Blog/Ancient Economies

Gordian III Æ Sestertii
A lot a people wanted a bronze Roman Sestertius. We sold out of all the issues. The only one I had more of was those of Gordian III. This was an interesting emperor [...]
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New Variety in the Athenian Owls
The hoard of Athenian Owl tetradrachms has revealed something incredibly important. The seminal work of Chester Starr (Athenian Coinage) identified five [...]
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Roman Republic’s Debt Crisis & Led to it’s Collapse
QUESTION: You said that Imperial Rome did not have a national debt nor central banks. Did Rome ever have debts that were not private? JY ANSWER: Yes. In all [...]
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The Greek Dark Age & Climate Change
QUESTION: Mr. Armstrong; You mentioned that the environment was the primary cause of the Greek Dark age between the Heroic and Hellenistic periods. Can you [...]
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Celtic Gold Ring Money Discovered in Ireland
Gold rings were discovered in Ireland and they seem to be uncertain about their original use. The Celts did not create their own coins for many centuries. They used [...]
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What are Ancient Coin Hoard so Vital to History
QUESTION: Sir; I have noticed that the Roman and Greek hoards of coins you have offered are silver. You do not offer hoards of bronze coins. I have two [...]
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The Money Supply Always Increases in Time of War
QUESTION: Your chart on the Roman money supply shows a huge spike going into 87BC. Was that just because of the Social War? GS ANSWER: No. During the autumn of [...]
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Daniel’s Interpretation of Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream
QUESTION: You have previously said that the Persian monetary system was based on gold, the Greeks used silver and the Romans began with bronze. That actually [...]
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Prostitute Tokens of Rome & Regulation
QUESTION: Mr. Armstrong; I read about the prostitute tokens of Rome after another one was found here in London. They say they are not sure why they exist. Some said [...]
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