DATES AND MINT MARKS

ON

ANCIENT ROMAN COINS

Jean SternExecutive 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

Lydia

Electrum 1/3 stater

c. 610 BCE

650-600 BCE - Coinage invented in Lydia

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)

coin blank

anvil die

or obverse

reverse

or punch die

“Striking” an Ancient Coin

very hot coin blank

obverse or

anvil die

reverse or

punch die

Zander Klawans

Off-center

Cracked flanZander Klawans

Double struck

Common Minting Flaws

Coin Hoard

As found in excavation

and prior to cleaning

Hoards:

In a Garden

Under a Floor

Within a Wall

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.

Vespasian - 69-79 CE

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

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

Marcus Aurelius (161-180)

COIN DENOMINATIONS

Claudius - 41-54

TI CLAVDIVS CAESAR AVG PM TRP IMP PP

Bronze As = basic unit of coinage

Brass Dupondius = 2 As

Trajan (98-117)

IMP CAES NERVAE TRAIANO AVG GER DAC

PM TRP COS V PP

COS V = 103 to 112 (COS VI)

Radiate

crown

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

Augustus (27 BCE-14 CE)

IMP X = 15 to 12 BCE

Gold Aureus = 25 Denarii

ROMAN IMPERIAL MINT CITIES

Roman Provincial Mints

Local Coinage in the West- with Latin legends

(Caligula)

Segobriga, Spain

In addition to Imperial mints, over 600 cities in

the Roman Empire issued provincial (local) coinage.

(Gordian III)

Hadrianopolis, Thrace

Local Coinage in the East- with Greek legends

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

NEPΩ = Nero (54-68)

Mint of Alexandria, Egypt

L IA = year eleven = 65-66

Poppaea, wife of Nero

Titus (79-81)

Coliseum, completed 80 CE

Trajan (98-117)

Trajan’s Column

Erected in 113

Hadrian (161-180)

Lighthouse at Alexandria

Marcus Aurelius (161-180)

Mint of Neapolis, Samaria

Fl(avian) Neapolis (in) Syria Palestina

Local date 88 = 159-160 CE

Biblical Samaria

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

Marius (268)

Tacitus (275-276) Florianus (276)

Maximinus I (235-238)

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.

Postumus (259-268)

Usurper in Britain, Gaul and Spain

CA = Colonia Agrippina

Cologne, Germany

Jupiter throwing a thunderbolt

Iovi Victori

Carausius (287-293)

with Diocletian and Maximianus

Mint “C” thought to be Colchester, England?

Carausius, usurper in Britain

Diocletian (284-305)

Divided Roman Empire into East and West in 293

PTR = Pecunia, Treveri (Triers)

Maximianus (286-305) (306-308) (310)

Silver plated bronze Follis

Pecunia K S = Mint of Carthage, workshop 2

FELIX ADVENT AVGG NN

Personification of AFRICA

Maxentius (306-313)

AR Argenteus

M (Moneta) OST A = Ostia, workshop 1

She-Wolf and Twins

Constantine the Great (307-337)

Legalized Christianity in the Roman Empire

Founded Constantinople in 324

Crispus (317-326)

Pecunia LON = Mint of Londinium (London)

Beata Tranquillitas “Blessed Peace”

Constantine II (337-340)

SM TS Δ = Mint of Thessalonica (Salonika)

workshop 4

Legionary Camp Gate

Constantius II (337-361)

ALE B = Mint of Alexandria, workshop 2

Fel Temp Reparatio

The Return of Happy Times

or “Happy Days are Here Again”

Constans (337-350)

AN Γ = Mint of Antioch, workshop 3

Emperor leads a barbarian out of hut

Magnentius (350-353)

AMB = Mint of Ambianum (Amiens, France)

XP = Chi Rho

Revelation 1: 8

“I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last,

the beginning and the end.”

ωA

Julian II “The Apostate” (360-363)

AE Silvered Follis

(star) A SIRM (palm) = Sirmium = Sremska Mitrovica, Serbia

SECVRITAS REIPVB

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

Justinian the Great (527-565)

AE Follis

M = 40 numia, Anno XIII = 540

ΘΫΠΟ = Theoupolis = Mint of Antioch (Syria)

A = workshop 1

Byzantine or Eastern Roman Empire

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

Military mint moving with Caesar’s armies

Vercingetorix

Omnia Gallia in tres partes divisa est...

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

Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa

63 BCE - 12 BCE

AGRIPPA

Commander of Roman Forces

Battle of Actium - 31 BCE

Battle of Actium - 31 BCE

Cleopatra

Mint of Alexandria

Marc Antony’s Legionary denari - Mint moving with military

Antony and Cleopatra

Military mint

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.