own collection with the ability to take a journey through time.

There has been evidence that suggests the rulers of the Renaissance Age collected portraits of previous emperors on Roman coins. Roman nobles were fascinated by the culture of Greek and were thought to have collected ancient Greek coins when Augustus Caesar was ruler. So, throughout history the art and science of collecting coins has been displayed and mastered by various kings, rulers, and emperors. To build a top notch collection without spending the ransom of a king you need to collect ancients coins, which carry great historical value. Collectors have various areas of special interest that they like to personalize their collection with. These specialized collections seem to be rewarding over the long term, which are not necessarily expensive.

Prior to the invention of coins there was a wide variety of items being used for trade, which included beads, cattle, shells, and many others. With the introduction of minting, coins rapidly spread from Lydia to Greece with the first Greek coins being produced around 600 BC on the island of Aegina. These coins are known as silver drachma and obos, which features a turtle on the reverse as a symbol of Aegina.

Later the legendary figure of Pegasus, the winged horse, was featured on the reverse of the Cornith Greek coins. In 610 BC, Athens began producing more advanced artistic coins that featured a type of wine vessel design. During the periods of 336 to 323 BC, Alexander the Great began the practice of producing coins. Portraits were later introduced by his successors as regular features on coins, which ultimately recorded the posterity of many ancient kings and rulers.

The next major state to establish their coin were the Romans, which occurred from 269 BC when ever they began minting for gold, silver, and bronze. These coins portray ruling emperors and members of the imperial family with the reverse featuring inscriptions of the civic achievements or military triumphs of the ruling emperor. Even the assassination of Julius Caesar are shown on these ancient coins.

The artistic qualities of ancient Greek coins still fascinate collectors today, as well as Roman coins, Imperial coins, and Persian coins. The Imperial coins features realistic portraits of emperors and their families, while Persian coins seem to be desired by collectors interested in the historical culture of their region.

Some issues of ancient coins can be expensive, but the majority are priced within reason. Ancient coins used a variety of fine metals such as, gold, silver, brass, bronze, nickel, and even electrum, which is a natural silver-gold alloy. There are a variety of ancient coins to focus your individual collections on, which include the attractive Indo-Greek coins of southwest Asia.

Collectors who are interested in the ancient Jewish culture of even early Christianity have found biblical coins to be greatly desired, especially when they take the time to research each coins importance and their historical value.

Victor Epand is an expert consultant about rare coins, stamp collections, and rare collectibles. follow these links to find the best marketplace for: rare coins, collections, and ancient coins