Nero (54-68) on a brass coin of 64-68, struck at Lyons in Gaul
Back to the Home
Page or take
a look at Coins
of Roman Egypt
One of
the glories of the Roman Empire was its coinage. Contrary to popular belief,
Roman coins were produced in such abundant numbers that they remain common
today. By far and away the greater number reside in private collections and it
is often the case that numismatists and collectors are far more knowledgeable about
them than archaeologists unless the latter is a specialist.
Coins
are important for two reasons. First, they are individual records of the
portrait of emperors and subject matter like records of wars, or historical
events, depicted on the reverse. Secondly, they help date the buildings and
sites in which they are found.
COINS
STAMPED WRL:
IF YOU’RE
COLLECTING ROMAN COINS PLEASE NOTE THAT REPRODUCTION ROMAN COINS ARE BEING SOLD
ON E-BAY CONTINUOUSLY AT GROSSLY INFLATED PRICES. TYPICALLY THE COINS ARE
STAMPED WRL (Westair Reproductions Limited). YOU CAN SEE FROM THEIR WEBSITE HOW
CHEAP THEY REALLY ARE: http://www.westair-reproductions.com/mailorder/products/rcp3.htm
Roman
coins were struck in gold, silver, and base metals (brass, bronze and copper).
During the first two centuries AD most were struck at Rome, but some were
issued from Lyons (Lugdunum) in Gaul. In the third and fourth centuries,
coins were increasingly struck at mints across the Empire both officially and
by rebel emperors.
Coins
were not struck regularly. This is very important. There were long periods when
coins were issued in very small numbers. That meant using, and losing, older
coins. Under Tiberius (AD14-37), Caligula (37-41), Claudius (41-54), and Nero
in the first ten years of his reign, few coins were minted. The army used
copies of official coins to pay troops, and older silver coins continued to
circulate in worn form.
Coins
also circulate long after they were made in the normal course of events. So, a
coin found on an archaeological site may be as much as 50-150 years older than
the level in which it was found.
DENOMINATIONS
(clockwise from left). Brass sestertius of Domitian (AD81-96), bronze as
of Marcus Aurelius, struck under his predecessor Antoninus Pius in the year
154, silver denarius of Hadrian (117-138), gold aureus of
Hadrian, silver antoninianus of Gordian III (238-244).
Main
units
aureus (gold) = 25 denarii
denarius (silver) = 4 sestertii
sestertius (brass) = 2 dupondii
dupondius (brass) = 2 asses
This
system lasted up until the middle of the third century, when the antoninianus
or ‘radiate’ became the dominant coin type.
The antoninianus
was produced in the third century. Its ancient name is unknown, and the name is
taken from the official titles of Caracalla (211-217) who produced it first.
The emperor’s portrait on it always carries a radiate crown, hence its other
name, ‘radiate’. It was probably a double denarius, but its silver
content was never better than 1.5 x a denarius. So, it may have been a
device to produce more money into the system but saving on bullion. The silver
content became steadily reduced, and by the end of the third century it was no
better than bronze with a silver wash.
In the
fourth century coinage operated on a different system.
LATE
COINS. Top row (l-r). Bronze radiate of Tetricus I (270-273). Bronze unit of
Constantius I (293-305). Bronze unit of Constantine I (struck 307-325 at
London). Bottom row (l-r): gold solidus of Valentinian I (364-375).
Bronze unit of the rebel Magnus Maximus (383-388). Bronze unit of Honorius
(393-423).
By the
late third century bronze radiates were produced in such abundance that they
dominate site finds, especially in Britain. On any site, radiates of the 270s
and 280s may number 20 or 30 times all the other coins except those from the
fourth century. No-one knows why this is. Clearly the coins were useful enough
to be produced, and forged, in astronomical quantities. They may have been
discarded in the fourth century when reforms made them worthless.
The
radiate crown is extremely useful for identifying them. The radiate was used on
the earlier, but much larger, dupondius. Otherwise it was not used and
disappeared in the fourth century.
The
coinage of the fourth century was based on the gold solidus (the s
of Britain’s old £sd coinage). It was always struck, and was good gold. The
silver coins of the period, now known as the siliqua, were erratically
produced. Bronze coinage was produced in an array of sizes at mints across the
Roman Empire to a common format. But we know nothing about denominations or
even what they were called. Vast numbers are found from different periods.
HISTORICAL COINS AND ROMAN BRITAIN
Britain
was a special province to the Romans. It lay on the edge of the known world and
was thus regarded as an exotic and terrifying place. It was always a frontier
province and had an exceptionally large garrison. Britain, for example, had
never less than 3 legions but North Africa (except Egypt) was held with just
one.
Some of
the Roman wars in Britain were commemorated on special coins. Rare now, they
may have been commoner in antiquity. Perhaps the Romans collected them.
HADRIAN
(AD117-138). This is a copper as struck in Rome in about the year 119
when Hadrian visited Britain as part of his tour of the Empire. This is the
reverse and it shows Britannia as a female figure with shield and spear.
It's
usually interpreted as evidence that Britannia was defeated. But instead it may
be a symbol of Britannia as the military Roman province, rather than using her
as a symbol of rebels. Shortly afterwards, Hadrian's Wall was begun in Britain, so it
may record the war alluded to by Hadrian’s biographer. He says that when
Hadrian became emperor that 'the Britons could not be restrained by Roman
control'.
ANTONINUS
PIUS (AD138-161). This is a sestertius of Antoninus Pius struck in the
year 143. It shows Britannia on a rock with spear, shield and trophy. The last
few letters of Britannia can be seen under the figure.
Similar
figures were used on Roman coins to depict Roma, Concord, and other subjects.
Only Britannia appeared with the spiked shield sitting on rocks.
ANTONINUS
PIUS (AD138-161). This is an as of Antoninus Pius struck in the year
154. It shows Britannia on a rock with spear, shield and trophy but this time
the posture is interpreted as one of defeat.
This
issue is the only one to remain common today. Struck in large numbers, and
often of poor quality, it circulated mainly in Britain, so was clearly
earmarked for local distribution, perhaps amongst the garrison as a
commemorative gift. No-one knows. A large number were found in a sacred well at
the fort of Carrawburgh on Hadrians
Wall
Although
further imperial coins referred to Britannia, this was the last time she
appeared in this way until the reign of Charles II (1660-1685) when the Duchess
of Richmond posed for the coin engravers designing copper coins struck in 1672
and afterwards. Today of course she continues to appear on the 50 pence piece.
BOOKS and LINKS about ROMAN COINS
The
best books on Roman coins are by David Sear
Good
websites with Roman coins for sale and good pictures are:
Ancient Roman Imperial Coins -
page 2
http://www.ancientimports.com/
Back
to the Top
Back to the Home Page
DATES AND TITLES
Roman coins
carry imperial titles, such as consul. These allow coins to be dated,
sometimes to an exact year. COS XVI, for example, is the 16th consulship. In
Domitian’s case that was in the year 92. He took his 17th in 95. So a coin of
Domitian with COS XVI on it belongs to AD92-95. The following list will help
date coins.
COS = consularis
(probably because the n was not pronounced), valid for successive years; e.g.
COS III, the third consulship, would be listed on coins and inscriptions until
the fourth consulship was held, however long that took (if ever; in Hadrian's
case, never)
IMP = Imperator
PP = pater
patriae (normally from the beginning of the reign and not listed year
unless assumed later in the reign, e.g. Hadrian)
TRP = tribunicia
potestatis
honorific
titles = such as Parth Max or Dacicus accorded to an emperor in honour of
specific campaigns
Note 1:
the normal Roman convention was to present the numeral four on inscriptions or
coins as IIII, not IV
Note 2: a
Roman epigraphic convention was doubling, trebling or quadrupling the last
consonant of an abbreviation to denote a plural. Thus AUGG, denotes two Augusti,
useful for allocating a fragmentary inscription to one of the few periods of
joint imperial rule, for example Marcus Aurelius with Lucius Verus. The
convention was also applied to other lesser offices and posts. However, it was
not universal. The procuratorial stamp from London at RIB 2443.2
provides the plural verb dederunt and an abbreviated subject Proc,
which must be for Procuratores.
TIBERIUS
(14-37)
CALIGULA
(37-41)
G CAESAR
on coins
CLAUDIUS
(41-54)
TI
CLAVDIUS on coins
TRP I 41,
renewed annually on 25th January
COS II 42
COS III 43
COS IIII
47
COS V 51
BRITANNICUS
46
NERO (54-68)
TRP I 54,
renewed annually on 9th December
COS I 55
COS II 57
COS III 58
COS IIII
60
COS V 68
Galba
(68-9); Otho (69); Vitellius (69)
VESPASIAN (69-79)
TRP I 69,
and annually on July 1st thereafter to 79
COS
II-IIII 70- 72
COS V-VIII
74-77
COS IX 79
TITUS (79-81)
TRP I 71, and
annually on July 1st thereafter to 81
COS I 70
COS II 72
COS III-VI
74-77
COS
VII-VIII 79-80
DOMITIAN
(81-96)
TRP I 81,
and annually on September 13th thereafter to 96
COS I 71
COS II-III
74-5
COS IIII-V
76-7
COS VI-VII
79-80
COS
VIII-XIIII 82-8
COS XV 90
COS XVI 92
COS XVII
95
CENS(OR)
85
NERVA (96-8)
TRP I 96,
renewed once on 18th September 97
COS III 97
COS IIII
98
TRAJAN (98-117)
TRP I in
97, altered to TRP II in 98 and then TRP III on September 18th 98, renewed
annually thereafter
(COS I in 91
under Domitian)
COS II 98
COS
III-IIII 100-101
COS V 103
COS VI 112
DAC(ICUS)
from 102
OPTIMUS
PRINCEPS from 103
PARTH(ICUS)
from 115
HADRIAN
(117-38)
TRP I 117,
renewed annually in August
COS I-III
117-19
PP from
128
ANTONINUS
PIUS
(138-61)
TRP I in
138, renewed annually on 25th February
COS I-III
138-40
COS IIII
144
PP from
139
MARCUS
AURELIUS (161-80)
TRP I in
147, renewed annually on 10th December
(COS I 140
and COS II 145 under Antoninus Pius)
COS III
161
ARMENIACUS
from 164
PARTHICUS MAXIMUS
from 166
PP from
166
GERMANICUS,
SARMATICUS from 175
Lucius
Verus (161-9) (jointly with Marcus Aurelius)
TRP I in
161, renewed annually on 10th December
COS II 161
COS III
167
ARMENIACUS
from 163
PARTHICUS
MAXIMUS from 165
PP from
166
COMMODUS (180-92) (with
Marcus Aurelius from 175)
TRP I c.
176/7, and TRP III by December 10th 177, and annually thereafter
(COS I 177
and COS II 179 under Marcus Aurelius)
COS III
181
COS IIII
183
COS V 186
COS VI 190
COS VII
192
(PP from
177 under Marcus Aurelius)
PIUS from
183
BRITTANNICUS
from 184
Pertinax
(193); Didius Julianus (193); Pescennius Niger (193-4)
SETPIMIUS
SEVERUS (193-211) (with Clodius Albinus as Caesar, 195-7)
TRP I in
193, renewed annually on 1st January
COS II 194
COS III
202
IMP I-II
193
IMP
III-IIII 194
IMP V-VII
195
IMP VIII
196
IMP
VIIII-X 197
IMP XI 198
PP from
194
PARTHICUS
from 195
PARTHICUS
MAXIMUS from 198
BRITTANNICUS
from 210
Marcus
Aurelius Antoninus (CARACALLA) (ruled jointly with Septimius Severus
198-211) (211-17)
N.B. see note
under Marcus Aurelius Antoninus (Elagabalus) below)
TRP I in
198, renewed annually on 1st January
COS I 202
(under Septimius Severus)
COS II 205
(under Septimius Severus)
COS III
208 (under Septimius Severus)
COS IIII
213
BRITTANNICUS
from 210
PM and PP
from 211
FELIX and
GERMANICUS from 213
IMP I 198
IMP II 212
IMP III
214
Geta (as
Caesar 198-209, as joint Augustus 209-12)
TRP I 209,
renewed annually on 1st January
COS I 205
COS II 208
BRITTANNICUS
from 210
PP from
211
Macrinus
(217-18)
COS I/TRP I
217
COS II/TRP
II 218
Marcus
Aurelius Antoninus (Elagabalus) (218-22)
N.B. some
coins of this reign are only distinguishable from those of Caracalla by
portrait; some of the legends used are the same. Inscriptions are similarly
affected but without portraits cannot sometimes be distinguished (e.g. RIB
179 from Combe Down). The military honorific title Antoniniana probably
belongs to the reign of Caracalla but could also belong to this reign.
TRP I/COS
I 218
TRP II/COS
II 219
TRP
III/COS III 220
TRP IIII
221
TRP V/COS
IIII 222
Severus
Alexander (222-35)
TRP I 222,
renewed annually on 1st January
COS I 222
COS II 226
COS III
229
Maximinus
I (235-8)
TRP I 235,
renewed annually on 1st January
COS 236
Gordianus I
(238); Gordianus II Africanus (238); Balbinus and Pupienus (238)
Gordian
III (238-44)
TRP I 238,
renewed annually c. 31st July
COS I 239
COS II 241
PIUS,
FELIX 240
Philip I
(244-9) (with Philip II as Caesar 247-9)
TRP I 244,
renewed annually on 1st January
COS I 245
COS II 247
COS III
248
From this
time imperial titles cease to be of any real value for dating so the following
is a summary of the subsequent reigns:
Trajan
Decius (249-51)
with Herennius Etruscus (251)
Trebonianus
Gallus (251-53)
with Hostilian (251)
with Volusian (251-3)
Valerian I
and Gallienus (253-60)
with Saloninus (259)
Gallienus
(260-8)
Claudius
II (268-70)
Quintillius
(270)
Aurelian
(270-5)
Tacitus
(275-6)
Florianus
(276)
Probus
(276-82)
Carus
(282-3)
with Numerian (283)
Carinus
(283-5)
Gallic
Empire
Postumus
(259-68)
Victorinus
(268-70)
Tetricus I
(270-3)
Dominate
and First Tetrarchy (284-305)
Diocletian
(284-305)
Maximian
(286-305)
Constantius
I (293-305 as Caesar)
Galerius
(293-305 as Caesar)
The
'British' Empire
Carausius
(286-93)
Allectus
(293-6)
The
Second Tetrarchy (305-6)
Constantius
I (305-6)
Galerius
(305-11)
Severus II
(305-6 as Caesar)
(306-7 as Augustus)
Maximinus
II (305-6 as Caesar)
(306-7 as Augustus)
Constantine
I (306-7 as Caesar)
Maxentius (306-12)
Licinius I
(308-24)
House
of Constantine (307-63)
Constantine
I (307-37)
Crispus
(317-26 as Caesar)
Constantine
II (317-37 as Caesar)
(337-40 as Augustus, ruling
Gaul, Spain and Britain)
Constans
(333-37 as Caesar)
(337-50 as Augustus, ruling Italy,
Africa and Balkans)
Constantius
II (324-37 as Caesar)
(337-61 as Augustus in the East)
Constantius
Gallus 351-4 as Caesar
Julian II
335-60 as Caesar
360-3 as Augustus
House
of Magnentius
Magnentius
(350-3)
Decentius
(351-3 as Caesar)
Jovian (363-4)
Houses
of Valentinian and Theodosius
The
machinations of this reign are very complicated. From 364-75 Valentinian I
ruled the West, while from 364-78 his brother Valens took the East. In 367
Valentinian's son Gratian became joint Augustus with his father. From 375, on
Valentinian I's death, Gratian shared his rule with his brother Valentinian II.
On the death of Valens in 378 Gratian took over the East but made his general
Theodosius (son of Count Theodosius who came to Britain in 367) co-emperor and
gave him the East. In 383 Gratian was killed, leaving Valentinian II in sole
control of the West apart from territories controlled by the usurper Magnus
Maximus (383-8). The defeat of Maximus restored Valentinian II but he was
killed in 392, and followed by the usurper Eugenius (392-4). Eugenius was
defeated and killed in 394 leaving Thedosius in supreme control from 394-5.
Since 383 he had ruled jointly with his son Arcadius, and from 393 with his
other son Honorius as well. On the death of Theodosius I Arcadius took took the
East until 408, while Honorius ruled the West until 423, except for those areas
seized by the British usurper Constantine III (407-11).
Back to the Top
Back to the Home
Page or take
a look at Coins
of Roman Egypt