Authentic Bible coins and Antiquities from Bible times for education and sale.
One of the reasons coins were invented . . .
“And the gold of that land is good ...” (Genesis 2:12)
Early in the Bible, gold is mentioned and was likely first found as alluvial riverbed nuggets found in placer deposits in the river flowing through the Garden of Eden. Polished smooth by flowing water, nuggets are 50-95% pure depending on the country found. Pure gold is a rich golden yellow -the more contaminated it is with impurities (mostly silver and some copper) the whiter it becomes. Pure gold is very easy to work with and is called a noble metal as it is one of the most resistant metals -it won’t tarnish or discolour.
Ancient coins image of alluvial gold nugget
"He will purify...them like gold and silver. (Malachi 3:2-3)
Just as nuggets were spotted in streambeds -sometimes veins were found exposed on weathered bedrock. It was from this rich mother lode where nuggets or small flakes started off as dendrites, wires, or encrustations (often in quartz) then through erosion became trapped in nearby in crevices or pockets as lighter minerals were washed away. Miners learned to look for look for the mother lode -the main vein of ore where the smaller specimens originated. When rich veins of gold or silver where found -miners would excavate and follow the vein underground.
The challenge then became how to separate the ore from bedrock then further purify gold or silver from contaminating metals. The refiner’s fire solved this problem by heating finely crushed ore for several days up to a week. Psalm 12:6 mentions “As silver tried in a furnace on the earth, refined seven times.” King Solomon made silver so common that it “counted as nothing” since he “made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones.” (1Kings 10:27)
Gold in quartz specimen
Ancient coins image of native gold nugget in quartz matrix.
High quality Crystallized Gold specimens for sale to collectors and museums.
Delicate Leaf Crystal Gold Nugget, Eagle's Nest, CA 7.0g 40.14 x 27.57mm
Purchased: 1993 Kristalle Minerals, Laguna Beach, CA -with the intent to set with diamonds as a stunning necklace.
Owner Wayne Leicht added that the Eagle's Nest specimens are from the upper levels of the De Maria property.
(Gold specimens are priced at a multiple of gold spot value due to their rarity). *Available for sale
Delicate Leaf Gold Nugget, Eagle's Nest, CA 11.15g 43.90 x 34.87mm
Purchased: 1993 Kristalle Minerals, Laguna Beach, CA -with the intent to set with diamonds as a stunning necklace.
Owner Wayne Leicht added that the Eagle's Nest specimens are from the upper levels of the De Maria property.
(Gold specimens are priced at a multiple of gold spot value due to their rarity). *Available for sale
Massive Crystal Gold Nugget, Northern Quebec 36.39g (over 1 oz) 30 x 45.46 x 19.33mm thick.
Structurally very strong for jewellery necklace or gold specimen.
It is rare to find quality crystals of such density.
(Gold specimens are priced at a multiple of gold spot value due to their rarity).
*Available for sale
Payment by Silver or Gold...
“Hacksilver” (hacksilber -German) describes chopped pieces of silver but can be any form of silver fragments such as broken jewellery used as bullion. (The same can be true for hackgold).
The required payment was weighed out, placed in a cloth bag secured by a cord, then sealed with a soft clay bulla which was usually stamped with the owners signet ring seal.
It was a common practice in the Levant from 1200 BC until coins became popular.
Today some bulla are found with letters -rarer ones with a complete name.
In a similar way, John 6:27 states how“God the Father has set His seal on Him (Jesus).”
Ancient coins image of hack silver silber chopped silver pieces
The First Coins... Ionia ~650 BC
The first coins were made of natural occurring electrum which was later alloyed to a standard content. Ionia was a region of cities in the western coast of Anatolia (present-day Turkey). One of the greatest and wealthiest of the Greek cities was Miletus which adopted the weight standard of neighbouring Lydia creating the Lydo-Milesian standard -dividing a 14.1g stater into fractional denominations based on thirds.
The first coins were were more of a functional design without taking advantage either side for design. Globular in shape they could have left as round pellet but they were struck in a domed die with a metal punch called an incuse (Latin incusus pp. incudere “to indent or decorate by hammering.” (In a hot fire it is small amounts of gold easily form round balls yet if left like BB’s they would bounce if dropped and tend to roll away). Larger amounts would form more irregular shapes in a primitive fire and we see this from pre-production pieces before they were struck in the Ephesus Artemision finds by Koray Konuk, Michael Kerschner.
These early coins are often labelled as Unknown or Uncertain -as we do not know where they were minted.
The globular dome transitioned to a flattened striated dome (less chances of bouncing or rolling away?) then to a geometric design on both sides -the meaning of which remains unknown.
A single punch incuse was replaced with a double in order to fully strike up designs on coins so they wouldn’t have weak areas.
Chart of Lydo-Milesian Standard coin denominations + weights BibleCoins.com
Alyattes I, 635-585 BC Sardis, Lydia.
Alyattes I, 635-585 BC was the fourth king of the Mermnad dynasty in Lydia,
Earliest coins have the inscription WALWET (Walwetes meant "lion-ness" (i.e. the state of being a lion). Minted in the capital Sardis -these “roaring lion” trites were alloyed to 55% gold 45% silver alloyed for standard content.
Final coin: Gold Daric @ Leu auction Sat. Feb24, 2024 lot#11 MS 5-4 Perfectly centered + excellent details.
