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 Replies: 12 / Views: 1,255 |
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Pillar of the Community
United Kingdom
4208 Posts |
When does it cease to be an ancient and become medieval?
Personally, looking at coins from islamic states and byzantine rulers, Id call them ancient. Europe quickly goes into medieval 'style' almost immediately, so Id say that ancients extend less in the west.
The reason I am asking is that soon(ish) ill be recieving a coin which is from around 1250 and I want to know whether it will be medieval or ancient!
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Pillar of the Community
3352 Posts |
BenByfield => for a couple of good, yet varying definitions, you should read Sap's and dougsmit's responses, located at the bottom of this thread: https://goccf.com/t/127819 |
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Moderator
 Australia
16868 Posts |
Where such lines are drawn does depend in part on the area of focus of your collection, and on your personal cultural background. For most "western" collectors of Roman coins, the end of the "ancient" period is usually set at the end of the Western Empire in 476 AD. A more pragmatic alternative is the coinage reform of Anastasius in 498 AD whcih began the distinctly "Byzantine" coinage.
But for collectors of Chinese coins, on the other hand, such boundaries are largely meaningless as China did not have a "dark age" at that time like Europe did. For collectors of Islamic coins, a series which did not begin until after 600 AD, the entire chronology is compressed, with "ancient" normally referring to the pre-Crusader period and "modern" not beginning until machine-struck coinage is introduced (which in some series did not occur until the late 20th century).
For myself, being a bit of a generalist with an "ancients album" and a "mediaeval album" into which every old coin must be fitted, I've arbitrarily set a boundary date of 500 AD.
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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Pillar of the Community
 United Kingdom
4208 Posts |
Well, personally, my cut off for western coins is when they get wafer thin. Design also - medieval UK coins to me is anything with the cross reverse. This coin I am getting will be posted in Ancients - due to its design and manufacture - pending judgement by board users as to whether it should count. Otherwise, it can be transferred to my meagre medieval lot. I do hope it arrives soon  - despite its condition and rarity, I am quite excited to get my hands on it. |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
4778 Posts |
Since Anastasius is the first in the Byzantine coin series (and the first Roman emperor to start his reign after 476), I consider any coin before him "ancient". So basically any coin 491 AD or later (to around 14th/15th century) I consider medieval.
Edited by VisigothKing
10/30/2012 2:21 pm
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Pillar of the Community
United States
4778 Posts |
Quote:
ill be recieving a coin which is from around 1250 and I want to know whether it will be medieval or ancient Definitely medieval in my book. |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1549 Posts |
While I still agree with my answer in the thread Stevex6 linked above, I agree with Sap's answer right up to the end where we differ. I am a bit of a generalist but I don't separate my coins into Ancient and Medieval so I see no need to have an answer for this unanswerable question.
I am wondering what you are getting from 1250 AD. I'm sure I will consider it Medieval and can not think of anything that late I would consider calling Ancient. There are a lot of interesting Asian coins from the 1200's. Will it be one of those? Do post a picture when it arrives.
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Pillar of the Community
United Kingdom
4208 Posts |
Doug - you will see pictures when I get the coin! I have no idea of its condition, so I am interested to see what I get.
And I have a feeling you know what I've bought!
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Pillar of the Community
United States
5155 Posts |
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Pillar of the Community
United Kingdom
4208 Posts |
Ancient - dont get your hopes up, this is a common coin in possibly bad condition. It could turn out to just be a worn disc of copper - who knows. I, for one, hope it isn't.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1549 Posts |
I have no idea because there are so many things from the 1200's. I'll show one here I'll bet it is not. This is a silver denier of the Archbishop of Vienne c.1250 AD. They are not all that rare but nobody seems to like them. European 1250's tend to look a bit crude.  Some Islamic are better but this Seljuk of Rum Kaykhushraw II is dated 1243 (c.1250, I guess). It is unusual in that Islamic coins rarely have animal types.  Who else has a c.1250 coin to play 'Guess what Ben will be getting'? It is fun to compare coins from various parts of the world at the same time. Kublai Khan was active in China then. Who has his coin? Others? http://www.coinlink.com/News/tag/kublai-khan/ |
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Pillar of the Community
3352 Posts |
dougsmit => I "almost" bought a couple of these, but they seemed a bit too "modern", but you are definitely correct (and uncanny), because I had them in my wish-list ...
and coincidentally, there are currently a couple of fairly cheap winners in the vcoins-mix ...
Great coins, dougsmit ... you have good taste
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Pillar of the Community
3352 Posts |
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Replies: 12 / Views: 1,255 |
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Posted 10/30/2012 08:23 am
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