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Replies: 20 / Views: 2,831 |
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Pillar of the Community
1121 Posts |
I would like to compare the coins that I have against a list of those people (and events?) that each of the coins commemorates, just to see how my collection is going and which ones I am 'missing'.
Is there such a list and if so where might I find it, please?
If it doesn't, has anyone compiled such a list and would they provide me with a copy, please?
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Pillar of the Community
3772 Posts |
Doubt that a list like you want does exist. Your best bet would be an extensive catalogue like RIC or Sear. Both do have a lot of historical information included. Sear has just completed his latest edition http://www.davidrsear.com/ and he will issue a boxed set sometimes next year (might be a nice Christmas present for next year, no idea what the price will be but my guess is somewhere North of US$300). There are so many events in Roman history and coins attached to each of those that a short list will not do. If your set of coins is limited to a shorter time span, single volumes of those sets mentioned might do. There are some books on Roman history/coinage but they are limited in scope and probably don't cover your whole selection. (A cheaper alternative might be an older edition of Sear's, which while not as comprehensive would provide a wide spread coverage.)
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Pillar of the Community
United Kingdom
3626 Posts |
I have never seen such a list. There are the city commemoratives on wildwinds of course. I generally get a coin because I like it, sometimes I find that there is a history to it and get quite excited reading about it. I plan to do a write up of such histories and keep them in a binder. When there is time.......
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Pillar of the Community
Italy
1790 Posts |
Did someone say HISTORY ! 
Edited by Augustus Maximus 12/30/2014 07:48 am
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Moderator
 Australia
16867 Posts |
Sorry, Topcat, but we can't tell you which ones are "missing" unless you tell us what your collecting goals are. One of each emperor? Then there's a list of emperors here, in approximate order of rarity. Do you wish to include wives, children and other family members named on the coinage, or just the actual emperors? Do you wish to include usurpers and secessionists, or only recognized emperors? I'm not entirely sure what exactly you mean by "events". Most Roman coins weren't issued to commemorate specific events in history. If what you're after is a full list of reverse types, then no, I don't think anyone's ever made a list like that.
Don't say "infinitely" when you mean "very"; otherwise, you'll have no word left when you want to talk about something really infinite. - C. S. Lewis
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Moderator
 United States
23731 Posts |
I've also never come across such a list. It would be an interesting project to start, but whoever did it would need access to lots of research material.
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Pillar of the Community
United Kingdom
4208 Posts |
Yeah, theres a lot of them. Half of the coins issued were commemorating specific events - HAdrian issued a whole series whilst travelling around the empire - denarii of each region (AFRICA, AEGYPTOS etc), sestertii of him addressing his legions there, all sorts. Heres one of my favourite, which recently had an example on ebay, a Hadrian Sestertius commemorating the burning of debt records (supposedly writing off about 9 million sesterces of debt): 
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Pillar of the Community
 1121 Posts |
I thank you for your comments (thus far) and by way of explanation, I saw on 'Wildwinds' a list of 'Imperators' and also a list of 'Rulers'.
I am aware that some coins fit into the category of 'Commemoratives' and (no doubt) there are other categories as well ("Postumous' and 'Barbarian' to name a couple more). Are there (complete) lists for each category, and where would one find them?
I was just wondering if someone, with more knowledge than I, had put these lists together, as a 'reference' as to what types of coins there are out there (excluding 'variations' and 'mints')?
With such a list, I (or anyone) might see where to 'specialize' in their collecting, or even to 'go for the lot' so to speak.
Edited by Topcat7 12/30/2014 3:13 pm
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Pillar of the Community
United Kingdom
4208 Posts |
There is no list for it would be excessively long. You can find this stuff out by reading around, or if you let us know what kind of stuff you're interested in, we might be able to suggest a series.
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Pillar of the Community
 1121 Posts |
Thanks, Ben. Thanks Sap, Ski, P.P., Med, and all.
It was just a 'fantasy' thought I had. I am getting quite a collection of Roman coins and when a batch of 9 arrived yesterday, I noticed that there were 8 different rulers amongst them. This started me thinking about (perhaps) cataloguing the coins I have and were I to put them in some order, what 'gaps' (if any) should I leave for possible future purchases. Also, this would tell me what coins I should 'go after' if I was to try to complete a set such as 'The 12 Caesars'.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
513 Posts |
If filling out a collection is what you're looking for you could start keeping track of dynasties. If you're buying unidentified coins you likely have most of the Constantinian dynasty already. Then you could work back depending on what interests you and what you already have through the Severan, Nervaâ€"Antonine, Flavian, and Julio-Claudian dynasties. That'd keep you busy for quite a while.
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Pillar of the Community
 1121 Posts |
Chuy - I will have to look them up.
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Pillar of the Community
3772 Posts |
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Pillar of the Community
 1121 Posts |
Thanks Med. I can see where that will help. It not only gives the Emperors in chronological order but the relative dates as well.
I didn't have any idea that there was so many rulers of 'The Roman Empire' or that the Roman Empire had the 'stages' and the separate Empires, each with its own ruler, and to complicate matters further family members got their own coins, as did 'commemoratives'. Does it end?
Anybody looking for a 'thesis' to do for a University degree?
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Pillar of the Community
3772 Posts |
There are plenty works on Roman history including some detailed elements of it. What would now be required from a thesis for a university degree would be far too specific for the general reader. If you want to read through an account of it, you could start with Gibbon's "Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire" which was a milestone work and even though it is outdated and contains quite some inaccuracies is still very much beloved in the Anglo-Saxon world. You could probably pick up a copy in a decent second hand bookshop for a few bucks. For the republican period you could read another groundbreaking work, namely Mommsen's "A History of Rome" - Mommsen also created the basis for the scientific study of Roman numismatics with several works on Roman coinage.
But if you are looking for something shorter and more coin orientated, there is a series on "Ancient Coin Collecting" by W.G.Sayles issued by Krause - volume III for Roman conage and volume IV for Roman provincial coinage. More detailed (especially on history) is D.L.Vagi's "Coinage and History of the Roman Empire".
Pretty sure others can add to that list, there are massive amounts around.
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Pillar of the Community
 1121 Posts |
Med. - I am impressed!
At my age (having been born in the first half of the last Century), I don't think that I should start with any books that have too many pages if I want to get to the end.
Ancient Coin Collecting Vol. III and Vol. IV (both at 208 pages) would seem to be about my speed.
Thank-you.
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Replies: 20 / Views: 2,831 |