Trivia: Year "0" Coins

I decided to give you a respite from the New Millennium (year 2000) coins. Have you ever wondered about the coins in use during year Zero?

That's the year between 1 B.C. (or B.C.E.) AND 1 A.D.

Here's a look at the coins in use during "0":

This first coin is a Chinese Wushu whichcirculated as coinage from circa 100 years before Christ to several hundred years after, making it the longest circulating coin ever. (image courtesy of pomexport)

http://www.pomexport.com/C - China Millennium WuShu/PCC - China Millennium WuShu_2x.jpg

This next coin was in use in Selecia (Cilicia) from 66 BC to 1st century AD. It is a bronze Soli featuring the head of Pompei on the obverse and Athena seated left on shield holding Nike. (image courtesy of coinarchives.com)

http://imagedb.coinarchives.com/img/cng/064/enlarged/640681.jpg


This Spanish Tessera (55mm) circulated between 1st century BC and 1st Century AD. (image courtesy of coinarchives.com)

http://imagedb.coinarchives.com/img/cng/067/enlarged/671075.jpg

This piece is a Greco-Roman (Elymais City State) bronze Tetradrachm which circulated from 1st century BC to 1st century AD. (image courtesy of coinarchives.com)

http://www.coinarchives.com/a/lotviewer.php?LotID=1787&AucID=6&Lot=687

This next example is an Island of Rhoades bronze Drachm which circulated from late 1st century BC to mid 1st century AD. Obverse: radiate head of Helios. (image courtesy of coinarchives.com)

http://imagedb/coinarchives.com/img/cng/070/enlarged/700299.jpg

This next coin is Arabian and circulated from 1st century BC into 1st century AD. Mint: Mleiha Mint located in Southeast Arabia, specifically the Macai Region. It's a silver Obol.

http://imagedb.coinarchives.com/img/cng/069/enlarged/690697.jpg

The next coin is a Celtic Gold Quarter-Stator which circulated (10 B.C. to A.D. 10) in the Atrebates area which lies South of the Thames. (image courtesy of coinarchives.com)

http://imagedb.coinarchives.com/img/leu/095/image00408.jpg


Augustus Silver Denarius minted in Spain circa 19 - 18 B.C. and circulated into A. D. 14:

http://imagedb.coinarchives.com/img/goldberg/041/image02773.jpg


Next coin (a bronze Spartan Lakedaimon)circulated circa 2 B.C. to A.D. 31. Obverse: uncrowned head of Hercules. Reverse: War Club, handle up.

Note history of Sparta Ruler during period 2 B.C. through A.D. 31:

http://www.coinarchives.com/a/lotviewer.php?LotID=148535&AucID=177&Lot=927


Next (in circulation Year Zero) coin is a 21mm Roman Silver Denarius. Obverse: Titus. Reverse: Pegasus:

http://www.coinarchives.com/a/lotviewer.php?LotID=196240&AucID=256&Lot=319


Hope you enjoyed the respite and trip to Year "0."....

Clinker

 

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year 0 now thats funny

a very interesting read clinker! cool pics too!!

 

Titus is a bit decieving - be sure to note its the Republican moneyer, not the emperor!

Nevertheless, enjoyable as always.

 

Actually, the conventional calendar gurus consider the year before 1 C.E. (called A.D. by the Christians) to be 1 B.C.E., with no zero year.

 

Daggerjon

Thanks for reading and commenting...


Clinker

 

Ardatirion

Right you are! Thanks for reading and the factoid...

Clinker

 

hontaonai

I didn't know that, but I DO KNOW some Countries refer to the year 2000 as the 2nd Millennium and some call it the 3rd Millennium.

Thanks for reading and for your info about the conventional calendar gurus (we both spelled "calendar" correctly...

Clinker

 

clinker .. the link i list below does not work for me in your post ..

This next example is an Island of Rhoades bronze Drachm which circulated from late 1st century BC to mid 1st century AD. Obverse: radiate head of Helios. (image courtesy of coinarchives.com)

http://imagedb/coinarchives.com/img/...ged/700299.jpg

 

What hontonai said. There was no Year Zero, at least in the Gregorian calendar that we use today or in its predecessor the Julian calendar. If there had been calendars (with years as we know them today) when the year 1 BC ended you would have flipped December, 1 BC over to January, 1 AD.

 

Maybe. But a millennium is 1,000 years and:

First Millennium = 1 AD - 1000 AD

Second Millennium = 1001 AD - 2000 AD

Third Millennium = 2001 AD - 3000 AD

 

Hobo .. not all cultures use our calendar. Some cultures are into their 5th century datewise.....

 

I unserstand that. IF you are using the Gregorian calendar you would be in the Third Millennium. It all depends on your point of reference.

 

Daggerjon

Try this:

http://imagedb.coinarchives.com/img/ubs/059/05730q00.jpg

Clinker

 

Another interesting post. Thanks very much.

Take Care
Ben

 

very interesting info and pics, thanks!

 

Bonedigger

Hi, Ben...

Thanks...

Clinker

 

goosen

A BIG THANKS to you!....for reading and commenting...member's comments keep me going....


Clinker

 

It's also worth noting that the notion of using dates based on how many years it's been since Christ was born didn't even arise until early in the 6th century. It was then that some monk wrote the current pope with his reasoning of why he thought it was precisely 535 years ago that Christ was born. The pope liked the idea so much and was convinced enough of the reasoning that he made it the official calendar, effectively for the entire Roman Empire, it being officially Christian at the time.

Some historians and Biblical scholars disagree that the date is precisely accurate though... based on historical context given in the gospels (mentioning of the current Roman emperor, governor of Judea, and mention of the census, etc.) and also comparing certain Biblical events that can be confirmed to a specific date by lining them up with secular historical texts, Christ could have been born as early as 4BC or as late as 6AD. The best evidence based on the date of the census, which the governor of Judea conducted right after Judea was annexed into the Roman Empire, would give the date as actually 4BC.

Religious events as the basis of dating the year is actually pretty widespread. The Jewish calendar year is based on the estimated creation of the Earth as based on geneaology back to Adam. Would start about 4004 BC if certain passages were interpreted literally (someowhat problematic as many old Hebrew words for units of time can be translated a number of ways, but there you go). Thailand and a few other predominately Buddhist countries base their calendar on the birth of Buddha, estimated to be about 500 BC. The Islamic calendar used commonly in the Middle East and other predominately Islamic countries is based on the estimated birth of Mohammed in the 6th century (however that calendar is a lunar calendar, based on the moon making 12 rotations around the earth, so it is moving somewhat faster than the solar calendar; thus the years don't precisely line up.)

The Christian calendar is by far the most popular, being the common calendar in most of the world, even places with few Christians. Often you'll see CE (common era) and BCE (before common era) used where people prefer not to use the more specifically Christian terms AD (anno domini, the year of our Lord) and BC (before Christ). To each their own, but they're still essentially continuing the count of years since Christ was born, which is probably about 4 years off lol...

(And yes, there was no year 0... the year after 1BC was 1AD. Glad Doc Brown didn't actually try to travel to Dec 25, 0000... hate to find out what would happen then lol... though he'd have other problems, such as ending up in California, not Israel, and that Christ was probably not born on Dec 25 either... shephards wouldn't be outside watching their flocks by night in the middle of winter, the sheep would be in a barn... but that's a whole 'nother discussion lol...)

 

Actually, the Islamic AH calendar is measured not from his birth, but from Mohammed's flight from Mecca to Medina, known as the "Hejira", at age 52.

 

Agreed, that is why the new millenium started in 2001 not 2000.