Collector Chats With Peter S. Seibert This Week: Getting Really Old With The Ancients

I can research the life of Antony and his legions and then dive into the specific history of the one featured on a particular coin. And, of course, as we think about collecting coins where many countries issue commemorative currency for nearly any occasion, we can realize that this was also an ancient phenomenon.

Finally, collecting ancient coins is not about spending millions of modern dollars.

By Peter Seibert

One of my first collections, formed decades ago, was an ancient coin collection. Who among us has not dreamed about the ancient world and what it was like? Roman centurions, merchants from Gaul, and gladiators? What many people do not realize is that it is possible to own part of that past and it is quite legal and safe to do so.

Collecting ancient coins is truly a rewarding passion for those who love history. Start with the basic premise that every ancient coin in every collection had to have come from underground in some way. There are no ancient coins that have continuously been hidden in drawers since the year 30. So putting an ancient coin in your palm is to be holding something that had been hidden or lost, then rediscovered and then made its way to you. That is cool!

Second is that collecting ancient coins is truly a history lover’s passion-fest. Some of my favorites are a series of ancient silver coins from the time of Mark Antony that bear the number (being different on each coin in the series) of one of his trusted fighting legions. As I look at such coins,

Like modern currency, there are plenty of coins to go around with many ancients bringing only a few dollars. Yes, you can spend lots of money, and there are some beautiful coins to see. However, for less than $50, you can find a nice coin or two to start your collection.

For me, I have loved the coins of the Roman Emperor Constantine. His story is well known, and there are an incredible number of coins that survive from his time. One particular issue of coins that I like are those that were minted at the provincial mint in what is now present-day London. Pretty cool and not an expensive coin to own! Are there fakes? Of course there are. Ironically, there are even ancient fakes. The coin issues known as Urbs Roma are thought to be copies of Roman coins issued in Great Britain by local moneyers after the Romans left the island. The key is education and to remember that an ancient coin should look pretty darned ancient!

Finding ancient coins is not as challenging as it was when I was a boy before the internet. EBay, with some cautions, is a place to look for ancient coins. The key in a search is to make sure it is a legit seller who offers some kind of guarantee. Also, I tend to shy away from overseas dealers other than those in the United Kingdom.

In the United States, there are many fine dealers, and an internet search will reveal some of them. A tip in finding quality dealers is to look at the number of catalogs (print and online) that they have produced. If there are a number of them, then you probably should consider that dealer as a good source.

So, start a new collection in 2023 that is more than a thousand years in the making.

“Born to collect” should be the motto of Peter Seibert’s family. Raised in Central Pennsylvania, Seibert has been collecting and writing about antiques for more than three decades. By day, he is a museum director and has worked in Pennsylvania, Wyoming, Virginia and New Mexico. In addition, he advises and consults with auction houses throughout the MidAtlantic region, particularly about American furniture and decorative arts. Seibert’s writings include books on photography,Americanfraternalsocieties and paintings. He and his family are restoring a 1905 arts and crafts house filled with years’ worth of antique treasures found in shops, co-ops and at auctions.