Gypsy Camp Blog

Ever wondered what Emperors like Constantine the Great, Cleopatra or Julius Caesar looked like and wanted to hold something in your hand that may have been held by one of these Emperors or someone living during that time.

If you are someone who has an interest in the Ancient past or perhaps someone who just likes collecting historic antiques but your not willing to spend much money then you should consider taking up the hobby of Roman coin collecting.

There are a number of reasons why I prefer collecting Roman coins then other antiques including other ancient coins.

Firstly there are a wide variety of Ancient Roman coins to suite your tastes. This is largely due to the vast time and area that the Roman Empire covered. From as early as 27 BC to 496 AD there were many millions of coins minted spanning a large area of the globe featuring coins that reflect the time from when they were created.

Also its great to know what the Roman Emperors looked like. It was common practice during the time of the Roman Empire to inscribe the portrait of the Emperor on the coins that were minted during their reign.

Collecting Roman coins can be a cheap hobby unlike other ancient coins created by the Barbarians, Greeks, Indians and Chinese.

This can come as a surprise to many considering how ancient these coins are. Yet they can be even cheaper then some of the modern day coins that coin collectors collect. There are two main reasons for this. Firstly as already stated the Roman empire was large and so there were a lot of coins minted. Many Roman coins are therefore not as rare as many believe. Another reason is that there are few collectors of ancient coins then modern coins. This makes the demand for them lower.

You are less likely to come across a fake Roman coin then other coins. Roman coins are less expensive and rarer so there is less of a motive to forge them.

Another reason Roman coins are great to collect is that they do not just have historical value but also artistic value. These coins were cleverly and beautifully crafted and tell a story from the time and area that they were minted.

Roman Coins had intrinsic value. Unlike coins today these coins were made from Gold, Silver, Bronze etc. Should you have a higher budget this gives you the chance to collect the more special and rarer Gold and Silver coins which were worth many more times their weight in those metals.

Factors that determine a coins worth

Prices for Roman Coins vary significantly and are due to a number of variables. The top two important are the grade of the coin when it was minted and the condition that the coin is in now.

The condition of a coin can depend on how corroded the coin has become while it has been in the ground or how it was stored.

The grade of the coin depends on the tools and experience of the person who minted the coin during the Roman period. These coins were made by hand and so are not always very well minted. They may be oval rather then circular and lack detail. This can happen if it was struck by dies that were worn down.

How you grade the coin can sometimes be problematic and sometimes you just have to estimate it based on how appealing or detailed you think the coin is to your own eyes

Another factor that determines a coins worth is its rarity. Surprisingly rarity is less of a factor in determining an ancient Roman coins worth then modern day coins.

Coin collectors are less likely to be competing for the same coin when trying to complete their Roman coin collection and each collection will be different. Also more people collect modern coins and so there is greater demand. Rare Roman coins do exist thanks to Emperors who had a short reign. Fewer coins would have been minted during their reign making them rarely and more expensive today.

You should not be tempted into purchasing a coin just because a coin seller describes the coin as being rare or very scarce. Coins that are described as rare are often not rare at all. If you are new to coin collecting then it is easy to be tricked by such claims. You should ask a number of questions if someone is selling what they describe as a rare coin. Does the dealer provide the range or RIC number for the coin. Dont buy a coin because it has been described as rare. You should look at other factors and ask questions first.

If you build up a collection of ancient coins you will be able to tell for yourself if a coin is uncommon, scarce or even rare.

Price of different Roman coins

Truly rare coins that are sort after will not sell for much less than $100, and often for much more. Hence, a coin of Constantine described as rare with an asking price of just a few dollars is very unlikely to be so. There are sellers on eBay who claim that their coin is rare, or they have only seen one in 10 years, but there is another one just like it being offered on eBay by someone else.

To get an idea of the range in price for Roman coins, for $5 to $10 you can purchase good quality coins manufactured under late 3rd and 4th century AD emperors.

If you were willing to pay $10-$20, you could collect a coin from the more well-known 1st and 2nd century emperors. Maybe some later ones in good condition. If you were willing to accumulate a collection of over 50 emperors in good condition with clear portraits and readable legends this should cost approximately $20 a coin.

On top of this, there are numerous varieties available for each emperor. Of course, just as with modern coins, you can buy ones that cost much more; ones that are in better shape or are more scarce, but if you are just interested in decent coins and history then you may not have to look any further.

Once in a while you might want to spend a bit more on a scarce emperor, or something that really arouses your interest, or a coin in truly nice condition. But then again, you might be attracted to cheaper coins that are not fully cleaned or legible, which can add to their mystery.

To summarize look for coins that you find appealing and from a period you find interesting. Perhaps you want like collecting coins from famous emperors or you are interested in Biblical coins. If you do purchase a more expensive coin dont worry about rarity too much but purchase a coin in good condition and grade. If you purchase the coin from a coin dealer dont forget to do some research first and ask the right questions.

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