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<p>[QUOTE="robinjojo, post: 5140554, member: 110226"]I date the modern period with the start of the nation-state, as the Feudal system collapsed in the 15th century, and power became more centralized, first in monarchies, later in more democratic governments. </p><p><br /></p><p>So, I would classify coinage as modern starting with the introduction of vast amounts of silver from South America and Mexico in the late 15th century, with the introduction of the thaler (although these issues were made from local silver sources in Bohemia). The coinage by this time was becoming more abundant, and the coins were also becoming larger and more recognizable as coins that we carry in our pockets today, although not silver anymore. </p><p><br /></p><p>Silver from the new world really started flowing in earnest into Europe and the rest of world in the first half of the 16th century and continued through the first quarter of the 20th century, primarily from Mexico and the US by then.</p><p><br /></p><p>This is my view; given the complexities of coinage production throughout history, there are plenty of grey areas when defining some coins to a specific historical period.</p><p><br /></p><p>As for hammer struck versus machine struck coinage, the fact is that hammer struck coinage persisted, usually due to necessity, well into the 18th century, a century that I am sure many would agree would fall in the modern period. Even a powerful nation/empire such as Spain really did not fully switch over all coin production until the first quarter of the 18th century to machine striking technology.</p><p><br /></p><p>As for the "youngest" ancient, here are two:</p><p><br /></p><p>This is a solidus of Honorius, 393-423 AD, Ravenna, 4.4 grams:</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]1206083[/ATTACH] </p><p><br /></p><p>This coin dates to near the fall of Rome, and the beginning of the Dark Age.</p><p><br /></p><p>Then, there is Byzantine coinage, which spans from the 6th century AD to the middle of the 15th century.</p><p><br /></p><p>This my "youngest" Byzantine coin, but is very much in the medieval style, especially in the clothing. It is an AV hyperpyron of Andronicus II Palaeologus and Michael IX, Constantinople, 1303-1320 AD, 3.95 grams.</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]1206087[/ATTACH] </p><p> </p><p>So, I guess the definition of ancient is relative to a degree. I have noticed that medieval coinage appears in the ancients forum, for lack of its own. But in the end I think the categorizations are rather secondary; of primary purpose, I think, is to share the coins we collect and the joy that they provide.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>
[QUOTE="robinjojo, post: 5140554, member: 110226"]I date the modern period with the start of the nation-state, as the Feudal system collapsed in the 15th century, and power became more centralized, first in monarchies, later in more democratic governments. So, I would classify coinage as modern starting with the introduction of vast amounts of silver from South America and Mexico in the late 15th century, with the introduction of the thaler (although these issues were made from local silver sources in Bohemia). The coinage by this time was becoming more abundant, and the coins were also becoming larger and more recognizable as coins that we carry in our pockets today, although not silver anymore. Silver from the new world really started flowing in earnest into Europe and the rest of world in the first half of the 16th century and continued through the first quarter of the 20th century, primarily from Mexico and the US by then. This is my view; given the complexities of coinage production throughout history, there are plenty of grey areas when defining some coins to a specific historical period. As for hammer struck versus machine struck coinage, the fact is that hammer struck coinage persisted, usually due to necessity, well into the 18th century, a century that I am sure many would agree would fall in the modern period. Even a powerful nation/empire such as Spain really did not fully switch over all coin production until the first quarter of the 18th century to machine striking technology. As for the "youngest" ancient, here are two: This is a solidus of Honorius, 393-423 AD, Ravenna, 4.4 grams: [ATTACH=full]1206083[/ATTACH] This coin dates to near the fall of Rome, and the beginning of the Dark Age. Then, there is Byzantine coinage, which spans from the 6th century AD to the middle of the 15th century. This my "youngest" Byzantine coin, but is very much in the medieval style, especially in the clothing. It is an AV hyperpyron of Andronicus II Palaeologus and Michael IX, Constantinople, 1303-1320 AD, 3.95 grams. [ATTACH=full]1206087[/ATTACH] So, I guess the definition of ancient is relative to a degree. I have noticed that medieval coinage appears in the ancients forum, for lack of its own. But in the end I think the categorizations are rather secondary; of primary purpose, I think, is to share the coins we collect and the joy that they provide.[/QUOTE]
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