Collecting Ancient Greek Coins

Since the days of the Roman empire, coin collecting has continued to be a hobby that fascinates.  Everyone from Kings to the common man has taken up collecting of ancient Greek and Roman coins.

Collecting ancient Greek coins today is a hobby that is simple, easy, and straightforward to pursue.  The beginning collector can choose a category of these coins, such as type of metal, period of mintage, age of the coins, or the city-state where the coins were minted.

Whether collected for the art displayed on the coins or the age and rarity of the coins themselves, collectors are motivated to accumulated ancient Greek coins for their uniqueness and beauty.  While not all Greek coinage is considered rare today, there are enough truly rare ancient Greek coins to keep collectors interest for a lifetime.

Ancient Greek coins for your collection will be relatively expensive when compared to collecting coins minted in the present day.  Some beginners might choose to start their collection with less expensive bronze Greek coins.  Others may simply start their collection with a focus on whatever their special interest may by (metal type, type, period, etc.).  The fun thing is that once you begin educating yourself about ancient Greek coins you will naturally find you are interested in a particular area.

Greek coins ranging in age from 2 to 3 thousand years can display a degree of art that is not seen anywhere today, which gives collectors a great impetus to continue adding to their collection.  These coins were minted in a time that spans 200 to 400 years BC, one of the most influential periods in the history of civilization.

There are so many images found on Greek coins that it is almost impossible to know of them all.  Some images are rare and unique, while others are quite common and readily available to collectors.  Images of Greek city-state rulers , Greek gods, and animals of all species were artistically drawn and minted onto Greek coins.

Oversupply of coins exists in some categories.  If a city-state existed for a long period, or a king ruled successfully over a long life, a very large volume of coins with a particular image would have been minted for a large number of years.  This is the same situation that exists when collecting modern day coinage - the larger the number minted, the less collectible value the coin will have.

As stated elsewhere, hoards of ancient Greek and Roman coins are still found from time to time, even today.  It would not be uncommon for a citizen of the Roman Empire or one of the Greek city-states to accumulate some extra coins, and put them aside in a hiding place for future use.  Excavations in Europe and the Mediterranean (Africa and the Middle East) in modern times still turn up some of these "banked" ancient coins, as do individuals using metal detectors.

Another reason that the coins are still found is that the ancient Greeks minted their coins out of durable metals such as bronze, gold, and silver.  When a cache of coins is found the metals are sometimes "cleaned" to be more recognizable, though cleaning of ancient Greek coins can detract from their value for some collectors.  Though still relatively available, collectors find it difficult to assembling a particular "set" of coins.

The number of collectors of ancient Greek coins is relatively small compared to those who collect Roman coins, and they value the artistic work found on so many Greek coins.  Many collectors who start collecting Greek coins find themselves drawn into the history of ancient Greece as well.  A simple Google query will return a display of a wealth of sources for educating yourself on the ancient Greek history associated with your coin.