Greek Coins

What You Need to Know About Greek Coins Before Buying

Greece is one of the oldest civilizations in existence and has helped to shape the culture and politics of the world. Their coinage is of particular interest to collectors because of the historical value and beauty in each coin. You find many ancient Greek coins for sale and Greek drachma coins for sale on eBay.

Since Greece adopted the Euro in 2001, many collectors like to find Greek coins before the Euro. Modern Greek coins such as the Drachma are sought after by collectors, as are more ancient greek coins. Greece had a long period of occupation by the Romans and the Ottoman Empire, during which time they did not produce their own coinage. The drachma was reinstated as their coinage in 1833. Here are the general eras of ancient Greek coinage that occurred before the Euro was adopted:

• Archaic period (until about 480 BC): The coins of this time period are unique because they are made of electrum, an alloy of gold and silver native to the area that is highly valuable. Every city-state in Greece would stamp its own coins, often with an animal, such as a lion.
• Classical period (480-323 BC): In this period, coins became more aesthetic. The large cities produced coins with images of their god or goddess on them. Inscriptions from the issuing city often began appearing at this time as well.
• Hellenistic period (323-31 BC): At this point in time Greece was establishing kingdoms in places such as Egypt. These kingdoms would issue coins that were mass-produced and larger than the coins produced by the city-states. These coins were also often solid gold.

There are Greece coins that are rarer and more sought after by collectors, driving up their value.

When it comes to drachma coin prices and prices for other denominations, it can vary widely based upon condition and other factors. These are some of the most collectible Greek coins that exist:

• Mysia Cyzicus Electrum Full Stater c. 550-450 B.C.
• Arethusa/Dolphins Silver Tetradrachm c. 450-440 B.C.
• Philip II Gold Stater c. 339-336 B.C.
• Antiochus VII Silver Tetradrachm c. 138-129 B.C.

Most ancient Greek coins feature the current ruler of the area, whether it be an emperor or a king. Some areas included symbols that represented the area, such as Rhodes having roses on its coinage because the name Rhodes is derived from the Greek word for roses.