Roman Coins, Greek Coins and Ancient Coins

Throughout history, many different types of coins have been forged and put into circulation. There are therefore many ancient coins and rare coins that can be collected by numismatists. Knowing which Roman coins, Greek Coins or any Ancient coins are the most sought-after and most valuable of all value coins is very important.

Italian collectors and numismatics prefer to collect three types of ancient coins: ancient Roman coins, ancient Greek coins and rare Italian coins. We will analyse each of these groups and see what value the rare coins that belong to you can have.

Whether you are collecting rare coins for historical reasons or for collector’s purposes, you need to know which factors determine the value of a coin and which coins are the most sought after (or the rarest) and therefore are most worth.

Where to find Ancient Coins

The easiest way to find ancient coins is online. A reliable and well known auction site to sell or buy coins is this one (click here) It is a safe place to exchange or buy old coins.

So whether you want to start a new collection of coins (maybe the first one?) or whether you want to expand the old collection, you can find what you are looking for on that site.

You can register for free as a buyer in this page and you will receive by the email alerts that tell you that the piece you are looking for has been auctioned. You can also register for free as a seller in this other page. In this way you will be able to observe the auction and bid if you are interested. If you want to sell some coin instead, you should be sure that the piece you want to sell has a minimum estimate value of 75€. If it has not, you could put some pieces togheter and put them all for auction as a group.

How to Understand the Value of Ancient Coins

At the time any coin was forged, its value depended only on the value of the metal with which it was forged. Therefore, unlike today, a coin of equal weight but of different material (gold, silver, copper) had a different value.

Today, however, the value of these rare coins depends on several factors. For a beginner collector who is preparing to buy some valuable antique currency, we recommend you refer to an updated catalogue (you could find that here on amazon). It won’t be difficult to collect a good collection of coins in a short time.

Ancient Roman Coins

The Roman coins were minted with three metals: silver, gold and copper. As well as being a means of trade, they were often used, and increasingly over the years, for propaganda purposes. The effigies and carvings on the faces of the ancient coins were portraits of emperors. The Emperor’s acheivements were praised in the word over the coin.

Roman coins are classified according to the periods that distinguish them: the period of the Republic, the Empire period and the Byzantine period.

Let’s briefly see some of the most interesting ones.

Roman Ancient Coins: Imperial Coins

Imperial Roman coins are valuable ancient coins that offer many prospects of profit for collectors and therefore are very sought after.

Roman Ancient Coins: The Roman Sestertius

The Roman Coins called “Roman sestertium” today has a value ranging from 400€ to several thousand euro. It is a very rare ancient coin and therefore highly sought after. The material is silver.

Let’s now see what are the most sought after rare Italian coins. We will see what are the most interesting ancient coins from a numismatic and collector’s point of view.

Italian ancient coins: Golden “Marengo”

The evaluation of this ancient coin depends on the years of minting and the state of preservation. The coins of the highest value are those from 1870 to 1873. These are the 20 lira gold coined by Vittorio Emanuele II.

The value of the rare coins of these years ranges from 250 euro to over 400 euro. The Gold Marengo coined by Umberto I from 1884 to 1897 have a value of about 350 euro. All other coins have a value that is typical of the current gold price and fluctuates around 200 euro per piece.

Ancient Italian Coins: The Golden Fiorino

In the 13th century, this rare Florentine coin became widespread in all European countries and became the main currency of exchange for these countries.

The name of the coin derives from the design of a lily on the straight of the coin. Its weight is 3.54 grams and contains 24-carat gold. Today the value of a gold florin today ranges from 600 € to over 4000 €

Ancient Italian coins: Rare Lira Coins

These rare Italian coins of value are the lira of the Provisional Government of Lombardy. They have a value that starts from 200€ for the 5 lire until they increase exponentially for the 40 lire (in gold) which are valued at over 3000€. These Italian coins are very rare and on the reverse they have engraved the inscription “Italy free, God wants it”.

Ancient Greek Coins

After ancient Roman coins and rare Italian coins, numistmatist collectors attention is mainly focused on the valuable coins of Ancient Greece. They are coins rich in charm and historical value.

Another coin worthy of particular attention is the Athenian Tetradramma. Dates back to 393 – 300 BC and engraved on the right there is the head of Athena, with a helmet looking right. An owl is engraved on the reverse side of the ancient coin. These greek coins today have a value that starts from 400€ or more, and goes up depending on the state of its preservation.

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You did not find what you were looking for? Check these topics:

• If you are looking for Euro Rare Coins then click here.
• If you are a numismatist and you want info on 2 Euro Commemorative Coins click here.
• The Rarest Lira Coin and their great value has been dealt with here.
• Pieces and their value of Italian 20 Lire Coin are described here.
• We talked about how to clean the rare coins, here
• Roman coins were discussed here.
• You will find everything about British Gold Sovereign Coins here.