The following papers were written in Spring 2002 by Vassar students enrolled in the ancient money seminar. They are not intended to replace a general introduction to numismatics, ancient or otherwise, but rather to address some basic issues and questions that arose for us when using the collection.

Coins in Latin Literature

Rident stolidi verba Latina. ~ Ovid. By studying ancient literary sources, numismatic experts can learn motivations for coinage, the background of legends and types, the political powers that controlled currency, some economic influences on coins, and the geography of Roman mints.       --Natalie Witherell

Metal Supply

Gold, silver and bronze, these are the metals that we most commonly associate with ancient coins, where did the people who produced these coins acquire the necessary materials? There were a number of different methods, to learn more click on the link above.    --Matt Nisinson

Why did the Greeks first mint coins?

Is that a stamped metal bar in your pocket, or are you just happy to see me? Why did the Ancient Greeks start turning nuggets of precious metal into the round, semi-flat objects we know as coins?      -- Dimitri Apostola

Coins on the Art Market

You too can buy ancient Greek and Roman coins, whether you have one dollar or thousands! Purchasing a coin from antiquity is just a matter of knowing what to look for in quality and rarity with regards to today's art market.       --Joanna Johnson

How do ancient coins survive?

Coins have survived to us from classical antiquity in large numbers, allowing us to use them as historical sources. However, why is it that we have so many coins from this time period but a much smaller number of other
artifacts?      -- Kristin Graeper

The coinage of Ancient Greece began in the middle of the sixth century BCE when the Aeginetans had commenced striking silver coins according to the Pheidonian system of measure.       -- David Ewen

All coins in the ancient world were struck by hand. The earliest coins, called ingots, were lumps of metal with a symbol impressed upon them. The impression of that symbol was the task of the coin makers. By striking a lump of metal into a carved mold the manufacturers created a coin      -- Ronin Dunphy

What is a coin legend?

The Legend of the Lost Coin….sound intriguing? Well, it is! Uncovering the legend, or, in other words, the writing which appears on a coin, can elucidate many of the mysteries surrounding ancient societies.       --Lara Mittaud

How to describe an ancient coin

In order to understand literature on nuismatics a basic vocabulary must be learned. The technical vocabulary of nuismatics is useful to clearly place a particular coin in a historical period. The various categories allow scholars to more easily categorize and identify ancient coinage.       -- Kevin Hofelmann

What is a coin type?

Meaningful propaganda, or arbitrary images? Follow the evolution of coin design through the ancient Greek and Roman societies, and see the chronicle of emperor Nero's chin.   --Jenny Elek

Fortunately, there are many mentions of coins in the extant texts of ancient Greece from which we can begin to create a context for the study of old money. While antiquity has left us no treatise on the development of coinage, even literary references which are incidental illuminate the study of ancient coinage.      -- Zahra Kosrovi