Coins First
Ancient Coins: An Amazing History Lesson
Lots of different cultures have been making coins for millennia. Ancient coins are made of different materials and using different processes than modern coins. Reflecting the culture they came from, ancient coins, just like modern ones teaches you a lot of pretty cool stuff about the history of that culture.
Ancient Roman Coins
About 290 BC Rome began making coins. The value was determined by the weight of the coin as they were made out of whatever metal was handy. Coins at that time were really just a standardized form of barter.
When people began putting images on ancient coins, they initially chose the images of gods. Various world conquerors saw themselves as gods, and began to put their images on ancient coins, as well. Julius Caesar was the first emperor of Rome, and Roman coinage from his time bears his image.
The story of the Roman Empire is told through ancient coins from Rome. They tell you who the emperor was, what was going on, and would be made to commemorate events that were important.
Roman coins are fun to collect because of the history, but also because there are lots of them. Wherever the Roman Empire reached, coins from Rome can be found. Just like today, whenever the empire needed cash to fund a new coliseum or war, they minted more money. Ancient coins from Rome are an inexpensive way to begin collecting ancient coins and are relatively easy to find.
Ancient Chinese Coins
As with everything else, China was minting coins while the Western world was still using pretty rocks for money. Rome used coins as early as 290 BC, but China was minting coins as early as 350 BC. In 250 BC they started using a round, minted coin with a square hole in the middle, and that’s what Chinese coins looked like for 2,100 years.
With each dynasty memorialized in its coinage, Chinese coins tell history also.
Other Ancient Coins
The other ancient empires had their coins, too. There are Scythian coins, Parthian coins, Greek coins, and Babylonian coins. The oldest known coin is the Daric, used in the Persian Empire prior to 500 BC when it was conquered by Alexander the Great, who replaced it with his own coins that had his portrait on them. There may be coins older than that, but we don’t know about them yet. If and when more ancient coins are found, however, they will tell us more about the history of the people who made them.
Ancient Coins, just like modern ones, reflect the culture they came from, and learning about these coins teaches you a lot of pretty cool stuff about the history of that culture. To browse more articles on coins visit, http://www.coins.jsgenterprises.com
What you need for first time coin collectors
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Fast Weigh MS-500-BLK Digital Pocket Scale, 500 by 0.1 G $4.50 Introducing the M-500 from Fast Weigh Scales! This hip little scale is one of the hottest and most economical scales on the market today! The removable cover keeps the scale protected when not in use and also doubles as an expansion tray. Just replace the plastic cover when your done using it, and you can safely toss the scale in your handbag or pocket with no worries. Features: * A stylish yet ec… |
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Presidents Placemat $2.95 Get ready to set the table with this heavy duty laminated U.S. Presidents Placemat from M. Ruskin. This wonderful placemat is double sided to allow kids to quiz themselves with wet erase markers on the blank side. M. Ruskin Laminated Placemats are the high quality you expect. Pick up a few M. Ruskin Placemats today…. |
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Badge of the The Navy League; reverse Photo Mugs Badge of the The Navy League. Obverse A foul anchor, crowned and crossed by white and red ensigns within a circle. Legend THE NAVY LEAGUE. Reverse Inscription, FOUNDED JANUARY 1895 . FIRST PRESIDENT ADMIRAL OF THE FLEET SIR G. PHIPPS HORNBY G.C.B. Fitted with a loop and a ring….. |
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Pieces of You $1.74 Jewel’s debut album, Pieces of You, reveals a special voice–strong and focused on both the whispery verses and the hooky choruses. The recording also exposes an unfortunate tendency to present trite, hackneyed sentiments as if they were oracular visions from a young prophet to a jaded world. For the most part, Jewel sings to her own acoustic guitar accompaniment, but she has a lot more in common … |
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The Shepherd’s Dog $8.27 Following a one-record hiatus to collaborate with Tucson collective Calexico on 2005′s In The Reins, Iron & Wine (Sam Beam, that is) recoils to the earnestness and intimacy that embodied his first two records, his cerebral words and phrases tunneled beneath an orchestra of guitar, banjo, keyboards, and strings. More definitive than ever, the rhythm and percussion complement Beam’s voice, a lulling… |
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The Capitol Years $21.85 Including Sinatra’s finest recordings from the most consistently accomplished era of his career, The Capitol Years includes three discs and 75 songs worth of swinging standards and bittersweet saloon pop, the music Sinatra made after his career and personal life had crashed and singing was all he had left. His masterful baritone and remarkable phrasing here work in perfect combination with arrange… |
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Michael Jordan – The Ultimate Collection (Come Fly with Me, Air Time, Above & Beyond) [VHS] $24.95 In January of 1999, the world’s greatest basketball player announced his retirement from professional basketball, citing the lack of challenges for him from the game. No wonder. During his roughly 12-year career, Michael Jordan won six NBA championships with the Chicago Bulls, captured the MVP award several times, broke various records, and invented a kind of graceful, deeply competitive athletici… |
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Fugitive Vol.14: Other Side of Coin & The One that Got Away [VHS] $5.95 … |
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SE 5 Stainless Steel Utility Scissors $1.66 Tough-as-nails scissors actually cuts penny in half – then cuts paper without skipping a beat… |
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U.S. State Quarter Collection Board Plan (Woodworking Project Paper Plan) $9.99 Plan only; image shows finished project. This map gives you a great-looking way to display your collection. Designed with a clear acrylic cover that slides out, allowing you to easily add new coins. Weve made room for two coin sets, one each from the Philadelphia and Denver mints…. |