'Other' Ancient Coins

Sadly, Chinese coins are misunderstood, often maligned. They are however the most popular coins collected not just in the world, but in history. Their unpopularity in the west makes them very inexpensive.

 

Log in or Sign up to hide this ad.

That one I like because there is something to look at on a side instead of writing.

 

Well, it's a charm and not a coin. Although charms likely had value as money as well, they are indeed separate. Lots of charms have many different designs. Oh, also lots of gaming tokens, chess pieces, etc which look like coins to those unfamiliar with them.

 

I collect medieval England and 12th century coins, but have also been trying to collect coins illustrative of the history of the Silk Road. I actually purchased this coin from you (and forgive my photography skills - still working on that...):

 

A category I enjoy, though I haven't bought anything for in a bit, is my collection of Jewish/Judaean coins. I especially enjoy the coins with nice, sharp paleo-Hebrew on them. The 3 in my collection are pictured below:

Judaea. First Jewish War. Struck year two 67/68 A.D. Obverse: Rimmed amphora with paleo-Hebrew inscription YEAR TWO. Reverse: Vine leaf on small branch with tendril, paleo-Hebrew inscription FREEDOM OF ZION. Hendin 661


Hasmoneian Kingdom of Judaea, John Hyrcanus I AE Prutah. 135-104 BC. Obverse: 'A' monogram, YHO(HH)NN("Yehochanan") H("the") KHN("Priest") H("the") GDL("high") W("and") (HH)BR("Council") H("the") YHWDYM("Jews") Paleo-hebrew within wreath. Reverse: Double cornucopia adorned with ribbons, pomegranate between horns, border of dots. Jerusalem mint. Hendin 1131. Meshorer TJC A


Alexander Jannaeus. 103-76 B.C.E. Æ prutah (16.2 mm, 2.74 g, 12 h). Legend between rays of star with eight rays within diadem / BAΣIΛEΩΣ AΛEΞANΔPOY, inverted anchor. Hendin 1150; Meshorer TJC K. gVF, sandy patina.

 

Too many fakes being sold as genuine at cultural fairs and on Ebay. I think I saw 2 stands selling "old chinese coins" like these for a few bucks a piece at a cultural fair a few yeas ago. I doubt they were real.

Supposing I wanted to get a few genuine examples, and I guess I should, where would I even look to make sure I'm getting a genuine 1,500 year old Chinese and not something some guy named Lee banged out in his workshop in Beijing last week just so he can sell it to a gullible westerner like me so he can buy his wife an Iphone or buy himself another pack of cigarettes?

PS; Don't forget they found 10 tons of these coins the other day in a tomb, so they'll stay cheap even if interest picks up. I don't think the Chinese need 10 tons to preserve cultural heritage, so they'll probably sell a few tons to the collector's market.

 

I suppose I am one of those Western snobs. I have no interest in Chinese or any other Asian coins. A friend collects Vietnamese coins, but when he shows them to me I can't make out heads from tails. I am polite and act interested as do most people when I show them my Greek and Roman coins.

 

I believe this is a major part of the problem. There are thousands of genuine cash available each day with reasonable value of a dollar (or so - depending on condition and type) but telling them from great rarities that sell for thousands is beyond me in too many cases. I have a gathering (collection is too strong a word) of a few hundred cash with many duplicates that I have identified as far as Hartill numbers and can ID by sight at most 10% of them. The rest require comparing to the book drawings. I bought what I have from 'trusted' sellers but never developed a feel for telling myself. Of course expecting a genuine cash from 1900 to resemble one from 300 BC is really pushing it so you have to consider what each one should look like.

Charms carry no interest for me and I expect most are fake. I had not heard the theory that they were money, too. Of course, I have no use for modern 'made to be collected' coins either.

Where the cash hobby loses me is the significance of flyspeck differences like 'two dot tong', 'closed head' and things like the difference between the two Wang Mangs below. How many differences do you see and which make any real difference?

We also have varieties like the ones with a fingernail mark on the reverse. Why?
Yong Li tong bao


Others I like:
Yi Tao (small and early)


Pan Liang (hundreds of variations here)


If you want to cut a coin in half but still be able to string them, what do you do? Really?

 

i love a good "others" thread. i collect coins from everywhere, i'm less focused on some areas of the east and medieval coins..but i still one several examples represented in my collection.

 

@dougsmit Would you be willing to direct me to trusted dealers for this?? I don't even know where to look. Personally I'd love to add 2 or 3 Chinese ancients to my collection.

 

Don't forget the mysterious coins of Elymais, of which i see one example above. Not much is known about them.

 

I haven't picked up any far east coins yet. Due to other priorities and limited budget, I probably won't collect them. I did get a few eastern/other coins over the last couple of years but will probably sell or trade them for items more fitting with my current collecting direction.

Not truly in the "other" category, I do have a few Celtic coins and a half dozen more on the wish list. Here's my favorite so far:


CELTIC, Central Europe (Rhineland). "Dancing Mannikin" type
65 BCE - CE 1
AR Quinarius, 13 mm, 1.62 gm
Obv: dancing mannikin right, head turned left, holding snake in right hand, torque in left hand.
Rev: horse standing right, head turned left; around, zig zag border.
Ref: SLM 1118. Dembski 73, 396. (I'll have to take the seller's word on that for now. If any of you have a Celtic reference and find this inaccurate, please let me know.)

 

I agree with chrsmat => I kinda like to see all of you dude's others and then I'll try to pick and choose a couple of interesting examples that fit into my coin avenues ...

Oh, and I also agree with the coin-Princess (aaaaaww, she's simply amazing)

=> Celtic coins are pretty fricken cool ...

 

I have a smattering of several areas that I collect: Ancient India (earliest coin mintage dates rival that of the earliest, and supposed first coinage of the West in present day Turkey). Also, ancient Chinese Cash, ancient Sri Lanka, Hun, Parthia, Persian, and several from the NON-Greek empire of Carthage (everyone classifies them as "Greek" when they were RIVALS to Greek culture, and were eventually eradicated by Republican Rome).

However, I recently captured a very special coin to me:


India - Shakya Janapada
AR 5-Shana
6th-5th Century BCE
25mm x 21mm, 7.05g
Obv: Central Pentagonal punch plus several banker's marks
Rev: Blank
Ref: Hirano Type I.8.29
Coinage from the Ghaghara Gandak River region.

At this time, any of the 16 "Janapada" was defined as a tribe, country, kingdom, or a republic in northern India. Shakya was a Republic (ah, I love the Republics!), in northern India near present day Nepal.

The best-known man from Shakya was Prince Siddhartha Shakya. He later gained enlightenment and became know as Buddha Gautama or Buddha, the founder of Buddhism.

This coin, being from the Janapada and the time, was quite likely produced during and under the authority of the Man who became the Buddha.

 

I have always loved this Celtic!

 

@chrsmat71 ... awesome diversity... my style.

 

As I scroll through the thread, EVERYONE has very nice coins that I would love to diversify into. Well done... If it is ancient, with significant history attached, I love it... especially of a Republic or a People Represented coinage...
Maybe we can get @Mikey Zee collecting WASHERS!!!

 

Like you I can't get into Asian coinage. Personally for me it has to do more with their history than aesthetics (not that their appearance doesnt play a part in me not collecting them). Chinese and East Asian history (except WWII in Asia/the Pacific) just isn't close to being as interesting or relatable as Roman and European history. Even Islamic coinage and history is pretty fascinating to me. I do have one cash coin though, and I'll admit it is ok looking, but not sure exactly why I got it. That exception aside, Asian coinage isnt for me.

 

"Other" coins? C'mon people, stay with the pack.

 

that made me laugh (and usually I'm pretty serious, so thanks JA)