Polymath_Numismatics
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Apprentice Knight
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« Reply #15 on: July 22, 2010, 01:00:45 AM » |
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So just how old does a coin have to be, to be classified as ancient? The division of history into "ancient", "mediaeval" and "modern" was largely an invention of Renaissance historians. They declared themselves to be "modern" and considered everything before their time to be "mediaeval". The "ancient" age was held to have ended with the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 AD. It has very little practical meaning in non-European contexts, but is still often applied there by Western collectors. China, for instance, never really had a "dark age" in the same sense that Europe did. Personally, I use the following definitions for my coin collection. "Ancient" is anything from the invention of coinage up to 500 AD. It's a convenient break for us numismatists because in 498 AD the "Eastern Roman" emperor Anastasius I reformed the coinage, effectively beginning the "Byzantine series". Thus, everything "Roman" is ancient, everything "Byzantine" is mediaeval. The end of the mediaeval period is somewhat arbitrarily set at 1450 AD. Some historians and collectors try to tie the beginning of the "modern" period to a specific historical event or marker, such as 1453 (the fall of Constantinople and the end of Byzantine Empire), 1492 (Columbus discovering new world), 1517 (the start of the Protestant Reformation), 1518 (introduction of the thaler coin) or 1601 (beginning of Krause catalogues). Greetings & Salutations!
Those are good dates and historical markers too.
I think the 1400 to 1600 period is kind of a no-man's land. Some people (because of Columbus, the Reformation, etc) put that period in the modern era but on other internet lists I have seen discussions quite regularly regarding coins from that period on both ancient lists and modern world lists. Ditto for commercial websites like Vcoins.com and non-commercial ones like coinarchives.com.
A colleague of mine, Wayne Sayles has a good book out about what he calls "non-classical" ancient coins. Wayne's books are very good and avoid too much technical jargon. Wayne has been a collector/dealer for a very long time and knows his stuff. He also has a book out about Byzantine (also called Romaion) coins. They are very good introductory books on the topics.
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Twoshadows
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« Reply #16 on: July 22, 2010, 03:36:29 AM » |
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I have a few ancients but lack the knowledge to actively pursue them. But NOW we have someone to turn to!!! I can see my collection expanding again!!!
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Terry Knight #1
"Life's a Lemon, I want my money back!" (Meatloaf)
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Twoshadows
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« Reply #18 on: July 22, 2010, 04:10:57 AM » |
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I guess I REALLY do love ancients then!!! I have soooooo many sweethearts in OZ!
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Terry Knight #1
"Life's a Lemon, I want my money back!" (Meatloaf)
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Pocketcoins
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« Reply #19 on: July 22, 2010, 04:17:32 AM » |
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My kids said I was Ancient and I told them no, I was only medieval and my wife said she knew that was wrong becouse she knows that I'm full evil. Seriously though really good info. Keep it up.
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Yass
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« Reply #20 on: July 22, 2010, 06:46:02 AM » |
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I love the background information on ancient and medieval coins...but, I absolutely love PYW's gold and Egs silver proofs.
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I've learned that I don't suffer from insa
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nohope587
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« Reply #21 on: July 22, 2010, 07:10:04 AM » |
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'Old' topic I know but just took the coins out for their next rinse. After another 6months in olive oil Some detail is beginning to show on a few. others are showing no improvement. the coin on the bottom is the control coin. they were all in this shape when I got them. Back into fresh olive oil to start year 4...
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Catapultam habeo. Nisi pecuniam omnem mihi dabis, ad caput tuum saxum immane mittam.
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Yass
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« Reply #22 on: July 22, 2010, 01:19:02 PM » |
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Nice set of rocks you have there Nohope
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I've learned that I don't suffer from insa
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Paint Your Wagon
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« Reply #23 on: July 22, 2010, 03:22:44 PM » |
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'Old' topic I know but just took the coins out for their next rinse. After another 6months in olive oil Some detail is beginning to show on a few. others are showing no improvement. the coin on the bottom is the control coin. they were all in this shape when I got them. Back into fresh olive oil to start year 4... If these coins are not "expensive" you might try electroysis My friend the retired coindealer does that and half came out superb the other half was ruined by pitting . I think he got to impatient and used too much current You have however to change the bath every few hours to keep the electrolytes up . I only plated iron with bronze at the university and that was in a sodium cyanate bath with a liter poison duh under an extraction hood.
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Where I am going I ain't certain Where I am going I don't know All I know is that I'am on my way
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Nighthawk
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« Reply #25 on: August 30, 2010, 07:20:46 AM » |
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I will post some pics here too when I get a chance. Nice coins shown here thus far. Keep 'em coming!
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NUMISMATIST PHILATELIST BIBLIOPHILE LOVER OF ART & HISTORY COLLECTING COINS SINCE 1971
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Yass
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« Reply #27 on: August 30, 2010, 03:52:02 PM » |
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I've learned that I don't suffer from insa
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templar
KNIGHT #125--YOUR SERVANT AND FRIEND--ALWAYS
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« Reply #28 on: August 30, 2010, 05:34:06 PM » |
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HANKS YASS...I HAVE BEEN LOOKING ALL OVER HE PLACE BU I JUS CAN' FIND HAT DARN HING ANYWHERE.........MAYBE I COULD BUY A CONSONAN LIKE HEY DO ON ELEVISION.....BU I SUPPOSE HA WOULD BE OO EASY.....WELL I WILL KEEP URNING HINGS OVER ILL I FIND HA LEER......IF YOU HAVE ONE O SELL LE ME KNOW
YOUR FRIEND AND SERVAN.............HE EMPLAR
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DRUID HUMORIST HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDER SWAGMAN BARD TIME WAS INVENTED SO EVERYTHING WOULD NOT HAPPEN AT ONCE!
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Nighthawk
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« Reply #29 on: August 30, 2010, 06:06:56 PM » |
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"T" ............... Here Joe, borrow mine!
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NUMISMATIST PHILATELIST BIBLIOPHILE LOVER OF ART & HISTORY COLLECTING COINS SINCE 1971
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