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An assortment of coins through the ages...

I used to have a broader collection of coins from all sorts of periods and cultures, much of which I've sold off to concentrate on the Tetrarchy period. Nevertheless, I've hung on these coins, mostly because I just like them. Taken as a whole, they do comprise a useful survey of how coins got from there to here.

These coins are organized simply in broad chronological bands, regardless of cultural labels, so you can get a sense of the contemporary juxtaposition of different states and cultures.

Greek (before 150 BC). This also includes early Roman coins, struck before Rome became the dominant political and economic force in the Mediterranean world. Mostly Roman (150 BC to 0 AD). This period captures the time when Rome transitioned from Republic to Empire. A great variety of non-Roman coinage was struck as well: by Greek states, Celtic tribes, Parthia, and numerous other states throughout the Near East. High Roman (0 AD to 200 AD). This period was the height of Roman magnificence and splendor, amply reflected in the coinage. High Roman, pt. 2 (200-300 AD). This period captures the descent from the Severan dynasty—at the beginning of which Rome was still splendid and unassailable—to the chaos and disorder preceding the reign of Diocletian. The world at the time of Diocletian (300 AD). Even though Rome is all you ever hear about during this period, there were a number of contemporary economies—ranging from small states to powerful empires—that were developed enough to strike coins in the year 300 AD. Late antiquity (350-700 AD). After the reign of Constantine, three great trends mark the transition from late antiquity to the middle ages: first, the establishment of Christianity as the "state" religion throughout Europe and the Roman world; second, the collapse of the Roman empire in Europe; and third, the rise of Islam. Medieval times (700-1400 AD). This section includes what can be blithely called "the Middle Ages"—roughly, the period between the rise of Islam and the Renaissance in Europe.