DATES AND MINT MARKS
ON
ANCIENT ROMAN COINS
Jean Stern
Executive Director
The Irvine Museum
RELATIVE DATING
THE LAW of SUPERPOSITION
“In deposited layers, the oldest is at the bottom
and the youngest is at the top.”
STYLISTIC ASSOCIATION
Material from one site’s “level A”
shares characteristics with another site’s “level B.”
ABSOLUTE DATING
Based on the physical or chemical properties
of materials created or altered
by human activity
Carbon 14
Thermoluminescense
Dendrochronology
Obsidian hydration
and others...
HISTORICAL DATE
A “date” on a document, coin or other object
Regnal Year Dates
Zero Point Dates
532 - Dionysius calculates “Anno Domini” date system
753 BCE- Traditional founding of Rome by Romulus
“year one” for A. U. C.
510 BCE- Romans overthrow the Etruscan-imposed Monarchy
and establish the Republic
27 BCE- Senate grants Octavian (Augustus) extraordinary powers
Start of Roman Empire
476- Fall of the Roman Empire in the West
1453- Fall of Constantinople to Ottoman Turks
End of Byzantine / Eastern Roman Empire
650-600 BCE - Coinage invented in Lydia
Lydia
Electrum 1/3 stater
c. 610 BCE
Athens
Silver Tetradrachm
450 to 400 BCE
Alexander the Great
Silver Tetradrachm
Sidon, c. 320 BCE
Judaea
Bar Kochba War (132 to 135)
Silver Sela
Year 2 = 133-134
Judaea
“Widow’s Mite”
Alexander Jannaeus (103-76 BCE)
“Striking” an Ancient Coin
coin blank
very hot coin blank
anvil die
or obverse
obverse
or
anvil die
reverse
reverse
or die
or punch
punch die
Zander Klawans
Common Minting Flaws
Off-center
Double struck
Zander Klawans
Cracked flan
Hoards:
In a Garden
Under a Floor
Within a Wall
Coin Hoard
As found in excavation
and prior to cleaning
Hoard of Roman Gold Coins
Dropped coins:
Market Places
Under Bridges
HOW TO READ
and DATE A ROMAN COIN
ABBREVIATIONS ON ROMAN COINS
AVG, AVGVSTVS: Head of State, Emperor
IMP, IMPERATOR: Leader of the Army
CAES, CAESAR: Family name of the first Emperors
Later denoted the Heir Apparent
COS, CONSVL: Highest of the offices under the Republic
Two were appointed each year
PM, PONT MAX, PONTIFEX MAXIMVS:
Highest Priest of the Roman Religion
PP, PATER PATRIAE: Father of the Country
TR P, TRIB POT, TRIBVNICIA POTESTAS:
The power of the Tribune
The Tribune had the power to veto acts of the Senate.
The office was renewed annually.
IMP = Imperator
CAES = Caesar
VESPASIAN (69-79)
AVG = Augustus
PM = Pontifex Maximus
TR P = Tribunitia Potesta
PP = Pater Patriae
COS III = Consul
for the third time = 71 CE
Vespasian - 69-79 CE
Marcus Aurelius (161-180)
M ANTONIUS AVG ARM PARTH MAX
TR POT XXI = 166/167
TR POT I- was in 146, under predecessor Antoninus Pius
IMP IIII = 166 and 167
ARM(ENIACUS) = 164 / PARTH(ICUS) MAX(IMUS) = 166
COS III = Served 3rd and last consulship in 161
COIN DENOMINATIONS
Bronze As = basic unit of coinage
Claudius - 41-54
TI CLAVDIVS CAESAR AVG PM TRP IMP PP
Brass Dupondius = 2 As
Radiate
crown
Trajan (98-117)
IMP CAES NERVAE TRAIANO AVG GER DAC
PM TRP COS V PP
COS V = 103 to 112 (COS VI)
Bronze Sestertius = 4 As
Caius or Caligula (37-41)
C CAESAR AVG GERMANICVS PON M TR POT
Silver Denarius = 16 As
(originally 10 As)
Titus (79-81)
IMP TITVS CAES VESPASIAN AVG PM
TR P IX IMP XV COS VIII PP
(TR P I = 71) TR P IX = 80
Gold Aureus = 25 Denarii
Augustus (27 BCE-14 CE)
IMP X = 15 to 12 BCE
ROMAN IMPERIAL MINT CITIES
Roman Provincial Mints
In addition to Imperial mints, over 600 cities in
the Roman Empire issued provincial (local) coinage.
Local Coinage in the West- with Latin legends
(Caligula)
Segobriga, Spain
Local Coinage in the East- with Greek legends
(Gordian III)
Hadrianopolis, Thrace
Caius (Caligula) (37-41)
Adlocutio Cohort
Nero (54-68)
AE Sestertius
Mint of Rome
Nero (54-68)
AE Sestertius
Pellet = Mint of Lugdunum (Lyon)
Tetradrachm of Antioch ad Orontum
NEPΩN KAIΣAP ΣΕΒAΣΤΩC
Nero (54-68)
AR Tetradrachm
Mint of Antioch, Syria
Date BIP = 112 = (49 BCE) = 63/64 CE
Poppaea, wife of Nero
NEPΩ = Nero (54-68)
Mint of Alexandria, Egypt
L IA = year eleven = 65-66
Titus (79-81)
Coliseum, completed 80 CE
Trajan (98-117)
Trajan’s Column
Erected in 113
Hadrian (161-180)
Lighthouse at Alexandria
Biblical Samaria
Marcus Aurelius (161-180)
Mint of Neapolis, Samaria
Fl(avian) Neapolis (in) Syria Palestina
Local date 88 = 159-160 CE
Beirut, Lebanon
Gallienus (253-260)
COL IVL AVG FEL
BER
Caracalla (198-217)
Marcus Aurelius Antoninus
TRP XVI = 214
Julia Paula (219-220)
First wife of Elagabalus (218-222)
Zodiac
Maximinus I (235-238)
Marius (268)
In the fifty years between 235 and 285, no less than
Forty-Two emperors and usurpers issued coins.
The most prevalent themes on these coins were
FIDES MILITUM and CONCORDIA MILITUM.
Tacitus (275-276)
Florianus (276)
Jupiter throwing a thunderbolt
Iovi Victori
Postumus (259-268)
Usurper in Britain, Gaul and Spain
CA = Colonia Agrippina
Cologne, Germany
Carausius, usurper in Britain
Carausius (287-293)
with Diocletian and Maximianus
Mint “C” thought to be Colchester, England?
Diocletian (284-305)
Divided Roman Empire into East and West in 293
PTR = Pecunia, Treveri (Triers)
FELIX ADVENT AVGG NN
Personification of AFRICA
Maximianus (286-305) (306-308) (310)
Silver plated bronze Follis
Pecunia K S = Mint of Carthage, workshop 2
She-Wolf and Twins
Maxentius (306-313)
AR Argenteus
M (Moneta) OST A = Ostia, workshop 1
Constantine the Great (307-337)
Legalized Christianity in the Roman Empire
Founded Constantinople in 324
Beata Tranquillitas “Blessed Peace”
Crispus (317-326)
Pecunia LON = Mint of Londinium (London)
Legionary Camp Gate
Constantine II (337-340)
SM TS Δ = Mint of Thessalonica (Salonika)
workshop 4
Fel Temp Reparatio
The Return of Happy Times
or “Happy Days are Here Again”
Constantius II (337-361)
ALE B = Mint of Alexandria, workshop 2
Emperor leads a barbarian out of hut
Constans (337-350)
AN Γ = Mint of Antioch, workshop 3
Revelation 1: 8
“I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last,
the beginning and the end.”
A
XP = Chi Rho
Magnentius (350-353)
AMB = Mint of Ambianum (Amiens, France)
ω
SECVRITAS REIPVB
Julian II “The Apostate” (360-363)
AE Silvered Follis
(star) A SIRM (palm) = Sirmium = Sremska Mitrovica, Serbia
Honorius (393-423)
Gold Solidus
MD = Mint of Mediolanum
Milan
Johannes (423-425)
Gold Solidus
Usurper in the west
RV = Mint of Ravenna, Italy
Constantine III (407-411)
Gold Solidus
AR = Mint of Arles, France
Romulus Augustus (476)
Last Roman Emperor in the West
Byzantine or Eastern Roman Empire
Justinian the Great (527-565)
AE Follis
M = 40 numia, Anno XIII = 540
ΘΫΠΟ = Theoupolis = Mint of Antioch (Syria)
A = workshop 1
Justinian the Great (527-565)
K = 20 numia (Half-Follis)
XII = year 12 = 539
No mint mark = Constantinople
Δ = workshop 4
Justinian II, First Reign (685-695)
First Coin to show Jesus Christ
Rex Regnantium = King of Kings
Byzantine
Anonymous, c. 970-1100
Jesus Christ King of Kings
Manuel II Palaeologus (1391-1423)
(Fall of Constantinople in 1453)
The “Angel”
Nero (54-68)
Victory, SPQR
Constans (323-350)
Victoria Augustorum
Portraits of Julius Caesar
Caesar’s Gallic Wars, 58 to 50 BCE
Omnia Gallia in tres partes divisa est...
Military mint moving with Caesar’s armies
Vercingetorix
Assassination of Julius Caesar - 44 BCE
Brutus - died 42 BCE
AR Denarius of 44-42 BCE
Military mint moving with army
CLEOPATRA VII
Second Triumvirate 43 BCE
Marc Antony
Octavian
Lepidus
AGRIPPA
Commander of Roman Forces
Battle of Actium - 31 BCE
Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa
63 BCE - 12 BCE
Battle of Actium - 31 BCE
Cleopatra
Mint of Alexandria
Antony and Cleopatra
Military mint
Marc Antony’s Legionary denari - Mint moving with military
Outcome of the Battle of Actium - 31 BCE
Augustus
Sole Ruler of Rome
and All Lands Bordering on the Mediterranean
THE END
Thank you
for attending my lecture.