| Ancient coins can be fascinating. They not only depict | | | | of the coin. If most were lost, the value is high. Hence, |
| history, they are part of history. The images they bear | | | | the number of survivors on any issue is small. |
| give our best insights into what rulers looked like in | | | | Collector coin issues were unheard of in ancient times. |
| ancient times, and the events, while perhaps slanted to | | | | All coins were intended to circulate. So, most ancient |
| favor the government that issued the coin, tell of | | | | coins have wear that is consistent with the circulation |
| historically significant occurrences. Even the coins | | | | of the coin. |
| themselves indicate the state of metalworking of | | | | The lack of a banks required other means to protect |
| ancient times. All of these combine to make owning | | | | one's treasure, so many were buried. Those that were |
| such coins desirable to a true numismatist. | | | | buried are often found well deteriorated due to the |
| Ancient coins lose their appeal if they are not genuine, | | | | water and chemicals found in the soil. Many are |
| and of all coins they are perhaps the most easily | | | | encrusted to the point of needing a major cleaning. |
| counterfeited. The method of production preceded the | | | | While it is usually not considered advisable to clean a |
| techniques employed by modern mints where coins | | | | coin, ancient coins may be an exception. |
| are stamped out. Ancient coins predate such | | | | Another problem is dating these items from antiquity. |
| machinery. They had to be produced one at a time by | | | | Our calendar did not exist. In the period of the Roman |
| a slow, arduous method of being pounded into shape. | | | | Empire, for example, no one knew what year they |
| This caused the pressure used to vary, and the quality | | | | were in according to our calendar. They might know |
| was irregular. Indeed, the blank pieces of metal being | | | | which year of the then current Caesar's reign they |
| struck usually had a certain variance from being | | | | were in, but could not stamp a coin with a year that |
| perfectly round. | | | | might be intelligible to most people today. True, some |
| The metals used had to be relatively soft to allow for | | | | cultures had a calendar, and could have used their |
| the image to form when a person struck the coin. But | | | | year on their coins, but those years might just get us |
| the exact composition of those metals could not be | | | | close to the year in the current system that the coin |
| guaranteed. One check for a counterfeit coin is to | | | | was struck. For example, the Hebrew calendar has its |
| weigh the coin, but variances in weight due to metal | | | | year starting before our year starts, so a date using |
| composition and divergence from a perfectly round | | | | the Hebrew calendar can place the coin's origin in one |
| shape do not allow such tests on ancient coins. | | | | of two years. |
| Since there were no mints as we have today, records | | | | Unfortunately, when it comes to ancient coins, if it looks |
| of the number of coins struck do not exist. The | | | | too well preserved, and has too much quality, it has a |
| method of production determined the number of coins | | | | higher risk of being counterfeit. Determination of |
| to be small by today's standards. Even if accurate | | | | whether an ancient coin is genuine requires special |
| records would have been kept, the number of | | | | expertise, so always buy from a professional who |
| surviving coins is more important than the number | | | | specializes in ancient coins, or have such an expert |
| struck. A coin's value is determined by the availability | | | | provide an opinion. |