Do all coins have dates?

Modern coins generally have dates, telling which year they were released.  Or, at least a year close to release.  Many coins are, like automobiles, released a few months early.  And in one rare case the Perth Mint released three years o lunar coins when finishing p series one, some years in advance.  Occasionally, a problem exists and coins are not ready for release during the year stamped.  I doubt the would be melted down by the mint.  But, the date approximates the release.

The real problem comes with ancient coins  Many were released prior to a calendar being in place, so they cannot have a date stamped on them.  some of these can be dated by evens they depict, like a military victory, and by who is on the coin.  

Some coins are dated with a different calendar, like Hebrew coins and Chinese coins.  These preceded our calendar, but so did the calendar of the region.  They can put a coin in a two year spread.  Really, it is a one year span, but it overlaps two of our years.

So, not all coins have dates, and in a few rare cases the dates are not the year of release.

Blaack Spaniel Gallery Coins

Crescent City Coin Club Show

Black Spaniel Gallery is pleased to announce the Crescent City Coin Club upcoming show which will be held November 23 and 24.  This show will be held at the Doublletree Hotel in Kenner, Louisiana.
Admission is free, and you could win a door prize, given away hourly.

The show advertises U> S> and FOREIGN COINS and PAPER MONEY, GOLD, SILVER BULLION, MEDALS, etc.  Usually the etc. included ancient coins!

Come out and meet some very friendly folks, and look for that missing coin to complete your collection.

Ancient Byzantine Coins

Another interesting group of ancient coins is Byzantine Ancient Coins.

Ancient Greek Coins

Ancient Greek Coins can date back to antiquity.

Republic of Rome Coins

Coins of Imperial Rome

Imperial Rome has coins without dates, but Caesar and significant events help date them.

Ancient Roman Provincial Coins

Ancient Roman coins are divided into three groups. The Roman Provincial Coins are the newest. Since it was impossible to know what year was the year of striking the coin, no year could be stamped onto the coin. These are date by who led Rome as Caesar, and by significant events such as victorious battles.

Ancient Celtic Coins

Ancient coins have a multitude of varieties.  Since many ancient coins preceded calendars, approximate dates are sometimes give.  Dates are assigned by the images on the coins, which often depict important leaders and significant events.

Remember, there was no machinery when ancient coins were made, they were made one at a time by hand.  If it is to good of a strike, it is more likely to be fake.

Some ancient coins were made of silver and gold, but the purity obtained by modern techniques could not be achieved.

Really old money did not even resemble coins of today.  Look at the money rings here.

Ancient Coins

Ancient coins can still be found today by digging in the right places.  But, it is much easier to buy them from someone who has dug them up and cleaned them.  Often they come up in a clump, and it is not really possible to determine what one has until they are cleaned.

When ancient armies marched, the soldiers required pay.  And, when an army fought, there was no bank, just a secret place in the ground to hide one's treasure.

Unlike most other coins, ancient coins can be too good.  They were not struck by modern minting equipment, rather they were struck by a person with a set of dies and a hammer.  In fact, there are reports of portable mints where the minter followed the army.


268 AD. Ancient Roman Coin Emperor CLAUDIUS II



Of course, like any other branch of coin collecting, a good reference book can be quite valuable.

Handbook of Ancient Greek and Roman Coins: An Official Whitman Guidebook

And, they can be certified with Certificates of Authenticity by reliable services.  We do not know which services are reliable for ancient coins.


Ancient Rome: Bronze Imperial Coin