Ancient History

History of the Artifact These large, solid Brass coins were named ‘sestertii’ - meaning "two and one half", referring to their nominal value of two and a half asses (a...

History of the Artifact There are few more iconic ancient civilizations than that of the Phoenicians - an ancient civilization of seafaring traders and skilled navigators originating in the Eastern...

History of the Artifact Minted on the Greek island of Euboea, in the city of Histiaia, between 370-140 BC, the coins feature the elegant head of the Nymph ‘Histiaia’ from...

History of the Artifact The dolphin proto currency from Olbia represents one of the most intriguing forms of early monetary exchange in ancient Greece. Olbia, a Greek colony located on...

History of the Artifact The coin commonly referred to today as the “Widow’s Mite” was originally a small bronze denomination known as a prutah, minted during the reign of Alexander...

History of the Artifact The Parthian silver drachma was the principal coin of the Parthian Empire, which dominated much of Persia and surrounding regions from roughly 247 BC to 224...

History of the Artifact In the first century B.C., the city of Amisos in Pontos issued bronze coins featuring Perseus, the mythological hero best known for slaying the Gorgon Medusa....

History of the Artifact After Alexander the Great's Macedonian Empire was divided, Seleucus I Nicator established the Hellenistic (culturally Greek) Seleucid Empire in 312 BC. It covered areas that are now part...

History of the Artifact Made in copper, these coins from the Greek colony of Syracuse, in modern day Sicily, feature a diademed head of Poseidon - God of the seas,...

History of the Artifact The bronze follis from the reign of Julian the Apostate offers a captivating glimpse into a brief but deeply symbolic chapter of Roman history. Minted during...

History of the Artifact Mauryan coins, which were made from asymmetrically shaped chunks of silver, had an intriguing design consisting of numerous tiny symbols randomly hammered into the metal rather...

History of the Artifact During the reign of the Roman Emperor Gallienus (ruled 253–268 AD), a fascinating series of coins known as the "Zoo Series" was minted. These coins were...