UGH!! Lets say that I want my first ancient coin...

I know absolutely NOTHING about them...my wife and I really enjoyed the Spartacus series.....I want a coin that would have been during his time and that I could tell my kid that he could have actually have held this coin!!
What would I buy?




Have you ever seen such a noob?? Yes I know.

 

Log in or Sign up to hide this ad.

https://www.vcoins.com/en/stores/pr...ro_ad_5468_bi_tetradrachm/537042/Default.aspx


... ooops, apparently Spartacus isn't exactly that time-period (*whatev* => cool enough coin)





=> by the way, there are a million examples I could have showed you (hmmm, where to start, eh?)

 

Welcome to ancients! Bet you can't eat just one

I haven't seen the movie, but apparently Spartacus was of Thracian origin, born 111 BCE, died 71 BCE. There are oodles of choices. You could go with a Roman Republic coin from around that time. Some types even show gladiators in combat. I'll look for some specific examples and post them here

 

Depending on your budget, here's a really cool type that I've always liked from that time period. http://www.vcoins.com/en/stores/par...hermus_103_bc_ar_denarius/592414/Default.aspx

 

^^^ I was just looking for an example of that one

Here are all of the currently-offered examples on Vcoins.

 

A cool, affordable example from around that time would be a Thasos Tetradrachm. (Thasos was under Thracian rule during Spartacus' life.) The following type, typically described as being struck 1st-2nd Centuries BC or more accurately, "after 148 BC," can be ideal. They are large; around 30 mm wide and 16.5-17 grams. However, I would recommend you purchase an example from a reliable dealer; as there are several thousand counterfeits, floating about.

Thasos, Thrace AR Tetradrachm. After 148 BC. Head of Dionysos right wreathed with ivy leaves / ΗΡΑΚΛΕΟΥΣ ΣΩΤΗΡΟΣ ΘΑΣΙΩΝ, nude Herakles standing left, holding club & lion skin, MH monogram

-Michael

 

AND HERE I GO AGAIN....

 

Interesting.

More Thracian coins from 1st century BC.


https://www.vcoins.com/en/Search.as...cords=100&SearchOnSale=False&Unassigned=False

 

My example. The Vcoin price may be a bit high. I paid $150 +/- $10 last year.


During your perusal, before making the purchase, maybe PM one of the regulars on here to ask for advice about price. Unfortunately, sometimes when links are posted publicly, they get sniped. You can also search auction results here and here.

 

me and mrs. chrsmat71 watched and enjoyed the spartacus series as well. i picked up this coin a bit before, but showed the wife while we were watching the show, minted in rome about the time of the events depicted on the mini-series (79 AD). i posted mine in ENG republican thread today, picked it up for about 100 dollars. here are some on vcoins..

http://www.vcoins.com/en/Search.asp...alse&Unassigned=False&searchOrderBy=price_asc

 

Coins in this period were issued by moneyers serving a year in this minor office on the way to bigger things. Each selected his own design. If there is a name from the movie that happens to be from the same family as one of these officials, you might like one of them. These various coins were issued in varying numbers and some sell for more today than others. The Thermus is popular and not the cheapest. Below I show others from the last decade of Sparticus' life. Which you find at 'your price' and which you prefer is not something we can predict.

Do be careful, it is hard to have 'just one'.

 

I can't add anything to what has already been said. Try buying one. If nothing else, you will have a conversation piece and something to share with your children. But I'll bet you won't stop at one.

 

I have two examples at hand,similar to Doug's.
C. Annius and L. Fabius (primitive photo taking skills )

*but it has a lizard and winged caduceus

A recently acquired Ti Claudius Nero, with CNG photo in tow:

I'd trade Doug in a heartbeat for his example; though he may receive the short end of that deal. I'm a sucker for toned coins. What's the significance of the Numerals/Characters above the exergue? Mine: XXI. Doug's: A*IIII

-Michael

 

You can get a silver denarius of the Roman republic around the time Spartacus lived (90-70 B.C ish online, such as ebay, vcoins, etc. or at a coin store, or a coin show. The cheap ones(damaged, worn, or just common) can be bought for less then 50 dollars. I recently bought a Mn. Fontieus denarius made a decade before Spartacus for 25 dollars.

 

Some issues were made from numbered dies and not all used the same way of 'numbering'. Sometimes it was just a straight numeral like XXI; some were grouped in series mixing a letter and a number. Banti, Corpvs Nvmmorvm Romanorvm (9 volumes of photos shows the plain series up to CLX (160) and the A series up to A.CXXV (125) so there are at least 285 die sets used for the coins. The other coin here used what we call 'minor types' or 'control marks' rather than numbers. Michael's lizard is cuter than my carnix.
https://www.google.com/search?q=car...X&ved=0CC0QsARqFQoTCMP3j-TUkcgCFcpXPgod35YBwQ
Republican moneyers were allowed a lot of control on how they issued the coins for that year. Many coins did not number the die sets and some numbered dies individually showing that obverse dies lasted longer than reverse dies. Note the Piso below has obverse LXXVII (77) and reverse XCIV (94). L in that period was more like an arrow. BTW this is a more common type and should be cheaper since they exist in numbers exceeding that of collectors.


Few people try to get all of the minor variations in these. Some big public collections like the British Museum have most.

 

Spartacus, eh?

Hey, I also have a few AR RR examples that would fit within this time frame ...

=> 85 BC through 78 BC

Mn Fonteius Cf
85 BC
Vejovis & Genius on Goat



C. Licinius Lf Macer
84-83 BC
Vejovis & Minerva in Quadriga



M. Caecilius Q.f. Q.n. Metellus
82-80 BC
Apollo & Shield with Elephant




L. Papius
79 BC
Juno Sospita & Snake & Griifin with Dog




M. Volteius M.f.
78 BC
Hercules & Erymanthian Boar




... man, ya gotta love dem animal coins, eh?

 

Hi and welcome,

Any ancient is interesting, and there are so many angles on collecting.
I collect Hadrian, and sometimes i buy an impuls ancient, because here on ct, all sorts of ancients cone along here with interesting stories.

Enjoy and there