Rare and Antique Roman Coins
The phrase rare and antique Roman coins refers to those forged and used in the Roman Republic and the Roman Empire (2nd century BC to 3rd century AD).
Rare and Antique Roman Coins
The early Roman coins were large lumps of bronze called aes rude made of silver. These were lumpy and impractical, especially since they needed to be weighed for every business deal. These were replaced by a bronze forged coin known as the as. The as was based on one Roman pound and its fractional values.
The silver drachmae came next. The drachmae equaled the value of the wages of one day of skilled labor. These coins looked Greek, and in fact were cast in Neapolis, and were probably used during trade with Greek colonies in Southern Italy. The silver coin that became the standard currency of the Roman market, the denarius, was first forged in 211 BC. The denarius was equivalent to 10 ases originally, but it was later adjusted to equal 16 ases to accommodate inflation. The use of gold in the minting of Ancient Roman coinage was originally irregular. During the Roman Republic, coins with gold were issued only in times of great crisis, such as during the Second Punic War. The primary gold coin of the Roman Empire, the aureus, began during the time of the Great Imperators, who required large amounts to fight their wars. The aureus had a fixed value of 25 denarii.
Ancient Roman coins had intrinsic value meaning they were valued higher than the precious metals they contained. For example, the denarius probably ranged from 1.6 to 3.0 times its metal content, although the exact value is not known. Most of the written information about these rare and antique coins is found on papyrus scrolls found in Egypt that refer to dealings with the Roman economy.
Although not their primary purpose, Roman coins were also minted to convey ideas and political ideologies. The office of “moneyer” was a political stepping-stone for young statesmen wishing to join congress. The “moneyers” chose images that would curry favor with those in power.
Ancient and rare Roman coins range in price from several dollars to thousands of dollars. If pursuing the collection of such coins, collectors should use an authoritative guide and be careful of “deals” online. The grading of rare coins depends on condition and rarity. Coin collecting can be a simple pastime or a driving passion, depending on how much time the collector wishes to invest in learning.
