What Determines The Cost And Value Of Ancient Roman Coins

If youve ever wondered what Roman Emperors like Julius Caesar, Nero or Constantine looked like or wanted to own something that may have been held by one of these historic men or someone living during that period then consider this.

If you are a collector with a low budget, particularly a coin collector then you should seriously consider taking up the hobby of Roman coin collecting.

There are a number of reasons why you should consider collecting Roman coins then other Ancient Coins.

While other ancient coins can be interesting a very large variety of Roman coins exist due to the vast time and area that the Roman Empire covered. Countless coins were minted over the first few centuries that the Roman Empire existed and these coins reflect the time and location of the region.

Another reason is that it was a tradition to inscribe the portrait of the emperors on the coins that were minted during their reign. It is therefore possible to get an idea of what the various emperors looked like which is amazing considering that they lived thousands of years ago.

There were many Ancient coins created by the Greeks, Barbarians, Celts, Indians and Chinese but Ancient Roman coins are the most in-expensive of all of these.

In fact they are less expensive to collect then many modern day coins which can come as a surprise to some. As already stated the Roman Empire was large and existed over a long period of time. Therefore there were a lot of Roman coins and so they are not as rare as some may believe. Also fewer people collect ancient coins then modern coins and so the demand for them is lower.

You are less likely to come across a fake Roman coin then other coins. Roman coins are less expensive and rarer so there is less of a motive to forge them.

Another reason why I enjoy collecting Roman coins is that they have more then just historic value. These coins have creative and artistic value. They have been beautifully crafted and reflect the culture and environment of where they were made.

Roman Coins had intrinsic value. Unlike coins today these coins were made from Gold, Silver, Bronze etc. Should you have a higher budget this gives you the chance to collect the more special and rarer Gold and Silver coins which were worth many more times their weight in those metals.

What determines the worth of a Roman coin

Prices for Roman Coins vary significantly and are due to a number of variables. The top two important are the grade of the coin when it was minted and the condition that the coin is in now.

Condition of the coin is dependent on how eroded the coin has become while it was in the soil or how it was stored before being found.

The grade of the coin depends on the tools and experience of the person who minted the coin during the Roman period. These coins were made by hand and so are not always very well minted. They may be oval rather then circular and lack detail. This can happen if it was struck by dies that were worn down.

Determining the grade of a coin can be tricky and sometimes you simply have to go with how appealing and detailed the coin is to your own eyes.

Another factor that determines a coins worth is how rare that coin is. Rarity is less of a factor in determining a Roman coins value then modern day coins.

Coins are worth a lot more if fewer were minted and there are fewer of them in circulation. Given the large number of collectors of Modern day coins this is more of a factor with Modern coins. This would drive up the cost of a rare coin if collectors are trying to complete their collection.

Sellers of ancient coins will often use terms such as scarce, rare or very rare to describe a coin. Just because someone describes a coin as rare does not mean that it actually is. Unfortunately, some sellers will attach this label to ancient coins to attract novice collectors who do not know better. If someone describes a coin as rare or scarce does the person explain why the coin is rare? Does he give it an RIC number and explain the variety? If you are new to collecting ancient coins, you should not jump on a coin just because is it described as rare.

Once you become more experienced it will be much easier to determine yourself if a coin is uncommon, scarce, rare or very rare.

How much should you spend on a Roman coin

If you want to purchase a really rare Roman coin then they will not sell for much less than $120. Some will sell for more then this. For example a coin of Nero described as rare with an asking price of just a few dollars is very unlikely to be so. There are ebay coin sellers who will claim that their coin is rare, or they have only seen one in a decade, yet there is another one exactly the same being sold on eBay by someone else.

To get an idea of the range in price for Roman coins, for $5 to $10 you can purchase good quality coins manufactured under late 3rd and 4th century AD emperors.

If you were willing to pay $10-$20, you could collect a coin from the more well-known 1st and 2nd century emperors. Maybe some later ones in good condition. If you were willing to accumulate a collection of over 50 emperors in good condition with clear portraits and readable legends this should cost approximately $20 a coin.

Dont forget there are a variety of coins for each emperor. Some of these coins will cost much more and are in better condition or more scarce. However you shouldnt have to look much further if you want to assemble a collection of fairly good quality coins without having to spend too much.

Once in a while you might want to spend a bit more on a scarce emperor, or something that really arouses your interest, or a coin in truly nice condition. But then again, you might be attracted to cheaper coins that are not fully cleaned or legible, which can add to their mystery.

To sum up, purchase coins that appear to you personally. Every coin will be different. Choose the one that you think is better value for your money. You may even be able to resell such a coin later and make a profit. Occasionally buy a more expensive coin of a higher grade and condition. Dont worry about rarity too much but if want a rare coin you should make sure the coin really is rare by asking the dealer the right questions. This can save yourself a lot of money.