Originally published at: https://boingboing.net/2021/01/18/very-cheap-ancient-coins-for-learning-about-history.html
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I dunno…those sure look like moldy cookies to me
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I have wanted to get a random back of old Roman coins to clean up!
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Coin lots like these are almost certainly from illegal looting in places like the Middle East or the Balkans, no matter what the seller says.
If you’re lucky you’re only supporting criminals. But sometimes it’s terrorists.
I really feel like shit being the person who spoils the fun and denounces something as seemingly harmless and objectively cool as giving someone a genuine piece of history but looting is a massive problem and it’s only us consumers that can stop it.
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I appreciate the background info. At first I thought this was a nifty idea, a good gift for some young people in my family. Now not so much.
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Thanks, I appreciate that. I find that replicas of Roman (or other) artefacts can be equally or more fun and engaging, especially when they are functional, such as oil lamps or fibulae.
(Some of these Etsy offers are really good, some are iffy but I don’t know anything about Roman replica suppliers in the US so this was a convenient link. I’m happy to give an archaeologist’s perspective for anyone who has questions on any item though, if it keeps them from buying genuine artefacts instead)
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I have a feeling the photo shows coins in best as-is condition… begging the question: What looks worse than a moldy cookie?
A friend brought me back a souvenir replica coin from a trip to Rome. The main fun of it for me was determining how wildly inaccurate it was.
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Certainly for mediaeval coins, replicas that are struck and the right weight are MUCH thinner than modern coins.
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That’s not necessarily true for Roman coins. While gold and silver coins were struck from relatively thin blanks and are quite light, bronze coins can be quite heavy indeed. If you’ve ever handled an imperial sestertius they are giant, heavy coins, much larger than any modern coin I know.
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An interview with Ken Folett (whom I’ve never gotten around to reading). He does talk about coins and mints, among other things.
In part he’s promoting his book The Evening and the Morning, which is set in Kingsbridge about 50 years before the Norman Conquest.
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To have enough bronze to be worth anything, they’d HAVE to be super heavy, wouldn’t they?
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While I never really got into numismatism, I find old currency fascinating. Just browsing the lots on this site was a rewarding experience. There’s some beautiful stuff here.
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I mean - bronze is largely copper. Copper coins have had some value for a long time.
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I too was considering placing an order, so thanks for the splash of reality that kept me from contributing to something bad. Instead I’ll add a fun gif, which I’m guessing archeologists may also find to be imperfect!
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I haven’t yet met an archaeologist who didn’t openly or secretly enjoy Indy.
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wikipia says that the imperial sestertius was made from brass. (copper + zinc), rather than bronze (copper+tin).
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This practice needs a snappy moniker that conveys these problems.
“Conflict coins.”
Bam!
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And tin is more valuable isn’t it? And in the bronze age more so again, it was high value trading due to scarcity and lack of mines.
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Yeah jeez thanks for the heads up @Doctor_Faustus – I too was considering this, but changed my mind based on the additional info you shared!
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