Why are roman coins so deformed?

[Maimonides]

The Incas had abundant supplies of copper and tin and were accomplished bronze metallurgists. The Tarascan State in central Mexico also worked bronze. Pre-Hispanic bronze artifacts have been found in excavations of several Aztec cities but it is likely that these came from Tarascan.

Wow. I knew that Native Americans were hammering copper & gold into decorative objects, but I didn't know they used tin or knew how to make bronze or casted metal. I've never seen any examples of Precolumbian bronze or read any early Spanish accounts of it. I wonder why they didn't use bronze for weapons & armor. The written record is clear that they were using obsidian blades when the Spanish encountered them. Is this information from archaeology or the written record?

Back on the subject of coins, I wonder why they used beads, shells & trade goods for currency instead of metal.

 

[7ronin]

Is this information from archaeology or the written record?

The information is from archaeology.

 

[Stolen Rutters]

The designs are not always centered because either the blank or the punches were not exactly aligned. An average mintage might have consisted of one hundred thousand coins so they weren't able to take their time lining everything up perfectly. Perfectly centered ancient coins command a premium in the coin market today.

Hmm, I wonder what kind of value modern coins will have to the collector two thousand years from now? They are all pretty much a uniform shape and perfectly centered. Plus, gold never rusts so it can easily make it 2K yrs. if undisturbed, but I don't know how long modern non-gold coinage will last.

 

[7ronin]

Hmm, I wonder what kind of value modern coins will have to the collector two thousand years from now? They are all pretty much a uniform shape and perfectly centered. Plus, gold never rusts so it can easily make it 2K yrs. if undisturbed, but I don't know how long modern non-gold coinage will last.

Perfect centering and uniform shape are not really price determinants in modern coinage since it is now a common denominator of all coinage. As with all coins of all ages, price is determined by rarity, condition, and aesthetic value.

There is no reason that modern coins should not thousands of years. After all, we still have many of the imperfect coins first minted 2750 years ago.

People often think that great age brings great value. This isn't necessarily so. Today you can buy a 4500 year old Sumerian bead necklace for $150; a Judean oil lamp for $10; and a Roman safety pin for $50. Ancient coins can be had for as little as $5 or as much as $25,000. An average denarius as discussed earlier runs around $45 to $60. Some poor specimens can be had for much less.