What Determines The Price And Worth Of Ancient Roman Coins
If youve ever wondered what Roman Emperors like Julius Caesar, Nero or Constantine looked like or wanted to own something that may have been held by one of these historic men or someone living during that period then consider this.
If you are a collector with a low budget, particularly a coin collector then you should seriously consider taking up the hobby of Roman coin collecting.
I prefer collecting Roman coins for a number of reasons.
Unlike other ancient coins there are a wide variety of Ancient Roman coins featuring many different Roman emperors. This is due to the vast time and area that the Empire covered. Countless coins were made between the 1st and 5th century over a large area of the world which the Roman Empire covered and these coins reflect the location and period that they were minted.
Another reason is that it was a tradition to inscribe the portrait of the emperors on the coins that were minted during their reign. It is therefore possible to get an idea of what the various emperors looked like which is amazing considering that they lived thousands of years ago.
There were many Ancient coins created by the Greeks, Barbarians, Celts, Indians and Chinese but Ancient Roman coins are the most in-expensive of all of these.
Collecting Ancient roman coins is less expensive then collecting modern day coins because more people collect modern coins then Ancient coins so there is less demand for them. Secondly as I have already stated the Roman Empire was vast covering a large area and over a long period of time. Because so many Roman coins were minted they are not as rare as some may believe.
There are less fake Roman coins the other coins such as modern day coins. This is largely due to Roman coins being less expensive and rare.
These coins dont just have historic and monetary value. They also have artistic value being beautifully crafted and containing a narrative or story of the area and period 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.
What determines the worth of a Roman coin
The price of a coin ranges significantly due to a number of factors. The two biggest factors being the condition the coin is in and the grade of the coin.
The condition of the coin depends on how the coin was stored before being found or how tarnished the coin has become due to minerals in the ground.
The grade of the coin is determined by how the coin was minted when it was manufactured. These coins were minted by hand and so are not always entirely circular or detailed. A coin can be less detailed and of less value 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.
Coins are worth a lot more if fewer were minted and there are fewer of them in circulation. Given the large number of collectors of Modern day coins this is more of a factor with Modern coins. This would drive up the cost of a rare coin if collectors are trying to complete their collection.
Sellers of ancient coins will often use terms such as scarce, rare or very rare to describe a coin. Just because someone describes a coin as rare does not mean that it actually is. Unfortunately, some sellers will attach this label to ancient coins to attract novice collectors who do not know better. If someone describes a coin as rare or scarce does the person explain why the coin is rare? Does he give it an RIC number and explain the variety? If you are new to collecting ancient coins, you should not jump on a coin just because is it described as rare.
Once you become more experienced it will be much easier to determine yourself if a coin is uncommon, scarce, rare or very rare.
How much should you spend on a Roman coin
Do not purchase a Roman coin if it is described as rare and being sold for less then $100 as it is unlikely to be rare. Rare coins will not sell for less then $100. Some eBay sellers will claim that their coin is rare and you will not see another like it for years yet you find the same coin on eBay sold by someone else.
To give you an idea of the variation of price for Roman coins, for $5-$10 you can buy decent quality coins issued under a number of the late-3rd and 4th century AD emperors.
For approximately $10 - $20, you should be able to collect a coin from the more recognized 1st and 2nd century emperors, and many later ones in good condition. In fact you could collect about half of the emperors of which there is about fifty with clear portraits and readable legends for about $20 a coin.
There can be a large variety of coins for each emperor. Some will be in better condition, or more rare, but if your interested in purchasing decent quality coins and you dont want to pay too much you may not have to look much further.
You could occasionally splash out on a rarer coin which catches your interest or one in much better condition. Or even a Gold or Silver coin worth more then their weight in these precious metals. Some people are attracted to coins that are dirty or not fully legible as it can add to their mystery and even lead to a rare and expensive find.
So, to summarize, buy coins that you find interesting and that appeal to you. No two coins of the same type will be exactly the same; choose the one that you think is better value for your money. Look around to see if a nicer looking coin might be also affordable if that is what you really want, and hence save yourself the trouble of replacing it later or regretting that you bought it in the first place. Do not worry about rarity too much!
If you want further information about Roman coins and why Roman coin identifying can be such an interesting Past time check out cheap roman coins which provides advice on identifying Ancient Roman coins and their metal content
