/r/AncientCoins
A place to show off and discuss ancient and medieval coins from around the world, as well as to post links to articles and other references about them.
Need an ID? PLEASE HELP US HELP YOU BY POSTING PHOTOS OF BOTH SIDES OF EACH COIN & preferably photos of its edge as well. If you have trouble using reddit's own photo hosting please try the imgur app or go to https://imgur.com/upload.
Memes, joke posts & other shitposts may only be posted here on the last day of each Gregorian calendar month.
This is the place to show off and discuss ancient and medieval coins from around the world, as well as to post links to articles and other references about them. Posting non-coin antiquities is also OK, but we may not be able to tell you much about them.
If you would like our help in identifying a specimen PLEASE HELP US HELP YOU BY POSTING PHOTOS OF BOTH SIDES OF THE COIN and preferably photos of its edge as well. You can host the photos using the imgur app or by going to https://imgur.com/upload to make an album/gallery of them.
Please DON'T make more than one post for the same coin or group of coins unless asked specifically by a moderator. Use an imgur.com album/gallery to show multiple photos of the same coin(s).
This is a relatively small and slow-moving subreddit, so it may take a little while to get answers to your questions. If you are posting from a relatively new account and/or one low in karma your post will need to be manually approved. This usually shouldn't take more than 2 or 3 hours, and certainly no more than 24.
Please contact us via modmail if you think there's a problem.
Our Wiki/FAQ:
Can be found here. Among other things it contains links to galleries of some of our members' coins. Link to original "Post your gallery" thread - http://redd.it/2obp6t
Subreddit rules: /r/AncientCoins/about/rules/
It's fine to publicize your own ancient and medieval coin-related blogs, websites, YouTube channels, etc. or ones by other people. It's also fine to offer to buy and sell ancient and medieval coins here and discuss sales taking place on /r/CoinSales and on other websites.
Please just try to not be annoying about it.
If you'd like to publicize your coins for sale on eBay please use /r/CoinBay instead.
Thanks, and good luck with your projects and building your knowledge and collection.
Trusted sites to purchase coins
(You may want to purchase from sellers in your same country to simplify the transaction, but international sales are quite common.)
These venues are generally considered trustworthy and professional:
(Thanks to /u/KungFuPossum)
Related Discord https://discord.gg/erQ62ePm
Useful links to attribute (ID) ancient and medieval coins:
FORVM ANCIENT COINS: Imperial Roman Coin Attribution 101 - The Short Course and The Late Roman Bronze Coin Attribution Toolkit
Wildwinds ancient and medieval coins (This is a great site, and there are a lot of links at the bottom of that page to more great info)
The Ancient Coin Search Engine (acsearch.info) compiles auction results and information from a number of reliable sources.
CoinProject.com is billed as a free collaborative, non-commercial numismatic research website - check it out.
Helvetica's Identification Help Page is a very helpful resource for identifying Roman coins. The site hosts downloadable spreadsheets to help you attribute your coins.
The Encyclopedia of Roman Imperial Coins Vol. I is available from the author as a free and legal download in zipped PDF format HERE.
David M. Schaps' "The Invention of Coinage and the Monetization of Ancient Greece" is available online as a PDF file HERE, though it may be an unauthorized source.
Online booklet for beginners: How to Collect Ancient Roman Coins, in PDF format.
Deciphering Roman Coin Inscriptions By Kevin Barry.
/u/semicolonlife suggested the resource OCRE, the Online Coins of the Roman Empire at numismatics.org/ocre, as well as coinarchives.com.
/u/acs14 suggested the online edition of Identifying Late Roman Bronze Coins.
/u/StickyReggae suggests DirtyOldCoins.com's reference page with links to useful coin databases.
/u/jjlava suggests the Ancient Roman and Greek Coins FAQ. It's a nice little beginner's guide.
User /u/sir_squidz recommends these links for those of us who love British Celtic coinage: Van Arsdel Celtic Coinage of Britain and The UK Portable Antiquties Scheme
User /u/Savixe has a great new YouTube channel, Classical Numismatics, that goes over the basics: getting started in ancient Roman coins, attribution and reading them. This is a GREAT visual resource for beginners - exceedingly well done!
/u/MrCheesyfuntime reminds us to check Forum Ancients Coins' "Notorious Fake Sellers List" when buying coins online.
Thanks go to /u/Whizb4ng for helping us with this list. If any of you have suggestions to augment this list please message the mods, thanks.
Please be sure to visit these other fine subreddits:
/r/AncientCoins
63,927 Subscribers
Any recommendations on an Augustus or Marcus Aurelius coin?
Never bought an ancient coin before, and these are my two favorite emperors.
Any recommendations on a nice looking coin from these emperors? Would prefer silver or gold and open to recommendations on where to buy from.
18:52 UTC
Traveling to Italy
I will be in Italy shortly. Are there sellers there of uncleaned coins? Specifically in Rome or thereabouts.
I would want ship them back to my home in the states.
Thanks
18:54 UTC
Arcadian League, Megalopolis silver Triobol
Arcadian League, Megalopolis 330-275 BC, Silver Triobol 2.70g, 15mm Laureate head of Zeus left Pan seated left on a rock, holding a lagobolon and raising his other hand. "APK" monogram HGC 5, 929
17:41 UTC
Medusa's sister?
Parion mint, Mysia, AR Drachm, 5th Century BC, SNG-Cop:256, 4.0gm. Facing gorgoneion, with mouth open and tongue protruding., Rough square incuse.
I love this coin, with its mystical background and almost clownlike depiction of a gorgon.
17:40 UTC
Tetradrachm help!
Hello, I’m really struggling to identify this tetradrachm. Does anyone have any ideas or a good place to find out?
16:18 UTC
"Reevaluating the Epirote Coinage of Michael II Komnenos Doukas" OCBR Seminar by Sam Cowell
15:55 UTC
Strange coin. Arab-Sasanian bronze from the Istakhr mint in south Persia, reverse showing a combination of the figure orans (imam?) and standing caliph (Abd al-Malik?).
14:18 UTC
Any ideas all
12:40 UTC
How do we feel about this example of an Alexander III Drachm - reputable seller and well priced, does it speak to you?
I'm really keen to pick up an Alexander the Great Drachm but the prices are really prohibitive for me (£400+). This Kolophon mint coin is going for £180 and looks (to me) to be a lovely example, if maybe the strike isn't the cleanest.
How does this coin look to you, just looking to hear people's thoughts on it, really!
10:32 UTC
Living like patrician or like pleb?
How good are you living for one day or one week (for those with bigger collection one month) with your collection of ancients?
Lets say that the time period you will spend your day/week/month is the year from where your latest roman or greek ancient coin is (but not after 476 A.D.)?
So are you going to "parties" or barely getting some bread
09:17 UTC