This is a rare opportunity to own a collection of coins that spans the last 2,000 years.  It features one coin from each of the last 20 centuries, from the 1st century A.D. to the 20th century.  Each coin is a genuine artifact that is up to 2,000 years old, and together they make a collection of unprecedented importance. 

This is a collection that belongs in a museum.  It is a fascinating look at 2,000 years of history … and it’s like holding 2,000 years of history in your hands.  What’s more, it is a fabulous collection that will be treasured for years to come and is a great way to teach children and grandchildren about history and coinage.

The collection starts with a 1st century A.D. coin of King Azes II, who many people believe was one of the three wise men (or Magi) who followed the guiding star to Bethlehem to pay homage to the newborn Christ child.  As a result, this coin has a direct link to the very beginning of Christianity and the start of the modern calendar that counts years from the date of Christ’s birth.  Azes II lived from approximately 35 B.C. to 10 A.D. and ruled the ancient Bactrian region which roughly corresponds to present-day Afghanistan. 

Other highlights include:
• 3rd century – ancient Roman silver coin from the reign of Emperor Gordian III (238-244 A.D.).
• 4th century – bronze commemorative coin celebrating the new capital of the Roman Empire at Constantinople.
• 5th and 7th centuries – coins from the ancient Chinese empire.
• 10th century – a 1,000-year-old silver Paisa.
• 14th century – a silver Dirham from the legendary Persian empire.
• 16th century – a silver coin that was one of the first in the world to feature the image of the Madonna and the Christ child.
• 18th century – a Dutch copper Duit coin that bears the “VOC” emblem of the legendary Dutch East India Company.  This coin was recovered from a sunken treasure ship.
• 19th century – an English coin featuring Queen Victoria from the height of the era of the British Empire.

Every coin represents a highlight of the century.  The coins issued from the 1st through the 17th centuries were all struck by hand by skilled artisans.  Coin-making machinery did not exist.  Each of these coins is therefore a unique artifact and is slightly different from all others. 

It would be virtually impossible to assemble a collection like this on your own, but we have done all the work for you.  Each coin is individually protected in a special capsule that protects it from dirt and fingerprints, and the complete 20-coin collection comes in a deluxe wooden presentation case.