Where do our relics come from?

If you're new to our site, you probably have one burning question:

How in the world is it possible to get an ancient relic?

In short, it's not as hard as you might think—but we know exactly how you feel.

It took time and experience to learn about these relics.

That's why we created History Hoard—to do the heavy lifting for you, and to share the joys of history with the world.

So, getting back to the original question: where do these relics come from?

Here's an overview of the two main sources:

1. Hoards

A hoard of Roman coins discovered by metal detectorists in Buckinghamshire, England.

Hoards were the ancient world’s answer to banking, or lack thereof.

Before money could be kept safely in a bank like it can today, people had to store it themselves.

This meant stashing it away in pouches, jars, or other containers and burying it somewhere safe.

Sometimes, nobody came back to collect the coins—and they remained hidden for thousands of years until being discovered today.

This is by far the most common way ancient coins are found (and it’s also the inspiration for the name History Hoard!).

You might think that coins found in these hoards would immediately be carted off to a museum, but this isn’t necessarily the case.

If a hoard isn’t deemed to be archaeologically significant enough, many countries have laws that allow these relics to be kept or sold by the finder.

Now, how could a hoard of 2,000 year old coins not be archaeologically significant?

Well, the most important thing to archaeologists when studying our past is context—where and how relics are found. The items themselves are mostly important only if they are unique in some way.

However, ancient coins are similar to modern coins in that very many were made of the same design.

There are tens of millions of near identical pennies created today, and ancient people created coins in the same way.

This goes for other mass produced objects too, like arrowheads or beads. As a result, many are able to be owned privately.

2. Private Collections

Known as numismatists, those who collect and study coins are meticulous in their work.

Of course, not every coin on the market is straight from a hoard. Many have been traded for years already.

The community of ancient coin collectors has a deep respect for history.

They contribute heavily to the study of these coins, and many even write books on the matter.

This means great care is taken to pass on these relics after their previous owner gives them up.

The cycle ensures that future generations can experience the joy of holding a part of history for years to come.

Many of the coins we sell have been cherished for years already—now it's your turn to enjoy them and pass them on when the time is right.

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Final note:

At History Hoard, we go the distance to make sure that our coins are obtained from ethical and trustworthy sources.

We use our experience to authenticate every relic we bring you, from coins to arrowheads. If you're interested in how we authenticate, read more here.

And finally, each of our relics comes with more than just a Certificate of Authenticity—they come with a promise to you.

Now, enough reading—it's time to get your own piece of history!

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Blog: The Hoard, About Us