Most people have collected coins at some point in their lives. In my case, I remember when my father would give me coins from all over the world whenever I would see him after he went on tour. Some pick out silver dimes and quarters when they see them in change or hold on to that “lucky” two dollar bill they found.
What about ancient coins? Like most people, I thought that ancient coins were very expensive. The first ancient coins I added to my collection I obtained from a classmate in second grade for a trade. I thought I had made such a great deal. Five dollars in comic books for what turned out to be a very worn Byzantine follis and an Ottoman bronze coin. It was not until many years later that I learned that ancient coins were less expensive than I had thought. In fact, we have coins in out bargain section that are under $20.
Before starting a collection you should do a little research (perhaps buy one of the books by Wayne Sayles on ancient coin collecting, or the book Handbook of Roman Imperial Coins by David VanMeter), next, you should decide what and how you would like to collect. You can pick a theme (animals, a set of coins of different emperors, architectural types, coins minted in different cities or just different types of coins minted for the same emperor)
Once you have started your collection, try to learn everything you can about the coins you purchase. Where were they minted, how, what is the history of the emperor or issuing authority and what did the reverse (“tails”) of the coin represent. The greatest part of the noble hobby of ancient coin collecting is that you get to hold a piece of history in your hand. A coin of Constantine the great is over 1600 years old and was used during a time that molded our modern society, values, beliefs and political system.
A coin of Constantine the Great being sold in our store for $19
