The love of money - the source of all evil

In the first epistle to Timothy, the apostle Paul says that love of money - is the source of all evil. Of course, he did not mean numismatists (coin collectors like myself like to call). While it is possible that in the I century people a collector coin, because by the time the design and manufacture of coins reached a very high level. Even today, Greek coins of late pre-Christian era, is considered one of the most exquisite works of art.

Republican denarius coin of Rome (118 BC. E.). Silver. Weight 3.88 g	Coin of the Emperor aureus August 27 BC. Oe. - 14 AD. Oe. Gold. Weight was 7.75

At the time of St. Paul coins the early Roman Empire has had its own distinctive features. On one side portrayed the exact portraits of emperors and their families, and on the other - usually a woman's figure, which carries the abstract idea, such as Justice, or the consent of Agriculture (Agriculture under the author has in mind, perhaps, the image Annonas (Harvest).

C those days quite a number of classic coins remained in good condition. It is possible that wealthy Greeks and Romans set aside the most beautiful specimens of simply admire them, and not used as a means of payment. no doubt that with the advent of the Renaissance in the XV century, the princes and magnates already had their coin collection. That fascination classical coins and caused revolutionary changes in the design of coins and their subsequent production of 1450-ies.

Today, the role of coins in their daily lives are increasingly performing plastic credit cards and cash. In one famous anecdote tells of how the little boy went into the store, picked up a pack of ice cream, and presented at checkout use a calling card for payment. He often saw his mother instead of cash pay with a card. This story shows that for the next generation of children is more common plastic rather than metal. Perhaps they never will feel the tactile pleasure, a handful of coins jingling in his pocket.

Despite the fact that progressively coins are used less and less, they are among the collectors, on the contrary, acquire great importance. Mints and treasuries around the world produce special expensive coins for collectors, in addition, even ordinary coins are now more diverse than ever after the fall of the Roman Empire. For a long time collecting coins was a prerogative of the upper classes who had the money to satisfy his passion, and education to help evaluate the design and inscription. Today it is a hobby you can meet people of different age and income.