Looking for Help in Understanding Ancient Coins and Descriptions

Wait about 3 months and check out my soon-to-be website re: ancient biblical coins at...

www.faith-coins.com

...but again, you'll have to wait about 3 months, because it isn't quite ready.

Remember, you heard it here first! ;-)

 

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Great Caesars Ghost, Philologus_1, looking forward to your good book on the coinage of The Good Book. Moan's, hisses, and boo's are accepted as responses.

Seriously, you are to be commended on the trek one must take to publish any book. Best of luck.

 

Let's be clear that Sydenham's book is completely outdated, usually available only in reprint with poor smaller than life-size photos, and a book solely of historical interest to demonstrate how little was known about Republican coins when it was published. Don't buy it, no matter how inexpensive.

 

Let me know when that happens.

 

Let's be clear about this. The vast majority of books on ancient coins (or anything, for that matter) are outdated to some degree. Our job as readers is to be able to ferret out the grams of precious metals from the kilograms of slag. We do not read any of the standard references with the kind of reverence that religious people treat their holy works. Sydenham was pretty well made useless by the publication of Crawford which is getting a little long in the tooth but has not been replaced with a better standard reference. RIC (Roman Imperial Coinage) was published in ten volumes over a wide span of years by several authors who did not agree with one another on how a book should be formatted. Several of the volumes have been updated/replaced so there are more recent versions but some of them are borderline hilarious. They are not worthless since many people still believe in the numbering system they put forth but as a catalog of what exists and details about mints, etc. they are not something to bet on for important decisions.

We on Coin Talk are just like books. Some things we get right and some things .... not so much. Some things are just opinions but there are few facts not subject to review or refinement with new evidence from new hoards and reconsideration of things that just don't make sense from the traditional wisdom.

This is not important to those of us who do this for fun. I have no use for people who have a need to make their name by proving some new revision but every respect for those who try to understand things that were glossed over by previous experts.

I encourage everyone to read critically and avoid questioning things that you don't understand just to be fashionable. "I don't know" is a reasonable response and "I'm learning" is the mark of someone to respect.

By the way, I am forgetting as fast as I am learning. I most definitely have opinions and it is your job to decide if you should listen to me or the people who take all this, and themselves, waaaay too seriously.

 

You don't HAVE to take yourself seriously, we all take you seriously.

 

Sorry—I haven't been visiting the Forum much recently. I've been promoted and have been trying to run a church in a big city. Whew—it's a lot of work! Thank you for the vote of confidence @furryfrog02 ! I could not have provided better advice than Mr. Clark's @Victor_Clark 's recommendation of Hendin's book. A copy of David Hendin's Guide to Biblical Coins Fifth Edition is never more than a few inches from my right hand. Awesome book! Awesome author!

 

I checked out Hendrin's book, and it's pricey. I'm going to see if I can get it at the Library.

 

Check out this one, John, by Ya'akov Meshorer. It's a great reference book for many of the Judaean coins covered in the Hendin book. I recommend it, in fact I use it as a shopping catalog

https://www.vcoins.com/en/stores/an...t_6_palestinesouth_arabia/831033/Default.aspx

 

Yes it is! It's not likely that you'll find one for less than $85. I looked for a used copy to give to a friend as a gift and was unsuccessful.

 

Thanks for the Heads-up, @philologus_1 , and thanks in advance for creating such a website.
It sounds wonderful!

 

Another really high value for the price book is "Van Meter" - that's "The Handbook of Roman Imperial Coins" by David Van Meter. Typically available in the $20-$30 range, it covers an astonishingly large percentage of the overall Roman Imperial coinage picture from Julius Caesar through Anastasius in a single volume.
It doesn't have everything (nor does anything else, really, but it tends to be noticably abbreviated to get it all into a single volume) and it doesn't go into much explanatory detail within the listings themselves, but it has one of the best introduction sections for beginners I've ever seen in a book not necessarily aimed at beginners.

 

Doug, you are highly respected for your frank and honest answers and your love for the hobby. I appreciate your "Down in the trenches" opinions. What I mean by "Down in the trenches" is that that you are a dedicated collector on a budget and not simply an *academic. Also, although many of your coins are high end—you have an appreciation for ancient coins in any condition.

*I mean no disrespect to our academics and scholars @Orfew @philologus_1 @Gavin Richardson and many more who I have not mentioned. I sincerely appreciate you for your dedicated work. You are the folks who shine light on the often forgotten history that drives and fuels our interests. I realize that your tireless work is rarely given the the respect and thanks that it deserves.

 

This I cannot wait for!! Thanks so much!

Erin

 

As one, I can tell you there is nothing simple about being an academic.

 

You too are unique, Mr. @Orfew ! You're a superb teacher (I can attest to that fact because I've had the privilege of working with you on one of your teaching exhibits) you're also a highly respected collector (Obvious, I'm sure, to all Ancient Forum members). I am honored to be the curator of three of your coins. I proudly display your name under the provenance of those coins. My hat is off to you, Sir!

 

The Hendin book is easily available used BUT only in the older editions. Yes, the latest one is far better but I will not be buying it because my interest in 'Biblical' coins just is not that strong. I respect Deacon Ray in so many ways but that does not include what you would call a great overlap in our coins of preference.

I get a kick out of so many people that value coins from the time of Christ as if Jesus' fingerprints were on the coins. The way I read the Bible, Jesus went out of his way to avoid money. His Temple Tax was paid for him by Peter using a coin found in a fish. He asked to be showed a Tribute Penny and pointed out the coins (mites) of the widow from a distance. Of the historical figures we might fantasize handled our coins, Jesus would not be the likely winner. I'd go for Vespasian. If you don't know the story about him that makes us think he liked coins, look it up.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pecunia_non_olet
The preceding was brought to you straight from the t r e n c h e s (slit trenches to be more specific).
https://www.duffelblog.com/2016/06/soldiers-authorized-use-slit-trench-identify/

 

Using the following as a Google search: syd craw sear abbreviations gave me this page, 4th down on the list: http://www.wildwinds.com/coins/refs.html

Phil Davis

 

But I am not looking for coins that Jesus might have touched. I'm sure there we others in the time period who handled coins, maybe even a disciple or two. I have a Herod Agrippa I coin just because he, among many others, are mentioned in the Bible. Actually, I think I was talking about biblical coins in general, not specifically.

 

I'd like to assist you any way I can, John @John Skelton. Your interest in Biblical coins has rekindled mine, in fact I've been reviewing my collection this afternoon and trying to decide which direction I would like to head next. I use the Hendin numbers as a guide. There are a few of us here on the Ancients Forum, who tend to specialize in the coins of Judaea and the empires that occupied the Holy Land. I've been encouraged and inspired by many of the awesome contributors to this forum—the Biblical skeptics included.

I originally became fascinated with the ancient coins of Jerusalem as a result of shopping for Holy Relics. (I'll have to show some images of some of the items I've acquired). True, I was looking for items that could have been touched by Jesus. What Mr. Smith @dougsmit said about the likelihood of acquiring an actual coin that was touched by Jesus is unlikely—it's the possibility of owning a coin that may have been used by one of the first Christians which is an amazing thought.

If you decide to pursue your interest, please post plenty of images of your acquisitions!