Ancient Currency Video Archive
Step Back in Time with Ancient Currency
Discover the stories behind ancient coins and money systems through our curated video archive. From the coins of Greece and Rome to early forms of Asian currency, these expert-led presentations reveal the captivating history and collecting tips that make ancient money a timeless pursuit for collectors.
Prince of Youth: Coinage Traces the Rise and Fall of Publius Septimius Geta
Instructor: Michael Kodysz
Discusses Severan-era Roman coinage illustrating the life of the Roman emperor Geta. This youngest son of Septimius Severus was propagandized on coins from childhood as destined to rule alongside his brother Caracalla. Coin types legitimizing Geta’s status as imperial heir include those featuring him as Princeps Iuventutis, meaning “prince of youth” or “first among the young.”
Rai Stones
Money Museum Masterpiece Series
What would you classify as money? ANA Communications Coordinator Amanda Miller shares the history behind the culture of the Yapese and their form of currency – the Rai stone. This is the first video in the Money Museum Masterpiece Series, which features numismatic items from the ANA’s Money Museum by explaining its history and significance.
Inheriting a Coin Collection: Ancient or World Coins
Instructor: Rod Gillis
You’ve inherited a coin collection. Now what? This segment addresses the common questions collectors have who’ve recently inherited an Ancient or World coin collection, and what they need to know.
Coins of Judea and Early Christianity
Instructor: David Hendin
This introduction to the topic highlights coins of the Second Temple Period through the Bar Kokhba Revolt, focusing on Judean coins from both early Judaism and the beginning of Christianity.
The Art of Money: Ancient Greek and Roman Coinage
Instructor: Doug Mudd
This presentation will focus on how the ancient Greeks established coinage as more than a simple economic tool. They developed it as a form of communication and in doing so, established numismatic design as an independent art form – an idea that was adopted and refined by the Romans, especially in the art of portraiture.
Building a Roman / Byzantine Scale & Weight Collection
Instructor: Gene McPherson
Scales and scale weights were used by Romans before they started producing coins and continued until the end of the Byzantine Empire. This talk will discuss building a Roman scale weight collection. The relationship between Roman and Byzantine coin denominations and scale weights will be shown.
Reading Roman Coins
Instructor: Samira Slime
Historical Narration: A summary about ancient currencies, types of models, inscriptions, mint Mark, methods of minting coins and examination of coins from different eras.
Standardization and Quality Control of Ancient Athenian Coinage
Instructor: George Anastasopoulos
A study on the coinage standardization, quality control and identification of fakes in ancient Athens. The presentation explores the Athenian Law on Silver Coinage and the material testing methodologies used that time. Ancient inscriptions are presented supported by photographic evidence.
Virtus & Victoria: Coins Relating to the Severan War
Instructor: Michael Kodysz
This talk discusses coins relating to the war conducted from A.D. 208–11 by the Roman emperor Septimius Severus against the tribal inhabitants of Caledonia.
The Charonian Coin: A Toll to the Afterworld
Instructor: George Anastasopoulos
This presentation is exploring the relevant customs in the different locations and eras of the ancient world. Cases of archaeological findings are presented, supported by rich photographic evidence.
Cast Bronze Money from the Roman Republic and Central Italy
Instructor: Gene McPherson
Rome was founded in 753 BC and started producing coins in about 300 BC. Cast bronze in several forms was used for money in Republican Rome and Central Italy before coins were struck from gold, silver, or bronze. This talk will cover some reasons for the use of money. Cast bronze in several forms will be shown: irregularly formed as rude, cast bars and other shapes, and finally cast bronze coins. Some of the important books on the subject will be discussed and shown.
The Production Technology of Ancient Coinage
Instructor: Almoatz-bellah Elshahawi
For the production of ancient coinage, it was well-known that form follows function. In order to produce a legal coin, it was necessary to have the correct materials and strict controls for its standardized design and production. It is then that the legitimate authority (emperor, empire) approves the striking of a disk or lump of metal, of a certain purity and weight, to produce to official coin that can be used as legal tender. The authority certifies that the newly minted coin is the legal currency, at least within the area governed by that power.
Parthia: The Forgotten Empire
Instructor: Doug Mudd
Parthia was an Empire occupied the region of modern-day Iran and Iraq for over 400 years, yet is almost forgotten today. Learn more about this fascinating empire through its coinage.
The Coinage of Roman Egypt: A Survey
Instructor: Kerry Wetterstrom
This presentation will give an over view of Roman Egyptian (sometimes called Alexandrian, after the mint city) coinage, from Augustus to Diocletian, with a focus on the fascinating reverse types used on the drachm – the largest bronze denomination produced at Alexandria. This video is part of the ANA’s Summer Seminar Course Samplers series.
Romano-Companian Coins
Instructor: Scott Rottinghaus
This presentation will survey the first century of Roman struck coins from the foedus aequum with Neapolis at the beginning if the Second Samnite War in 326 B.C. to the beginning of the Second Punic War in 225 B.C., and put Romano-Campanian coins in context with the local aes rude and aes grave that were used contemporaneously in central Italy. This video is part of the ANA’s Summer Seminar Course Samplers series.
Ancient Greek Coinage; An Overview of the World’s First Coinage
Instructor: Doug Mudd
This class is an in-depth introduction to the exciting world of Greek coinage – from its earliest beginnings until the final takeover of Egypt by the Roman Empire in 30 B.C. “Greek” coinage is one of the three independently invented foundations of money as we know it today and has heavily influenced our ideas of what money should look like, how it is made and how it is used. Topics discussed will include the basics of the Greek monetary system, its origins, how the coins were made and how they changed over time, as well as the vast array of cities, kingdoms and empires that produced these miniature masterpieces of art for over 600 years. This video is part of the ANA’s Summer Seminar Course Samplers series.
The Leading Ladies of Rome
Instructor: Dave Michaels
As Rome transitioned from a republic to an empire, a significant change took place in its coinage—it began to feature portraits of women. Marc Antony was the first Roman leader to place an image of his leading lady, Octavia, on a coin. She was followed shortly thereafter by the appearance of Cleopatra VII, and in the ensuing centuries, it became commonplace to adorn coinage with portraits of Rome’s leading ladies. This presentation will discuss the evolution of such portraits, from depictions of largely adjunct figures in the 1st century to illustrations of distinction in the 2nd century and beyond. Also discussed will be the variety of portrait styles—from starkly realistic to rather emblematic, and back again—from the era of the Byzantine Empire and the Renaissance to more recent coinage.
Politics, Power, & Positioning: Byzantine Empresses on Coinage
Instructor: Prue Fitts
The segue of the Western Roman Empire to the Eastern Roman Empire (aka Byzantine Empire) was gradual—numismatists pinpoint A.D. 491 as the start of the Byzantine Empire because the new emperor, Anastasius I, reorganized the money system at that time. The Western Romans were pagans and used imagery of gods and goddesses on their money, while the Byzantines were Christian and employed crosses and orbs. However, the most radical change—for the purposes of this discussion—was the addition of women rulers on the coinage struck during the reign of Justin II (A.D. 565-78). The title of “empress” did not come with the right to produce coins, so there is significance in their likenesses appearing on the money.
Politics, Ego and Tragedy
Instructor: Douglas Mudd
Gaius Julius Caesar and Marcus Junius Brutus. Two larger-than-life characters who left indelible marks on history. Their numismatic legacy incorporates several of the most famous ancient Roman coins, creating a bold illustration of the circumstances of their tragic collision that resulted in their deaths. This presentation is part of the ANA’s National Coin Week eLearning series.
Silver Coinage of the Tetrarchy: All Hail the Argenteus!
Instructor: Kirk Van Brunt
Diocletian is famous for many accomplishments, one of which was the creation of the Tetrarchy. Another was the resurrection of high quality silver coins in the form of the Argenteus. Why? What was the emperor thinking? This presentation explores this question and examines the history and purpose behind the coin. The Argenteus was not only a surprising pivot back to the silver coinage of old, but it signaled an interesting shift in the art and portraiture on Roman coins. For the collector, though, the Argenteus presents a confusing array of types, mints, and rarities. This presentation will attempt to bring some order to the chaos and hopefully ignite renewed appreciation and respect for this often underappreciated coin.
Politics, Ego & Tragedy – A Bold Tale of Political Intrigue
Instructor: Doug Mudd
Learn how coins can illustrate the history of one of greatest periods of history as the Roman Republic collapsed into chaos and Civil War during the mid-1st Century BC.