Argentina has posted its first budget surplus in 123 after President Javir Milei took office and demanded an abrupt halt to government spending. Governments worldwide should carefully take note. Milei proudly announced: “The deficit was the root of all our evils — without it, there’s no debt, no emission, no inflation. Today, we have a […]

US-Canada relations under the Trump Administration are beginning on tumultuous footing. Trump has promised to slap Canada with 25% tariffs on ALL imports if it fails to curb illegal immigration and drug trade from the northern border. Trudeau is now threatening to retaliate with tariffs of his own. The Bank of Canada has factored in […]

COMMENT: Thank you for your independent work. Nobody predicted the 2024 election would be a landslide other than you. But absolutely nobody has even thought about the Democratic Party collapsing. You have proven that a computer can predict the future impartially and you make it obvious that you always separate your personal opinion from the […]

ASIA: The major Asian stock markets had a mixed day today: • NIKKEI 225 increased 4.65 points or 0.01% to 39,372.23 • Shanghai increased 9.83 points or 0.29% to 3,432.49 • Hang Seng decreased 156.23 points or -0.77% to 20,155.05 • ASX 200 decreased 39.40 points or -0.47% to 8,353.60 • SENSEX decreased 13.35 points […]

Gallic Emperor Victorinus (268-270AD) debased the reduced planchet of the bronze antoninianus.

Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth was issued during the 17th century between 1614 - 1627AD. These late medieval three poker coins were issued during the reign of Sigismund III Vasa, who ruled as the King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania from 1587 to 1632. They were struck to address the financial crisis and rising inflation due to the 30 Years War. Three polker coins were minted with a relatively high silver content and purity in the early years of about 80%. The higher silver content resulted in these coins being hoarded in neighboring countries.

By the 1620s, the coins were widely distributed throughout Transylvania. They were very popular and existed alongside the depreciated local currency that was common due to the inflation that unfolded again thanks to the 30 Years War. The high silver purity of the coins also began to decline as inflation continued. This was reflected in exchange rates established by the Transylvanian Diet, a judicial and legislative body of the Transylvanian Principality under Prince Gabriel Bethlen.

This coinage was also sharply debased. This group is from a hoard of the early period with higher silver content. By 1626, Prince Gabriel Bethlen implemented a monetary reform, as we see so often throughout the monetary history following any war. He collected these coins, melted them down, and then forged three polker coins with the lower silver content. We see that the Roman Emperor Trajan did the same, melting down the old coinage and issuing debased denarii. Thus, history repeats because human nature never changes.

The Black Sea Region began with copper arrowheads that were used as money. This lot of Æ Arrowhead Proto-Money is triangular cast ‘arrowheads’ of varying length. In the 7th century BC, the Greeks also entered Ukraine and established the Milesian colonies of Olbia, Borysthenes, Istros, Odessos, and Apollonia on the western Black Sea coast. These ports were once the central points of exchange and trade between the Greeks and local Scythian and Thracian populations.

This exchange prompted the introduction of pre-monetary items which were shaped into the ubiquitous more common ‘dolphins’ coins and the scarcer ‘arrowheads’ and ‘wheel-coins’ which were all cast in copper. These pieces remained in circulation in the west Pontic area for about two centuries, until being finally replaced by struck coinage.

Recent publications of findings from South Russia, Ukraine, Bulgaria, and Romania limited the circulation area of these proto-monies to the narrow coastal strip along the western/north-western shores of the Black Sea. Some scholars suggested the ‘arrowheads’ were produced there since Apollo, with his bow and arrows, was the main deity who supervised the colonies of Miletus. As a god of archery, Apollo was well known with epithets such as Aphetoros (“god of the bow”) and Argurotoxos (“with the silver bow”).

The cast bronzes of Olbia not only served as a medium of exchange but also reflected the unique economic and cultural interactions in the region. Olbia's prosperity was intricately tied to its role as a trading hub, facilitating exchanges between the Scythian nomads and Greek settlers.

The Gallic Empire (Latin: Imperium Galliarum) was a breakaway realm of the Roman Empire led by Postumus (260-268AD) that existed from 260 to 274AD in the aftermath of the Persian capture of the Roman Emperor Valerian I (253-260AD) in 260AD. That set off a Financial Crisis in 260AD, where some even questioned if Roman coins were still valid. This Monetary Crisis of the Third Century AD saw the separation of the Roman Empire into three empires.

The Gallic Empire split from Rome and incorporated Britain, France, and parts of Spain. Postumus founded it in 260 AD. Valerian I was captured for once, and Germanic barbarians also began to invade, assuming that Rome was then vulnerable. The crisis led to people hoarding their money, and a great recession unfolded. The coinage began to be debased as silver was in short supply. This was the start of the collapse of Rome's monetary system.

This is a set of two Antoninianii, one of the first issues in silver, and the latter issue debased into just bronze. The early silver issues are much rarer since the debased took place rapidly.

Marcus Aurelius Carinus (283-285AD) was the elder son of the Emperor Carus born about 249 – 250 AD. During the spring of 283AD, Carinus was given the rank of Caesar shortly after his father’s accession to the throne. Carinus remained behind in Rome in the West when his father and younger brother, Numerian set out for the Eastern frontier. Carinus was then left in charge of the administration of the Western provinces. Meanwhile, his father had been successful in driving back the Persian threat in the East. However, before he could expand on his victory, Carus was struck dead by lightning. Carinus and his brother were raised to the rank of Augustus during the late summer of 283 AD.

Antoninianus bronze mostly silver plated virtually Extremely Fine

4th century bronze numis of the Constantine era and later.

For this hoard, we will put in packets of 5 unattributed coins for $62.50 that, if you would like to give to a child or grandchild, they can investigate to see who issued each coin themselves. It would be a bit of a game for them if they knew how to use the Internet. These are reasonably priced for fun and to open the youth's minds to the idea that you can actually hold an ancient Roman coin.