Early Armenia Silver Tram 1226

With new archaeological techniques, including techniques for recovering of old coins, the 'ancients' area of numismatics (coin collecting) has enjoyed uninterrupted growth over the past several decades.

These coins are truly fascinating. For a very few dollars collectors can hold in their hands coins that circulated during and before the time of Julius Ceasar. Ancient Roman and Greek coins are highly sought collectibles today. AD's specimen is from medieval times and these, too, are eagerly collected.

According to Wikipedia, ancient Armenia lies in the highlands surrounding the Biblical mountains of Ararat, upon which Noah's Ark is said to have come to rest after the flood. Armenia's strategic location between two continents has subjected it to invasions by many peoples, including the Assyrians, Greeks, Romans, Byzantines, Arabs, Mongols, Persians, Ottoman Turks and Russians. AD's coin comes from a time around the Mongol and Persian invasions.

As to value, medieval coins are bought at sold by a small but energetic section of coin collecting. Typical retail prices range from $30 to $300 US dollars, depending on condition:

worn: $30 US dollars approximate catalog value
average circulated: $100
well preserved: $300

The coin in our picture comes from AncientArmenianCoins.com where it sold around the $200 mark. This is a good price for such a well preserved piece.

Recall that dealers who buy coins to sell retail for X dollars, usually pay about one-half X when buying from the general public.

Our two favorite web sites for ancient and medieval coins are:

- VCoins.com
- MA-Shops.com

CoinQuest thanks Ancient Armenian Coins for use of their coin photo. It's a beauty!
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