The World of Antiquity: Six Coins from Ancient Times

Classical antiquity is the historical period between the rise of Ancient Greece and the collapse of the Roman Empire—or, if we want to be more precise, between the composition of The Iliad circa 750 BC and the fall of Rome in AD 476. It was during this fecund period when Western civilization, so called, was formed. The foundations of modern law, art, language, philosophy, theater, poetry, architecture, mathematics, physics, biology, ethics, and more were established at this time. This collection contains six pieces of money from classical antiquity.

1/ China, Warring States period, ca 475-221 BC Bronze zhou, “Ant nose” money

2/ Greece, Seleucid Empire, 312-63 BC Bronze drachm

3/ Greco-Bactrian Empire, 240-140 BC Copper drachm

4/ Judaea, Herod Dynasty, AD 37-44 Bronze prutah, reign of Herod Agrippa

5/ Kushan Empire, AD 55-101 Bronze tetradrachm, reign of King Vima Takto

6/ Imperial Rome, AD 253-268 Bronze AE, reign of Gallienus