Hey all. Never had an ancient coin, but I'm looking to aquire my first, soon. My family is originally from Cupramontana, Italy, which is near Ancona. Though originally of the Picene speaking people, my family was absorbed by the Romans, but is said to have stayed mostly pure from the "unwanted" women of Latin origin. Many family members served in military operations around the Mediterranean. I've always liked the idea of ancient coinage, and feel it right to make my first aquisition a Roman-Era coin. Does anyone have any opinions about some of the more sought after coins minted by the Roman Empire? My personal favorite are coins struck of Caesar. Caesar is my family name; Nearly 30% of my family tree is made up of the first name Caesar, as well as variations. It only goes back to the 1500's, as the rest is word of mouth, but apparently my family was one of the first in the area to have both a given name and surname! After doing some research, it appaently wasn't common in those days to have 2 names unless many people in the area were related or shared names, which was my family's case. My great-great grandfather, great grandfather, and grandfather all look nearly identical to Julius Caesar, oddly enough. My father, as well as myself and brother, show many likenesses to Caesar, but his mother was of Irish/Scottish origin, and my mother of South Korean origin, so you can tell we are a, "mixed breed." Oh how I wish to see my family in the times before cameras. It would be my dream to confirm my family's relation to Caesar, making the family tales into truth. Sorry for rambling! But, anyway, I would like to aquire a coin from the times of the Romans. Any suggestions on affordable coins, emperors to look for, or anything of the sort? I'm not looking to buy the most sought after coin, but something that will be of value in the future. Side note; anyone know anything about coinage of the Joseon Dynasty? My mother is a direct descendant of the House of Yi, so it would be nice to have something from that era, also. Sorry for the bonehead questions, but I know even less about foreign coins that I do, U.S.!
Well a lot to take in. I am not sure about the idea that one name only was common. Maybe during early medieval times, but Romans always had two names minimum, usually more. When you say "Caesar" do you mean Julius? Octavian was later adopted and named Caesar as well, and his family members. Later on Caesar meant the junior emperor, or emperor to be, with Augustus meaning the senior emperor. As for Roman coins, there are literally thousands upon thousands of types. I would suggest looking around and trying to narrow your range, as there are many collectors who spend decades and only collect maybe 10% of the available Roman coins out there. Roman coins are the most common of all ancient coins. For the Josean dynasty, there are Korean cash coins available, but they are scarcer than Chinese issues. I know scott semans of www.coincoin.com carries them. Chris
Hello, Interesting family history. You can find many sites that sell Roman coins on the internet. Just put in "Roman Coins". And I'm sure you will find what you are looking for. The prices range from a few dollars to as high as you want to go. The coins I located were found with a metal detector here in N.Y.C. U.S.A. They were most likely brought here many years ago by people who came from Italy or one of the countries around there. Were I live, Maspeth, New York was settled in 1635. Even thought it is built up over the years. There are many areas that have never touched over the years. I'm found everything you can imagine. Relic's from the Relovutionary,Civil War, Coloinal clay pipes, coins from 1700's 1800's and up. Plus old rings, braclets, household items. Metal detecting is a great hobby. Good luck finding the coin you are looking for. Regards, Steve Kelly
One name was very common amoung the upper class. A single name would be sufficient 2000-3000 years ago, unless as stated, many people in the town were related, thus sharing a family name, or many people in the town in general had the same name. As for Julius, I am not sure. Caesar is a given name (first name) that has been passed on for over 500 years, possibly more but we don't have the documentation. Being that it is a given name, rather than surname, I have doubts about the direct correlation to Julius Caesar, but like I said, I wish I was around back then! Oh what I would give to be a fly on the wall with the lifespan of Prometheus! Would you suggest I pursue Julius Caesar coinage? Or possibly another, more prominent, emperor? I emailed him, we'll see about the response. I read that their coins were bronze with a square hole. Anyone have an answer for the square hole? And do you know if they struck coins of different composition? I know copper has played a vital role in east Asia for quite some time, but was it really the only valuable coinage at the time?
Caesar as a first name has been popular due to Julius and Octavian Caesar. Julius Caesar coinage is pretty expensive, I would suggest getting into other Roman coinage at first. Cash coins made of copper, round with a square hole has a long history. It started as a yin-yang thing, but worked out well in practical purposes. It was found the coins could be cast, then put on a square rod through the hole, and the edges filed down and made smooth. So after the first castings, they continued to be made that way out of practicality.
