Answer: There were sea routes that covered the Mediterranean and Black Seas and numerous land routes using the roads built by the Romans. Trade and moving the Roman Army around were the two principle reasons for building roads. The most important port was Ostia as it was the nearest major port to Rome itself.

How did conquering new lands most affect trade in the Roman Empire? It led to more industries. It led to improved roads. It led to more trading partners.

Why did trade increase as the Roman Empire expanded? Trade increased as the Roman Empire expanded for the fact that some of the territories conquered had vast supplies of gold, good farmlands and other resources the Romans wanted.

Answer: Germanic invasions, the reduction of agricultural production, the end of trade routes and the reduction of population.

Aureus, basic gold monetary unit of ancient Rome and the Roman world. It was first named nummus aureus (“gold money”), or denarius aureus, and was equal to 25 silver denarii; a denarius equaled 10 bronze asses. (In 89 bc, the sestertius, equal to one-quarter of a denarius, replaced the bronze ass as a unit of account.)

Roman currency for most of Roman history consisted of gold, silver, bronze, orichalcum and copper coinage (see: Roman metallurgy). From its introduction to the Republic, during the third century BC, well into Imperial times, Roman currency saw many changes in form, denomination, and composition.

demand. Greek coins are generally scarcer than Roman coins and tend to cost more. Condition is also a major factor when it comes to cost. Ancient coins that have survived in near mint condition will price many times higher than coins that are worn from use.

For the most part, yes. For any collectible, value is a product of scarcity and demand. This is one of the most famous ancient coins, the EID MAR denarius. It was minted under the direction of Marcus Brutus to commemorate the assassination of Julius Caesar.

Ancient coins are antiquities, and buying and bringing antiquities back to your home country may be illegal. In 1970, UNESCO wrote cultural heritage guidelines and laws to prevent the illegal import and export of ancient objects which were adopted by 128 countries.

Cleaning Roman and Ancient Coins After buying or finding ancient coins they generally need cleaning. More often than not they have a thick encrustation on them from being buried for thousands of years. On first look they can appear to be completely featureless in many cases.

Follow These Steps:

1. In a jar, combine one cup vinegar (or lemon juice) and 1 tablespoon salt.
2. Pour the solution into the plastic container.
3. Add the coins in a single layer, so none of the coins are touching.
4. When you remove the coins and wipe them with a cloth or paper towel, they should look shiny.

If they look clean, carefully wash them with soap and water to ensure all the vinegar or lemon juice is removed. To be safe, after cleaning with vinegar or lemon juice, it is best to soak the coin in distilled water with a little baking soda added for a week. (Never use vinegar or lemon juice to clean bronze coins.)

Maxentius 8-Aurei Gold Medallion

The most important denominations issued during the Imperial period are as follows.

• Aureus.
• Quinarius Aureus (value of 1/2 Aureus)
• Denarius (value of 1/25 Aureus)
• Quinarius (value of 1/50 Aureus)
• Sestertius (value of 1/100 Aureus)
• Dupondius (value of 1/200 Aureus)
• As (value of 1/400 Aureus)
• Semis (value of 1/800 Aureus)

Cost: $10 Million The most expensive coin in the world is the 1794/5 Flowing Hair Silver/Copper Dollar. Several expert Numismatic researchers believe that this was the very first silver coin to be minted and issued by the U.S Federal Government.

The tools used for engraving in antiquity (among the Romans) gave a particular form to letters. On the authentic coins, we see horizontal pointed lines at the ends of the letters. The letter A will show you both legs with this “sharp” line at the bottom of each leg.

Counterfeit coins typically have casting seams, which can be very apparent to the naked eye. Fake coins often times will contain hole markings. Additionally, many coins have intricate designs or textures that are associated with that particular coin and its series.

Senatus Consulto

Types of Counterfeit Coins. Counterfeit coins can be grouped into three different categories: struck counterfeits, cast counterfeits, and altered coins. Counterfeiters make struck counterfeit coins the same way a mint manufactures a genuine coin by a planchet between two coin dies in a coining press.

Under the U.S. Constitution, only the federal government can mint legal tender coins. Replicas of U.S. coins cannot be exchanged as legal tender or used as money.

The new law makes it illegal to sell imitation coins unless they are clearly marked as a “copy.” It makes it a crime to aid the manufacturer, importer, or seller of forged items. Individuals can file civil lawsuits against sellers of fake coins, buttons, and posters to try to recoup costs.

A counterfeit or fake coin doesn’t have any numismatic value though it’s gold or silver can be extracted by assay. U.S. fakes are technically illegal to own. There are various motivations to counterfeit coins not all of them sinister.

These freshly minted fake Morgan silver dollars are high-quality counterfeits. Some of these fake Morgan silver dollars will also find their way into counterfeit PCGS and NGC slabs, but my sources tell me that most of the fakes these counterfeiters sell are sold “raw” (rather than slabbed).

Experts say one of the easiest ways to spot a fake £2 is the edge of the coin. Genuine £2 coins for the UK mainland should have an inscription on the edge of the coin. Real £2 coins are also never magnetic as fakes contain iron and steel rather than the copper, zinc and nickel used by the Royal Mint.

In general, most fake coins are not worth anything, maybe a couple of dollars but the class “A” copies of a very rare coin might be worth between $25 to $100.