1.HOW TO START

1.1

Why would I want to collect Ancient Coins?

1.2

I want to collect ancient coins. Where could I buy them? How much

should I spend?

1.3

What coins should I buy?

2.

SOME INFORMATION ABOUT ANCIENT COINS

2.1

How were early coins made?

2.2

"Authentic" fake coins.

2.3

Why can ancient coins be so inexpensive?

3. RESOURCES FOR THE BEGINNING
COLLECTOR

3.1

What essential equipment do I need?

3.2

What other websites should I consider?

1.1 ANCIENT COINS CAN BE FUN!

"Ancient coins can and should be fun!" reads the opening sentence from the very first
ancient coin collecting book I have ever read. And believe me, ancient coins surely are
fun! They won't bore you, puzzle you, or impoverish you.

"But hey!," one might say, "they are genuine, millenia old, allusions to historical,
romantic, and mythical events, instruments of emperors' propoganda, and beautiful pieces
of art! How could I, far from being rolling in dough, afford these? Don't they belong in
Museums?" Granted, they are awe-inspiring artifacts both because of their age and their
capacity to spark one's imagination, not to mention that they carry the only evidence of

many architectural wonders that have long
since vanished.

Despite the incredible amount of pleasure
and knowledge that one could extract from
ancient coins, ancient coins shouldn't
intimidate, frighten, or overawe anyone.

Many potential collectors appear hesitant because they think that a two thousand-year-

old (or older) coin would be far
beyond their financial means. Yet,
quality silver coins could be
purchased for twenty dollars or
less. I myself have purchased very
beautiful ancient roman and greek
coins for less than ten dollars each.
Because one could buy ancient
coins for so cheap, potential
collectors are naturally suspicious
of the authenticity of these coins.
Many people have told me that I got scammed. Of course, I just tell them, "All of the
coins I have are unique. Why would anyone patinate and make different molds for each
and every one of these coins just to sell them for five to ten dollars each?" Surely, these
counterfeiters would lose huge amounts of profit! However, there are counterfeit coins,
but they are usually ones of rare coins that would usually cost hundreds of dollars, or even
thousands. So if you see a rare Didius Julianus denarius for an unbelievable price of fifty
dollars, it is almost certainly a fake.

Furthermore, some people admittedly are so awed by age that they are unwilling to
enter a field that challenges the imagination. And there are those who refuse to consider
ancient coins simply because the inscriptions are in many exotic languages such as
ancient Greek, Latin, archaic Hebrew, among others, of which are quite incomprehensible
to the average person.

There is a brave new world in the hobby of collecting ancient coins. They are easily
accessible; they teach you a lot about ancient history and perhaps even some Latin or
Greek, and they are the proverbial chicken soup for your imagination. Running your
fingers over the cold surfaces of these ancient coins kindles the long forgotten past.

One could be an amateur detective, historian, story-teller, linguist, classicist, and not to
mention numismatist when one pursues the hobby of collecting ancient coins. Who else
touched these coins? Were they soldiers, farmers, merchants, slaves? What tales of
tragedy could these coins tell? These are the questions that fuel my enthusiasm for these
wonderful (and affordable) pieces of history.

1.2 WHERE TO BUY ANCIENT COINS, AND HOW MUCH YOU
SHOULD SPEND AS A NOVICE.

Great! You want to embark on the exciting adventures in numismatics and want to
know where you could purchase these coins. There are literally hundreds of places you
can buy them online, but they are usually expensive and beyond the means of a wary
newbie. However, there are good places where you can get quality ancient bronze coins
for pretty cheap.

Ebay

has the largest selection and generally the cheapest prices if you

poke around patiently. However, with Ebay, you run the small risk of getting a fake coin,

Would you believe that I got this Antoninus Pius Denarius for
a mere thirteen dollars? Not bad for an 1800+ year old silver
coin.

but as long as you use your common sense (don't buy 'rare' coins or buy into the 'gold
found' hype). There are other many good reasonably priced online stores including

Forum Ancient Coins

and the pretty cool

Vcoins Mall

where you can view thousands of

coins from numerous coin dealers. Of course, do not simply buy the first coin you see, but
poke around to find a good, detailed bronze or affordable silver coin. I found that
patience is always rewarded.

As for how much a novice
should spend on his or her first
coin, I would suggest spending
below ten dollars; a novice
would be surprised at what an
eye-pleasing coin one could get
in the five to ten dollar range.

No matter what coin you
buy, make sure that it's
identifiable. An easy way to
tell if a coin is identifiable is if
you can make out the letters on the coins. If one wants a silver coin, I would suggest
spending ten to twenty dollars, depending on what condition and how scarce the coin is.
Of course, you could get really cheap

Septimius Severus

denarii for under ten dollars if

you look around. At the beginning stages of collecting, it is wise for the novice to not
overspend but to practice looking for great deals. There are many informational coin sites
out there if you just look; I've included a few of them in section 3.2 . Another good place
to get coins, I heard, is at a local coin show. I've never been to one yet, but I've heard
some glowing praise for them. I wish you the best of luck and happiness in your new
hobby!

1.3 HOW TO CHOOSE WHAT COINS TO BUY.

Ok, maybe now you are wondering how to go about choosing which coins to buy, I
mean, there are thousands out there! Of course, I can't tell you what coins yuo should or
shouldn't buy, but I can give you some hints:

1. When you come across a coin that catches your eye, first research it online before

buying it.

2. Ask yourself why you want a particular coin. Is it because of its aesthetics? Its

historical significance? Its price? Its emotional attachment to you?

3. Some people specialize in different coins. Some like random variation. Do you

like to collect complete sets of things? Or do you like to collect willy-nilly?

This is a nice silver-dollar-size Philip the Arab provincial coin that
I got for only twelve dollars. Patience rewarded!

4. Before you buy the coin, do some price comparison of similar coins.

2.1 HOW EARLY COINS WERE MADE

From the very start of coinage, metals have been worked into
suitable and acceptable monetary shape by one of two methods:
casting or striking.

Casting probably was the earlier of the two methods, since it’s quite simple to fashion a
suitable mold and pour the molten metal into it. And the resultant cast can be expected to
be reasonably uniform and acceptable.

It apparently wasn’t long before the coinmakers of ancient times decided that striking
a piece of heated metal between two dies was more desirable from the standpoints of
recognizability and strict control of the exact amount of metal assigned each coin.

The method of striking ancient coins was relatively simple. On an anvil was a
depression in which there was a die containing the obverse (or “heads”) side of the coin.
A piece of metal of known and proper weight was heated. When it reached the proper
temperature (cherry red seems to have been the acceptable heat color), a workman, using
tongs, placed it over the die on the anvil. Another workman held a punch, impressed with
the reverse (or “tails”) over the heated metal and this was struck with a heavy hammer.

Because of the many factors involved (heat of metal, its placement on the die, the angle
at which the punch was held, and the force of the hammer blow), very few ancient
“struck” coins appear more than remotely identical. And the dies did wear out (it is
estimated that each set was good for from ten thousand to thirty thousand coins), the
upper die (which took most of the force of the striking blow) wearing out more rapidly
than the lower.

The dies themselves were marvels of miniatruization, involving painstaking care in
design and engraving. Today, the coin designer works on a model which may be a foot or
more in diameter. From this large model, the designe is reduced by means of a
pantographic device to final coin size. Because of this enlarged original, errors in the
design or execution may be corrected easily.

Those ancient diemakers had a rougher time of it. They were forced to work directly
on the dies which would be used in the striking of coins. that they accomplished works of
great and matchless beauty can be seen in the coins of Ancient Greek city-states; that they
were able to portray accurately and faithfully the features of an emperor is demonstrated
in the portrait coinage of Imperial Rome.

In time, the method of die on anvil and punch held atop the heated metal was
improved. Hinged dies which could be opened to permit the insertion of the hot metal
blank were developed. Such a device gave considerably better control in the coin striking
process, particularly in regard to the position of the blank, and even more pressure could
be applied in the strike.

As you examine more and more Ancient Greek coins, you would be impressed bythe
fact that you will never find two coins that are exactly alike.

Consider the tetradrachma of Athens. This heavy and lumpy coin soon becomes familiar
to anyone who even skims the surface of Ancient Greek coinage. First minted around
560 .C., it became a standard and accepted symbol of first-rate value throughout the then
civilized world. And, because it did have this most desirable character of universal
acceptability, its design was changed but slightly during the course of several hundred
years. Athenians, whether they liked it or not, were struck with a samenesss of design
throught many lifetimes.

2.2 OFFICIAL COUNTERFEITS

The average American is well aware the U.S.
government takes a very dim view of
counterfeiting, either full- or part-time. Thus,
you may be surprised to learn that ancient
government often issued official counterfeits
along with the regular legitimate full-value
coins.

Such an official counterfeit, issued by an Ancient Greek city-state, the Roman
Republic’s official moneyers, or the royal mints of the Roman Empire, is known among
U.S. numistmatists as “fourre.” It derives from the French phrase “monnaie fourree,”
which is translated “Money of copper covered with gold or silver.” And they shortened it
to the single word “fourre.”

To make these fourres, mint officials started with a sheet of copper or base metal.
Then they annealed thinner sheets of silver top and bottom. The result looked just like a
standard sheet of solid silver.

Planchets were cut from this plated material and the coins were then struck in the usual
manner. The coins looked entriely authentic, the silve
r layers completely hiding the base metal
core. Through thse official forgeries or
counterfeits, the ancient government
realized a profit: a coin that was less than
a third silver naturally meant a nice saving
in wear and tear on the government’s
supply of silver bullion.

An athens "owl" will cost you anywhere from
50 to 1000 dollars depending on the condition.

Caracalla Fourre-Denarius. Obverse: ANTONINVS
AVGVSTVS. Laureate and draped bust right. Reverse:
PROVIDENTIA DEORVM. Providentia standing left,
globe at feet.

So the fourre passed as regularly and freely
as any other coin. Normal wear of circulation
eventually revealed the fraud: silver would be
worn off the coin’s high spots revealing its
base metal core.

And, when it came time to pay taxes, the
very government which had issued the base
metal counterfeit refused to accept it. All
taxes had to be paid in standard, full-silver
coins. Thus the government added a form of
insult to injury, but there was no recourse open
to the holder of the fourre.

Not too many fourrees have survied to this day. For one thing, when an ancient came
across one, he spent it as soon as possible. It was not the sort of coin to be put away in a
jar or other container and buried for the proverbial rainy day: only the best coins of least
wear and of purest quality would be so hidden.

Then, too, once such a coin started to disintegrate, its chances of survival were much
lower than a coin of pure silver. Air and weather attacked the false core, and fourrres
have been found in whihc the base metal has completely disintegrated, leaving only the
outer silver shell.

2.3 Why can I get two thousand year old (or older) coins for so
cheap?

This is the very question I asked myself when I started to collect. The answer is quite
simple: there were tens of millions of coins (if not more) minted in the ancient times.
Surely, at least millions (wow!) would survive melting. They are found by metal
detectorists or by locals all over Europe, Asia, and Africa. Since Ancient Coin collecting
isn't the most well-publicized of hobbies, there are relatively few Ancient Coin collectors
compared to, let's say, stamp collectors. With the huge supply of Ancient Coins and its
relative low demand, the prices of these Ancient Coins tend to be cheap. To put it
shortly, high supply plus low demand equals low prices and happy collectors.

The lesson I learned from this is to collect Ancient coins NOW. Even though there are
millions of Ancient Coins out there, the hobby is becoming more accessible due to the
Internet, increasing its demand. Who knows? Ancient Coin collecting and cleaning may
be the next hot thing! You want to beat that rush and start collecting now. You'll be the
envy of the neighborhood, truly.

Also, the supply of Ancient Coins may slow down due to tons of coins being dug up.
This may take awhile, but it is almost a sure thing. So you might as well start collecting

now while the supply is still high.

And if all that isn't enough to convince you to start collecting, realize that ancient
money has actually depreciated in value since the ancient times. For example, a denarius
in the time of Christ was worth a days wages, but one can definitely buy a denarius for
less than a modern individual's day's wages. Kaching! Money in the bank.

A typical higher quality uncleaned ancient roman coin lot you would be able to buy from on Ebay, but how to clean them?

3.1 ESSENTIAL EQUIPMENT YOU NEED TO COLLECT AND
CLEAN YOUR NEW ANCIENT COINS

1) Brass, steel, and hard plastic brushes
for cleaning- You'll need these to clean up
coins that you feel are too dirty for
identification. Use a steel brush to get the
hard dirt and encrustation loose. NEVER

use a steel brush on a coin that is only slightly dirty, doing so may cause you to scratch
the precious patina of the coin. Always use tools that are softer than the patina and the
coin metal when cleaning (toothpicks etc.).

My favorite brush is the brass brush. It's soft enough to avoid damage to the patina and
leaves the coin naturally shiny. Use the plastic brush for light dusting or brushing after
you soak and/or wash the coin.

I'm not an "expert" in cleaning Ancient Coins, but you can visit some really good pages
on cleaning at the bottom of this page. But I can tell you that olive oil takes too long for
the avid and eager beginner.

If you are interested in buying uncleaned ancient coins, go to

http://www.joviel.com

for

some great reviews of many of the Ebay uncleaned coins vendors.

2) Plastic Coin flips, cardboard flips, plastic coin flip holder pages for organizing
and protecting- You will find these tools to be invaluable to your enjoyment of your new
collection. What I like to do is take a three ringed binder and fill it with plastic coin flip
holder pages and then fill those slots with plastic coin flips.

Never buy coin flips or storage containers that contain acid; your coin may be damaged if
you do.

If you want to get fancy, there are many coin displays out there that you can get for
twenty bucks that will give your coins that 'elegant' look to them. Just search the internet
for "Coin displays." Many pages should turn up.

3.2 OTHER WEBSITES YOU SHOULD DEFINITELY TAKE A
GANDER AT (in no particular order)

new!

Cleaning Ancient Coins with Brass Tools By John E. Ryan

- Wow! A great cleaning

site for those who like to have a "feel" of cleaning coins. Highly recommended cleaning
site.

Ancient Greek & Roman Coins

-An Educational Site by Doug Smith on Roman Coins,

Greek Coins and other Ancient Coins

The Beast Coins

- a great collector's site

Barry & Darling Ancient Coins Collectors Information

Forvm Ancient Coins Articles and resources

Wildwinds Attribution Service

- Don't know what the attribution of your newly cleaned

coin is? Go here for attribution and a rough appraisal. HIGHLY recommended site

Celator's Art

- Another great collectors site with articles. Some coins for reasonable

prices too.

Ancient Coin Market

- a great place to learn about the exciting hobby of ancient coin

collecting. Join their mailing list to buy or sell coins.

new!

Brad's Introduction to Ancient Coins