We’ve arrived at the twelfth and final installment of our educational journey exploring classic coin denominations and types. To conclude the series, we’re going back in time – way back – to uncover the origins and immense history captured in medieval and ancient coins from long-fallen empires and civilizations around the globe.
The Remnants of Lost Worlds
While most collectors are familiar with U.S., European, or other modern-world coins still in circulation today, medieval and ancient pieces offer a tangible connection to the ancient world that is unmatched. Holding a Greek tetradrachm from 300 B.C., an unpromising Roman sestertius from the 1st century A.D., or a hammered Saxon silver penny allows you to quite literally grasp history in your hands.
These artifacts from antiquity highlight societies now extinct or mostly forgotten, acting as shimmering time capsules sealed for thousands of years. Studying their imagery, inscriptions, compositions, and styles provides invaluable anthropological and archaeological insights into the art, language, religious beliefs, and economies of old global powers and cultures.
Biblical and Judean Coinage
Some of the most coveted ancient coins derive from periods chronicled in the Bible and other Judeo-Christian texts. Judean coins struck during the Jewish Wars and Bar Kokhba revolts against Roman occupation, ancient Philistine issues from the era of the judges, and prutah “Widow’s Mites” referenced in the Gospels carry profound religious significance beyond just numismatics.
Pieces like the famous Etz Hay’im (“Tree of Life”) coin and legendary Shiviti Shekel (with Hebrew inscriptions) from the Jewish diaspora are icons for their historic importance. Coins unearthed from other Biblically-referenced locales like Ephesus, Pontius Pilate, and Galilee are also massively popular.
Classical Greek & Roman Ancients
The Greeks and Romans developed some of the earliest advanced numismatics, leaving a rich trove of coins for modern collectors. Archaic Greek coins originated in the 7th century B.C. and featured diverse imagery celebrating their city-states, myths, and practices across diverse compositions from humble bronzes to precious gold staters.
Roman coins evolved over nearly a millennium as the Republic gave way to the Imperial era. Well-struck gold aureii and silver denarii from the reigns of Julius Caesar, Augustus, Trajan, Constantine, and many others dot acclaimed cabinets worldwide, prized for their high production standards and creative artistry portraying emperors and symbolic Roman themes.
Medieval Hammered and Renaissance Coinage
As civilization regressed during the Dark Ages in Europe, crude medieval hammered coins emerged across various kingdoms and territories. These chunky, irregular hand-struck issues may lack advanced minting quality but make up for it with distinct character reflecting their regional roots.
The Celtic nations produced emblematic hammered treasures like the Irish Horse Money and British medieval pennies, halfpennies, and farthings struck for monarchs, including Offa of Mercia, Aethelred, and Cnut. Similarly iconic are German bracteates, Spanish maravedis, Italian scudos, and stunning French ecu and noble issues showing glimpses of the coming Renaissance artistry.
Islamic and Far East Realms
Not all historical marvels derive from Europe’s past. Ancient kingdoms and sultanates across the Middle East, Africa, and Asia also developed sophisticated monetary systems worthy of collecting zeal. Gold dinars and dirhams from the Abbasid, Umayyad, and Fatmid caliphates, intricately decorated with Arabic calligraphy and motifs, remain in high demand.
Ancient Chinese issues range from early cast bronzes to ancestral holed “cash” coins, beautiful dragon Minghualu tough nails, and quirky medieval “courtesy” replicas. Trade coins, judengeld, and larin pass-struck designs further diversified acquisitions across Persia, Japan, Indonesia, Vietnam, and other realms of the Orient.
The pursuit of medieval and ancient numismatics encompasses a breathtaking sweep of the human experience on every inhabited continent. These tangible relics not only retrace the past but also highlight historic advances in art, finance, metalworking, religion, and civilizations whose impacts still echo today.
Whether starting from scratch or enhancing long-advanced cabinets, medieval and ancients present an exciting frontier. The experts at CV Coins and Collectables have extensive knowledge in sourcing, evaluating and securing quality specimens. Let our passion for revealing the stories behind each coin enrich your collection’s narrative. Discover the timeless allure of history’s most enduring coinage!
Check out the other parts in this series:
- Part 1: An Intro to Collecting Coins and Other Currency
- Part 2: Half Cents and Large Cents
- Part 3: Proof and Mint Sets & Commemoratives
- Part 4: Indian and Lincoln Cents
- Part 5: The Forgotten Coins: A Look at Two Cent and Three Cent Pieces
- Part 6: Silver Eagles and Commemoratives
- Part 7: Dimes and 20-Cent Pieces
- Part 8: Quarters
- Part 9: Half-Dollars
- Part 10: Nickels
- Part 11: Silver Dollars
- Part 12: Medieval and Ancient Coins