This page is not a definitive guide but aims to provide some basic information for a starting collector.
Terminology
AE/AR/AU or AV/BI – Abbreviations for Bronze/Silver/Gold/Billon respectively.
Billon – An alloy of silver and a base metal (bronze, copper) where the base metal constitutes 50% or more of the alloy.
Centering – How accurately the coin’s design is centered on the coin.
Control mark – These are often small marks (generally an image or monogram) included by the mint in order to combat forgery. They often aid us in attributing a coin to a certain mint and time period.
Devices – The designs and features on a coin.
Die – The metal punch used to create the image on the coin; these were made from a hard metal and engraved by hand.
Field – The flat areas of the coin not containing design or text.
Flan – The disc of metal that the coin is made from.
Fourree – A gold or silver plated coin with a base metal core, usually made to deceive either by contemporary counterfeiters or modern forgers. Occasionally issued by state mints under certain circumstances.
Legend – The text, usually around the outside edges of a coin.
Obverse/Reverse – The obverse face of a coin is the front (ie ‘heads’) whilst the reverse face is the back (‘tails’). The obverse usually being the more detailed side, it is the side which is face down when the coin is struck.
Patina – Bronze coins often present a layer of oxide/deposits known as the patina. This is regularly but not exclusively green and can add aesthetic value to a coin. Coins that have been ‘cleaned’ and stripped of their patina are generally seen as less desirable.
Strike – The process of producing the coin by hitting the die with a hammer. Also used to referred to to describe the coin, referring to centering, strength and evenness of strike, clarity of the design and the condition of the dies etc.
Toning – Silver coins tone and this can help to emphasise the details in a coin’s design. Similarly to the patina on bronze coins, a toned coin is often more desirable than a bright silver one. Ultimately it is a matter of how it appeals to they eye.
Collecting Themes
The world of ancient coins is extremely diverse, so when getting started it can be helpful to select a theme in order to begin a coherent collection. Some collectors may decide to collect purely on aesthetic appeal, or a particular artistic theme whereas many will decide to focus on a specific city or figure of historical interest.
The ‘five good emperors’ is often chosen as a starting point for Roman imperial coinage, for example, helped by the fact that coins for these emperors are also relatively common.
This is of course entirely up to the individual collector and there can be any number of approaches to form a collection – my main advice would be to collect coins that you will value and take pleasure from!
Handling
For many, one of the great attractions of ancient coins is the opportunity to handle a piece of history and have an insight into the culture of ancient societies. Whilst handling modern collectible coins tends to be discouraged, ancient coins can be handled freely and this is a large part of their appeal, provided that it is done with clean, dry hands.
Storage
There is a huge variety of storage options available for ancient coins, ranging from antique mahogany coin cabinets to plastic flips and everything in between. What you choose is really down to personal preference and budget, however, an important factor when selecting storage is to ensure that it will not damage then either physically of chemically. In the case of plastic flips, which often are the most cost effective option for a starting collector, they must be produced from an archival safe material – these are widely available from a range of sources online.
Cleaning
As a general rule, unless an ancient coin is listed as ‘uncleaned’, it will never require cleaning.
Coins listed on this site do not require cleaning. Attempts to clean an ancient coin can often be harmful both to the coin and its value. Learning to clean uncleaned coins can be a rewarding experience for some and there is a range of dealers that will specialise in the sale of uncleaned coins for this purpose.
Learning More
Many of the more detailed reference publications on the subject are often a combination of rare, old and expensive.
The internet provides an excellent resource for broadening your knowledge of ancient coins. There are many sites dedicated to the topic and a number of important resources are freely available online. Archived catalogues from numismatic auction houses also provide a fantastic opportunity for developing your eye in order to feel confident in recognising coins of a particular type and understanding how they are valued.