Ancient Coin Articles

With the very first metal coin currency being traced all the way back to 2000 BCE in Babylon, there have since been thousands of currencies minted across empires, countries, and ancient civilizations. While it is easy for numismatists to focus their energy on more recent and attainable treasures, there are several notable coins throughout history with significant impact worth exploring.  Each month, join our new Coin of the Month series as we highlight significant and remarkable coins. And what better way to start the series than with the coin Harlan J. Berk ranked as the number one of all ancient coins: the Eid Mar coin, sometimes called the infamous Brutus coin.The Brutal History of the Eid Mar Coin Bloody and controversial historical events typically live in infamy rather than open celebration. Such is not the case with the Eid Mar coin, otherwise known as the Ides of March coin.  Rather than shy away from his actions following the infamous stabbing and killing of Julius…

Animals On Coins Animals, both domesticated and wild, seem to have always fascinated man. Whether in the form of Roman military standards (ensigns), coins or sacred totems that feature animals – all seem to be bearers of powerful animal symbols that played a pivotal role in awareness and self-expression. The use of animals on coins, including birds, is as old as coins itself. Different animals are featured on many coins – too many to mention here. Some coins even feature two or more animals. E.g. the rare ancient coins that were issued by Hadrian feature an eagle alongside an owl and a peacock. This makes for a fascinating variety of coins with animals to collect, both ancient and modern. Horses and eagles seem to feature most frequently on Ancient Coins. Rare animals such as elephants, lions and turtles are also featured. On the other hand, modern coins feature almost every animal imaginable. Let’s consider a few ancient and modern coins with animals - coins…