NGC Certified Silver Roman Republic Denarius

Photo Credit: ModernCoinMart

NGC Certified Silver Roman Republic Denarius

Buy It Now Price: $229 (per coin) (price as of 2019; item no longer available)

Pros:

-Each ancient Roman Republic denarius is a random example dating between the 3rd and 1st centuries BC. They are all certified in Choice VF condition by the third-party coin grading service NGC, which also guarantees the coins’ authenticity.

-The Roman Republic denarius weighed approximately 4.5 grams (0.1447 troy ounces) of 96% to 99% fine silver, which was as pure as Roman refining technology could functionally achieve. Therefore each denarius contains slightly less silver than a pre-1965 U.S. 90% silver quarter, which has 5.6 grams (0.1808 troy ounces) of pure silver.

-The Roman Republic denarius was first struck in 211 BC and continued to be minted until Augustus ascended to the Imperial purple in 30 BC after defeating Marc Antony and Cleopatra at the battle of Actium. The denarius was still retained as a denomination in the Roman Empire and continued to be struck until the mid 3rd century AD, when it finally succumbed to rampant inflation.

-The obverse of a Roman Republic denarius usually features a Roman god or goddesses, typically either Apollo or Roma. The reverse often portrays a quadriga (chariot drawn by four horses) or the Dioscuri – the twin demi-gods Castor and Pollux – on horseback. However, it should be noted that a great variety of subjects could be emblazoned on these ancient numismatic masterpieces.

-It was during the Roman Republic that Roman power expanded widely in the Mediterranean basin. This was the period when Rome defeated Carthage in the Punic Wars, annexed Gaul (modern day France) and subjugated the Greek city-states.

-Roman Republic denarii are one of the classic coins of the ancient world and are far rarer than later Roman Imperial denarii coins. However, because Roman Republic denarii were struck in significant quantities they are still widely available to discerning collectors and investors alike.

-The denarius was the most important denomination in both the Roman Republic and the Roman Empire. It was the workhorse coin of the Roman world, commonly used in daily transactions from Syria in the east to Spain in the west.

-The Roman Republic denarius is one of the more undervalued ancient coin series, which is quite surprising considering how historically important the Roman Empire was to Western civilization. As a result, I find the buy-it-now price of $229 for an NGC certified Choice VF example to be quite a bargain.

Cons:

-This is not really a con per se, but it is possible to purchase slightly lower grade VF examples for $209 or higher quality XF specimens for $259. All of these conditions and price points are acceptable, so I will leave the ultimate choice up to the buyer.