Ancient Coins Bring Amazing Stories
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by: vgevge
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Each coin will tell a story whether it is of greed, hatred, lust, or love, but only if the collector is willing to spend the time it takes to research the history of their coins. Those collectors who are fortunate enough to own any variety of ancient coin are able to take a trip into history about a world long forgotten, except with these wonderful coins.
One type of ancient coin that was supposedly lost or buried was the coins from Chessington, which were made near Gaul, which we know today as northern France or possibly Belgium. These coins are over 2000 years old and date from 150 BC to 50 BC, which was known in Britain as the Iron Age. During the Iron Age this area was filled will small settlements and farms. These coins are made of seventy percent gold and are in a variety of different sizes. The obverse shows the head of Apollo, who was considered a god in some societies, while the reverse shows a horse and wheel, which sort of resembles a chariot.
Apparently, these forgotten, lost, or buried coins where found in Chessington and originally belonged to some sort of trader. It is assumed that the trader acquired these coins from trades made with or in Gaul, because at that time there was heavy trade between Britain and Gaul. These mysterious coins must have passed through the hands and pockets of many before their final destination in Chessington.
It makes you wonder where all these coins actually traveled and who held them in their hands. Were they given as a gift from noblemen of Europe or maybe a Roman owned them at one time. The original owner may have been a British soldier who fought in Gaul against the Romans while under the governance of Julius Caesar. British soldiers were paid to fight on the side of Gaul, and perhaps they were paid with gold coins such as these.
Was the original owner perhaps one of the powerful leaders of that time, who used these coins to buy swords, shields, spears, horses, and chariots for their soldiers to fight off the Romans? Did the owner hide them because of the invasion coming from the Romans? Perhaps this leader was involved during other conflicts in Britain, such as the Atrebates, who happened to own the territory at that time where the coins where found. The various tribes of Britain were all known for their fighting with one another and strong warriors and weapons would have been extremely important to them.
The question that will probably remain unanswered is were these coins buried deliberately or were they just lost. The owner may have place them in Chessington for safe keeping and not told anyone, but then had died in battle. Apparently the owner hid these coins and never had a chance to get back to them to use them and the reason for that will never be known, but we can speculate. Speculate over whether or not the owner was captured during battle along with his family and turned into slaves.
When these fabulous coins were found they were only four inches below the surface, which could have been caused by centuries of plowing or maybe somewhere within the earth a natural disturbance has brought them near the surface. What ever it was the discovery of these coins was amazing and the stories that could have happened surrounding them is even more incredible.
No matter what a coins shows on the surface, the historical story behind the coin itself is as exciting as discovering a new coin for your collection. With a little research and little bit of imagination you could have a history book full of coins and stories to share with future generations.
About the Author
Victor Epand is an expert consultant about rare coins, stamp collections, and rare collectibles. Follow these links to find the best marketplace for: rare coins, collections, and ancient coins.
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