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Author Topic: Complete denomination series?  (Read 4076 times)

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Offline Jason G

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Complete denomination series?
« on: January 27, 2006, 03:57:01 pm »
Hi everyone,

I'm new to collecting ancient coins, but I'm having a lot of fun so far.   :)  I was thinking that it would be fun to collect a complete group of denominations.  Is this hard to do?  I would like to do a Roman series but don't know if it is possible and I don't know if my pocket book could handle it.  Would Byzantine be easier, both cost wise and ease of finding the coins?  I'm prepared to go as high as $400 to $500 for the gold coins.   Can it be done on my budget? They don't even have to be from the same mint although it would be nice if the coins were all from the same emporer. :)  Thanks, great site!!

Jason

Offline wolfgang336

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Re: Complete denomination series?
« Reply #1 on: January 29, 2006, 03:03:46 pm »
Rome shouldn't be too hard in this respect... You may have to push your budget a bit of an Aureus though, not to mention some of the rarer gold denominations.

Evan

Offline Jason G

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Re: Complete denomination series?
« Reply #2 on: January 29, 2006, 04:40:09 pm »
Thanks Evan,

Do you have any emporers in mind that would be good canidates?  I was thinking of the ones that post date Constantine the Great. Do you think it would be possible to go earlier?

Offline wolfgang336

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Re: Complete denomination series?
« Reply #3 on: January 29, 2006, 05:01:58 pm »
There was so many monetary reforms in Rome that collecting only coins of Constantine and later won't get you very many of the denominations... Only Follis, half follis, centonalius (and all its various fractionals), Solidus, Aureus, post reform antoninianus, quarter follis... etc.

You would need to start in the Republic and work your way up.

Evan

Offline Jason G

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Re: Complete denomination series?
« Reply #4 on: January 29, 2006, 05:17:26 pm »
Ah, that makes sence, I was wondering about all those AExx, etc.  Thanks, I will start planning my attack. :)

Jason

Offline postvmvs

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Re: Complete denomination series?
« Reply #5 on: January 29, 2006, 05:31:56 pm »
Collecting Constantine-era denominations may be frustrating because it is not clear what the denominations were. For example Majorina and Centenionalis are used by different experts differently so many stick with describing coins AE1 through AE4 which are not actual denominations, but just size ranges.
--postvmvs
(Not to be confused with 'postumus' spelled with 'u')

Offline Jason G

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Re: Complete denomination series?
« Reply #6 on: January 29, 2006, 05:51:25 pm »
Was the coin's worth tied to it's weight?  The heavier the coin the more it was worth reletively?

Offline wolfgang336

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Re: Complete denomination series?
« Reply #7 on: January 29, 2006, 06:27:43 pm »
Weight and type of metal. 2g of silver wasn't worth 2g of gold! But yes, that is essentially how the economy worked after the introduction of metal as a universal bartering substance.

Evan

Offline Pep

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Re: Complete denomination series?
« Reply #8 on: February 22, 2006, 09:39:43 pm »
Byzantine might be the way to go.

An aureus will definitely elude your $400-$500 budget for gold.  Then of course the late Roman Empire has that denomination problem that Evan and postvmvs state.

Early Byzantine should give you a nice and large range of coins to collect.  However, at the beginning of Byzantine history you will find silver coinage rare and even more expensive than gold, once again pushing your budgetary limit.  Going into the seventh century, you'll find them more common and hopefully cheaper with the wide array of copper denominations still in effect.  However, by the end of the seventh century the offerings of coppers narrow considerably.

So, perhaps an emperor like Heraclius (610-641 AD)?  Looking through Sear, that would give you from Constantinople:

Gold:  2 1/2 Solidi (a special and very rare ceremonial issue, not meant to be afforded nowadays by us mortals :-\), Solidus, Light Weight Solidus, Semissis, Tremissis

Silver:  Miliarense, Siliqua, Half-Siliqua (these three also ceremonial and actually more expensive than standard gold), Hexagram (the standard silver coin, introduced by this emperor)

Copper:  Follis, Three-Quarter Follis, Half-Follis, Decanummium, Pentanummium

There are several other mints with not as wide offerings of denominations but other odd types include:

Alexandria:
Copper:  12 Nummi, 6 Nummi, 3 Nummi, Nummus

Carthage:
Silver:  Half-Siliqua (you might be able to get this cheaper than a Constantinople issue), Quarter-Siliqua
Copper:  Nummus

Ravenna:
Silver:  120 Nummi (Quarter-Siliqua)

Cherson:
Copper:  8 Pentanummia (Follis - but with large "H" on reverse)

Hope this helps,

Kevin  :)

Offline Rhetor

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Re: Complete denomination series?
« Reply #9 on: February 22, 2006, 09:49:21 pm »
Go to the site below (part of FORVM) and read Ed Sawyer's notes and view his diagrams for a Roman Type Set.  It may clarify some questions you have here.

https://www.forumancientcoins.com/forvm/Collectors_Resources.html


Offline Jason G

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Re: Complete denomination series?
« Reply #10 on: February 24, 2006, 02:42:15 pm »
Thanks Pep, and Rhetor,

I have deceided on which empepor I'm going for, Trajan.  I know I most likely never be able to afford an Aurius, but because there are a reletively small number of denominations for him I thought it might be a good start.  I have on order a denarius, a dupondius, a as, and a quatrans for Trajan.  Now I think that this means I only need a semis and a sestertius to complete the set (minus the Aurius of course).  Does this sound good?  Maybe one day I can find an Aurius in about good condition that I can afford. :)

Offline wolfgang336

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Re: Complete denomination series?
« Reply #11 on: February 27, 2006, 10:22:57 pm »
Anybody know if Trajan minted Quinarii?

Evan

Offline postvmvs

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Re: Complete denomination series?
« Reply #12 on: February 27, 2006, 10:34:16 pm »
Quote
Anybody know if Trajan minted Quinarii?
Yes, in both gold and silver.
http://www.coinarchives.com/a/results.php?results=100&search=Trajan+AND+quinarius
--postvmvs
(Not to be confused with 'postumus' spelled with 'u')

Offline Jason G

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Re: Complete denomination series?
« Reply #13 on: March 01, 2006, 07:03:25 pm »
Darn, ok, I thought I had everything down pat.   :-\ :)  I will add the Quinarius to the list.  Thanks guys.

Offline wolfgang336

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Re: Complete denomination series?
« Reply #14 on: March 06, 2006, 01:36:19 am »
Mustn't forget the Cistorphic equivalents either!

Evan

Offline Jason G

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Re: Complete denomination series?
« Reply #15 on: May 28, 2006, 03:09:20 pm »
Well I thought I would let everyone in on how far I have gotten on my denomination set.  So far I have a Trajan Quatrans, As, Dupondius, Denarius, and just recently a Semis and a Foree Denarius.  I just had to get the Foree to make the set. :)  This leaves (I think) for the Rome mint a Sestertius, a Quinarius, and an Aureus

Wolfgang - Isn't the Cistophorus, even if it were minted in Rome, mostly made and exported for the Asian part of the empire?

Offline wolfgang336

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Re: Complete denomination series?
« Reply #16 on: May 28, 2006, 04:16:58 pm »
If you want to do an imperial set first, than don't worry about the cistorphic issues, you can go after those during your quest for Greek Imperial issues ;) You're correct... they were made for use in the eastern regions.

Evan

 

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