Collecting Romans

Most Roman coin fans start by collecting by Emperor. I have not done that. I just acquired what I thought was the best coin available for the price, irrespective of Emperor, denomination, type or metal. After about 15 years, a coherent collection started to appear.

Currently, my Roman collection is a statement of Roman economic and political history. You can trace the development of inflation via debasement, or political history by a combination of emperor and reverse type, in some cases issued in Rome, in some cases issued in the Provinces.

I have some nice coins in all three metals in a collection of about 100 coins. I have also built an extensive reference library.

Like most other areas of numismatics, you can buy a coin for a few dollars or a few thousand dollars, and anywhere in between. Collecting bronze coins of the late Roman Empire is a relative inexpensive, and a fascinating area of study.

Here's a suggestion for new collectors. When purchasing late empire coins (AE3 and AE4) try to purchase examples with clear legends. This is tough when acquiring AE4s but is well worth the investment. There are lots of lower grade uncleaned coins if you want to put in the time. Find a good coin dealer. Buying coins from a reputable dealer is a great way to build a collection and build relationships we other collectors. Most of all have fun!