Antique Lamps - Peking Glass

In our modern world, glass is an every day part of life, but this was not always so.

The elegant and ethereal medium known as “glass” is simply and basically made of sand, and or, silica and a flux; sodium or potassium.  These elements fuse together when melted at a very high temperature, resulting in the product readily recognised as glass.

Glass is an ancient invention, having been produced for the past 5000 years and particularly since the development of techniques in the 18th century.  The first glass makers were found in ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia, 5000 years ago with examples of this early glass surviving today.  At the time, it was seen as a very exotic product and study has shown that the simple techniques used were held as secret by those ancient artisans.

The first glass products were rather crude bottles and flasks, produced by moulding the basic shape from mud.  The modelled shape was held by inserting a short metal rod into one end with the shape then dipped into molten glass thus forming the "core" of the flask shape.  Long molten threads of glass, known as "canes", were then wound around this basic shape until the flask or bottle was complete.

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Accessories for Coin Collection

When collecting coins, one thing to consider is how to arrange and take care of the coins. Coins that are collected may be antique, ancient, or limited editions coins. These coins come from many countries and are usually high in value. A collector must know how to keep and take care of them so that they will retain the same appearance and value.

One way to take care of coins is to purchase s selection of coin accessories. Not only are coin accessories used to make a coin collection presentable and organized; but the primary purpose of coin accessories is to take care and preserve the coins.

When buying coin accessories it is important to choose those accessories that will best satisfy the needs of the collector. Some factors that may be considered are durability, price and usefulness.

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Accession of Alexander the Great - 336 BC

Accession of Alexander the Great - 336 BC

After the battle of Chaeronea (see 338 BC Philip of Macedon invades Greece) Philip II was preparing to lead a Greek and Macedonian army into Persia and put an end to their empire. Before he could do so he was murdered by one of his nobles, and his son, Alexander (356— 323 BC) took over the command.

He was only twenty-two when he set out with his army, and was never to see his homeland again. Indeed, he was des­tined to make himself master of the world during the next eleven years and to earn himself the title of ‘the Great’.

He marched into Syria and defeated King Darius III of Persia (reigned 336— 330BC) at the battle of Issus (333BC) then swept on to capture Tyre after a siege of seven months, before invading and con­quering Egypt. He next led his army into Mesopotamia to defeat Darius III yet again at the battle of Arbela (331 BC) then pushed on, despite grumblings from his weary army, until he reached northern India. He finally made his way down to the Indus and then, satisfied at last, he agreed to lead his world-conquering war­riors home again. He reached Mesopo­tamia once more but became stricken with fever and died in Babylon at the early age of thirty-three.

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