I don't use these too often, because its a tough place to start research. To search a database, you need to already know the proper terms to look for. But they do come in handy from time to time: http://numismatics.org/collection/accnum/list - the collection of the American Numismatic Society http://www.celticcoins.ca// - a database of Celtic coins, complete with Van Arsdell, Alan, and Mack reference numbers http://www.sylloge-nummorum-graecorum.org/ - Database of coins in a number of private and public British collections; includes coins from the Fitzwilliam and Ashmolean. http://www.ukdfd.co.uk/ukdfddata/index.php?cat=1 - A useful database for coins found by metal detectorists in the UK. Everything from Celtic staters to Victoria sovereigns. (Probably a great place for tokens, too, Toad!) http://www.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/coins/emc/emc_search.php - a catalog of coin finds of coins of the early Middle Ages. Put together by the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge. http://rpc.ashmus.ox.ac.uk/ - The Roman Provincial Coinage database. Sponsored by Oxford, its the online face of project to publish all provincial coins in a single series, as a companion to the ten Roman Imperial Coinage volumes. So far, Volumes I (Julio-Claudians) and II (Flavians) have been published. As well as a section from Vol VIII on Gordian III in Asia (in French. Now that's just silly). This is the section that they are currently working on, and they're uploading all of the entires to this database. Currently, it only covers the Antonine era, from 138-192 AD. http://www.cngcoins.com/Coins_sold.aspx - The database for coins sold by the Classical Numismatics Group. Unfortunately, they usually don't record the legends. But they do give very specific references and almost always include pictures.
I'd like to add a couple for those who, like me, are into Chinese ancient coins: http://www.zeno.ru/ http://www.moneta-coins.com/
Of course! How could I forget Zeno? Its not only good for Chinese coins. I use it for Islamic, Indian, and pretty much anything that's old and non-Classical.
Thank you Ardatirion. The UK Detectorist database is really interesting! I have added it to my favourites. I have been using the CNG data base for as few years, as well as Coinarchives. Both are very useful to me for the type of searches which I do. This is a data base used here in Germany. I don't have experience with it. May be worth a look. http://www.romanatic.com/ regards, Eduard
http://www.coinarchives.com/ A repository of coins previously featured in major numismatic auctions. Very good IMHO.
Honestly, this is one of the best...and you can download them in spreadsheets...invaluable IMO. Its called Helveticas Identification Help Page: http://www.catbikes.ch/coinstuff/coins-ric.htm
Another that I forgot - invaluable for Chinese coins, but they have other stuff as well: http://www.calgarycoin.com/reference/reference.htm
The first and winner of many awards. Wildwinds. http://www.wildwinds.com/ (I do not use Zeno because of the dangers in any Russian site being a host for zombie attack software. We are pretty serious about computer security here. (We both have degrees.) I visit a lot of sites to write my ANA column, and I have had to clean off problems after visting Zeno. I caution against it. But perhaps that is only my own limitation.)
