Jewelry store hosts ancient coins

Published 9:01 am Monday, August 31, 2009

By Adam Smith

The North Jefferson News



A local jewelry store is inviting residents to take a trip back in time.

Starting Monday, Gardendale Jewelry, located at 1226 Main Street, will feature coins dating from as early as 336 B.C. and as recent as 300 A.D.

Store owner Bob Boffa said his store hosted a similar coin display more than five years ago.

The coins are part of a display on loan from a Los Angeles-based coin expert. However, that doesn’t mean the ancient coins aren’t for sale. The coins range in price from $399 to $2,500.

However, Boffa said there is greater value in the coin than simply a price tag. He said his store will allow visitors to truly touch a piece of history that would normally be found in a museum.

“It’s intriguing if you think about the fact that one silver coin was the pay for one Roman soldier,” he said. “It’s intriguing because it’s not like they mint these every day.”

At $2,500, the most expensive coin is an Alexander the Great coin from 336 B.C. Other coins in Boffa’s display, including widow’s mites, have a Biblical connection. Others are printed with symbols from Greek mythology.

Boffa said when he has hosted the coins in the past, church and school groups have stopped by to see and touch a piece of history. He anticipates similar visitors again this time and enjoys the opportunity to teach others about the historical value of the coins.

“Most of these become hand-me-downs that a person buys for the next generation,” he said. “It’s really intriguing.”