Gold by the Century recommendations

SmEagle1795

Hi all,
I'm looking to build a collection that possibly others have built before. I'd like a gold coin from each century from the first Lydian gold to today's modern bullion. I'd want to keep them in a price range of less than $5,000 per coin, although there can be exceptions for particularly important examples.

Let me know if you have any opinions on this or if anyone else has made a set like this in the past.

Thanks for the help!

worldcoinguy

Neat idea. It seems like there was a thread just recently on the same effort (non gold).

I would think it would be worth a few hours in Clark Smith's website to build a XLS of centuries and list the possible coins on his website that might be available in each century. It might highlight some holes that you could investigate elsewhere.

secondrepublic

There are a lot of good choices from the 20th century, but the big Swiss gold 100 francs dated 1925 is really neat. I believe it's a 1-year type in that size. Also check out the big Czechoslovakian 10 dukat coins from the 1920s and 30s. Finally, there may be some art deco pattern French gold pieces that would interest you, from the same time period.

Edited to add an example of the Czechoslovakian 10 dukat.

And a pattern gold French coin and another example of a different French gold pattern.

SmEagle1795

Thanks for the help! I'm still working on researching this myself as well. It doesn't seem terribly difficult to just find one from each century, but finding ones which "matter" is definitely going to be a harder task.

worldcoinguy

You realize that you are now obligated to share your progress, right?

TwoKopeiki

There are some series in the 19th century large gold pieces that are in that price range.

You can go with Mexico / Spain:

Hand on book 8 Escudos:




Portrait 8 Escudos of either Ferdinand VII (1808-1821) or Carlos IV (1789-1808):




French made some nice 19th Century gold pieces, as well:



Or Great Britain:

SaorAlba

Going earlier, 17th century I would recommend a Scottish Sword and Sceptre piece, 16th century a French Ecu. 15th century a Venetian ducat and 14th century an English noble. Of those I own the noble, but I am particularly picky and wanted a heavy unclipped one and they do go more than $5K as such.

SmEagle1795

<< <i>Going earlier, 17th century I would recommend a Scottish Sword and Sceptre piece, 16th century a French Ecu. 15th century a Venetian ducat and 14th century an English noble. Of those I own the noble, but I am particularly picky and wanted a heavy unclipped one and they do go more than $5K as such. >>



Thanks! I also have a 1422-27 Henry VI Noble which I'll definitely be including in the final list here. The $5K limit may end up not happening with some of these. I'm going to be spending the next day compiling my research so far and will share my progress after. In the meantime, I appreciate the help from everyone!

TwoKopeiki

Well, if the 5K limit isn't happening you should pick this one up for your 19th Century type:

WillieBoyd2

Then there's way way back:

Ancient Greece:


Alexander the Great - Stater - Babylon
Helmeted head of Athena facing right with griffin or serpent on helmet
Nike standing left, holding wreath, MI on left, monogram in wreath below right wing
BASILEOS ALEXANDPOY (King Alexander)
Struck: BC 311-305 (about)
Mint: Babylon
Size: 20mm
Weight: 8.56gm
Catalog: Price 3749

Ancient Rome:


Antoninus Pius - Aureus - Standing with globe
Laureate head right
ANTONINVS AVG PIVS P P IMP II
Antoninus wearing toga, standing left, holding globe in right hand
TR POT XIX COS IIII
Struck: AD 155-156, Rome
Size: 19.5mm
Weight: 7.26gm
Catalog: RIC 256a

SmEagle1795

Here's the results of my first attempt. I expect that this list will change many times for me. I've rounded the prices of these - many are currently for sale, some I've purchased myself, and some were sold recently at auction websites.

I stayed under $5K for most of these, which leaves room for moving up as I do more research and find out about more of them. I'd definitely prefer larger gold wherever possible so if anyone knows of any larger examples for these areas that I missed, I'd appreciate it!

Also, a disclaimer: IANAH (I Am Not a Historian) and this has primarily been found by me Googling around in the couple days in my free time.

650-561BC Lydia Archaic 1/3rd Stater Electrum - 3000
550-500BC Ionia 1/12th Stater Hemihecte - 1000
450BC - Persia Gold Daric - 3500
336-323BC Alexander The Great Stater - 4500
297-281BC Lysimachus Gold Stater - 3500
120-63BC - Pontic Kingdom Time of Mithradates VI - 1500
44-42BC Greek Thrace Koson Kings - 2000
14-37 Roman Tiberius Aureus Lugdunum - 3000
161-180 Marcus Aurelius - 5500
276-282 Probus Aureus Ticinum - 4500
365-367 Solidus of Valens I - 1000
457-474 LEO I Gold Solidus - 2000
582-602 Mauriscus Tiberius Solidus - 500
685-596 Justinan II Gold Solidus - 4000
706-715 Umayyad Al Walkid I Dinar - 500
829-842 Theophilus - 1500
998-1030 Mahmud Ghaznavid Dinar - 500
1059-1067 Constantine X Gold Histamenon Nomisma - 500
1183-1185 Andronicus I Comnenus hyperpyron - 1500
1221-1254 Hyperpyron of John III Vatatzes - 1000
1382-1400 Venice Ducat - 500
1422-7 Henry VI Noble - 3000
1516-1656 - Charles & Joanna of Spain Gold Cob Escudo - 1000
16xx - Scottish Sword and Sceptre - 3000
17xx 8 Escudo Spain - 2000
18xx Mexican 8 Escudo - 2000
19xx British Sovereign - 1000
2009 UHR $20 - 3000

tewcd

I think my wife would rather I had a secret family than for me to spend $60,000.00 on 30 coins, and I can't blame her.

It'd be like paying for 6,000 lap dances with a handful of different strippers.

Andres

These are really big (4 x 2 inch) gold coins:

history of the japanese koban

theboz11

Well within your range



As is this NGC MS 63 example of a 1380-1422 Charles V, ECU"OR

SmEagle1795

Wow! I love the French pieces and Koban! I have a feeling this collection may end up having century duplicates, or one every 50 years

Also, it may be over the limit but still reasonably priced in my eyes: I'll definitely be including an Octadrachm, probably of Ptolemy III for the 200BC range. It's hard to beat 28mm and nearly an ounce of ancient gold.

Thanks for the help!

bidask

I like gold with religious themes.

This one is very rare.....struck to commemorate the 100th aniversary of the Augsburg Confessions.

The Augsburg Confession, also known as the "Augustana" from its Latin name, Confessio Augustana, is the primary confession of faith of the Lutheran Church and one of the most important documents of the Lutheran reformation. The Augsburg Confession was written in both German and Latin and was presented by a number of German rulers and free-cities at the Diet of Augsburg on June 25, 1530. The Holy Roman Emperor Charles V had called on the Princes and Free Territories in Germany to explain their religious convictions in an attempt to restore religious and political unity in the Holy Roman Empire and rally support against the Turkish invasion. It is the fourth document contained in the Lutheran Book of Concord.





But it costs more than $5000.....