200 Ancient Coins You Should Know: a book that should exist

Unfortunately I don't have time today to comment in detail, but I will chime in briefly on a number of points:

1. Do not include actual prices; the book will become dated too quickly.

2. Include all ranges of coin -- not just affordable ones -- and give general guidance to each coin's availability and price level (I'll suggest a classification of prices later).

3. Create an overall outline for the book at the same time the proposed list of coins is being assembled.

4. As long as the information is collected and written originally, and any pictures are original (or reprinted with permission), copyright issues should not be a problem.

 

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This is an excellent start. It is admittedly Eurocentric. Moreover, it's very male-dominated. It also lacks a very fundamental aspect of life in the ancient world: paganism.

I suggest the remaining 50ish coins contain some Parthian and Chinese coins, coins depicting the 12 Olympian Gods and/or the 12 Roman Dii Consentes. I think a Fecunditas type of Faustina II should be included to celebrate her amazing fecundity. Perhaps a Greek queen, such as Berenice, and another Roman Empress (Julia Domna?) or two should be included to demonstrate that you don't have to be historical figure played by Elizabeth Taylor to end up on a coin. There are WAY more mortal women (not goddesses) on ancient coins than on the coins of ANY modern coin-issuing nation.

 

A few types I think should be included:

-hadrian travel denarius
-a tessera of antinous
-constantinian era coin with christian symbolism (chi rho, etc.)
-justinian gold
-cleopatra vii (but not one of the supposed cyprus coins-- with a note about them)
-large ptolemaic bronze
-hellenistic tetradrachm with realistic portrait
-a coin of helena
-elagabalus (w/horn or stone, depending on the desired level of accessibility)
-greek fractions, esp. the sicilian litrai

with regards to the greeks fractions it could be nice to have some pairs of obols/tetradrachms (or whichever denominations you wanted), e.g. akragas, athens, thasos, to show you can have the same type at different scales, and at different scales of affordability.

 

I agree, no prices. Instead there should be a section explaining that the way to find out prices is to search vcoins, CNG, a search (subscription required) and to follow auctions.

 

There are many books out there showing "dream" coins.

 

I agree with this on the whole, but I think it depends on what one means by "dream." To me the best would be a combination of affordable and semi-affordable coins (<$100-~$200) and "attainable dreams"-- coins that the average collector could afford occasionally or if they really wanted to ~$500-$1000.

I like the idea that's been floated of an appendix where a few of the more iconic, but completely unattainable coins Eid Mar, dekadrachm etc, could be listed.

 

You're absolutely correct and I agree on your suggestions. I don't know enough about Parthian/Chinese coinage (and possibly Indian as well) to include it but they should definitely be represented in this list. And, empresses as well as other historical female figures would be well worth adding - this was an unintended oversight on my part, especially considering I have many women depicted in my collection.

 

I really like this idea! I would hope it is varied and inspiring enough to keep new collectors from thinking they have to start with the 12 ceasars and collect only Roman/Greek coins.

Some historic beginner-level Chinese coins (priced at $30 or less)

Warring States square-foot spade (ca 350-220 BC)



Warring States Ming knife (ca 350-220 BC)



The first coin made by a unified China (Qin Dynasty Ban Liang, ca 221-206 BC)



Wu Zhu, the currency of China from 117 BC to 618 AD.



Wang Mang spade coin, Huo Bu. 14-23 AD

 

My two cents for the Indian region:

1:

A coin of Indo-Greek king Agathokles.
Why:
- Many people are not aware that the successors of Alexander the Great established themselves as far as Northern India for several centuries.
- The coin itself is a hybrid between different cultures. The name of the king still is in Greek. The legend on the deity side is in Ashoka Brahmi script. The square bronze shape and the pictorial design is based on local tradition.

2:

A coin of Gupta ruler Chandragupta.
Why:
- The Gupta period is often seen as the Golden age of ancient Indian coinage.
- The coin is unmistakenly Indian in design in the elegant posture of the figures and the deity sitting on the lotus flower.
- The Standing king/Sitting deity design has probably the longest uninterupted use in numismatic history. Earliest versions were minted in the second century AD by the Kushan. The design re-occurs continuously over the centuries until 900 years later in the coinage of the Kashmir kings.

 

Im sure you all know what I'd suggest...



You could talk about the whole series (the various denominations, religious neutral theme, the size reduction, mint styles... and so on)

 

You’ll have to include Achelous. I recommend either a Gela tetradrachm or Campania nomos. I’d be happy to write, contribute, or proof read that section. Just let me know. He is featured at some 73 mints.

Nick

 

When I started collecting I used the following article from Harlan Berk as guidance:

https://www.hjbltd.com/#!/article/251-your-first-25-greek-silver-coins

Unfortunately the new layout on the website makes it harder to read but I find it very useful with the arguments put behind the choice of the coins and a rough price estimates which, however, are outdated in some cases.

There is another article focused on Greek gold and electrum coins:

https://www.hjbltd.com/#!/article/242-your-first-25-greek-gold-and-electrum-coins-prices-have-chan

 

Thanks to everyone who has responded. I'm behind in reading CT (tough workweek) and will catch up later this week or this weekend. I've had some thoughts about the book and will post some questions and suggestions about format and content in the next several days.

 

Have we missed the Widow’s Mite? Prutah of Pontus Pilate? Perhaps the first Jewish revolt shekel and maybe even a coin from the Bar Kokhba rebellion as well. These with the Shekle of Tyre (which I think has already been suggested) probably hits the highlights of Judean coins that beginners might be looking into. Biblical Coins probably ought to include a gold Daric as well - while on the more expensive end, it is likely on the ‘want list’ of biblical coin collectors

 

When trying to establish a group like this, I think some basic criteria has to be established. I think any coin that should be included in such a list should fall into one or more of the following groups.
1. They were important in their day as a means of payment. I would include in this group The Athenian "Owl", the Corinthian stater, The gold and or silver coinage of the Persian Empire ( Daric / Siglos) Philip II of Macedon and Alexander III of Macedon.
2. Watershed moments in the history of the coinage. In this group I would include the very early electrum coinage, the Kroisos bimetalic coinage as well as the portrait of Alexander on either the Ptolemaic or Lysimachos coinage, The portrait coinage of Ptolemy I, the portrait coinage of Julius Caesar. The first aes coins out of Sicily, The "signed" period out of Syracuse. The antoninianus of Caracalla, the Follis of Diocletian.
3. Watershed moments of history. This would include the Iudaea series of Vespasian, the Egypt series of Augustus, The Dacian series of Trajan
4. Coins which became important to us this would include the "Tribute Penny" of Tiberius. The early Christian reference coins of Rome
This list is by no means exhaustive. I do not think that coins that are important should be excluded just because they fall at either end of the price spectrum. My suspicion is that the first hundred or so would have wide consensus but after that there be dragons.

 

@AncientJoe Would a stater of Phanes fit into the second category?

 

@TIF —If you ever consider tackling such a project, I'd like to volunteer my graphic skills. My mouse is at your service.

 

A wonderful specimen.

 

I know it gets hot down there, but the heat must have gotten to you on this one. When the list hits 10,247 and you still don't want to tell someone their baby is ugly........ you will see that there is a reason for disarray in the world.

 

Yep, I don't plan on pleasing everyone.