Ancient Greek & Roman Coins
2011 Update

An Educational Site on Roman Coins, Greek Coins and other Ancient Coins


Coins shown in the headline photo for this site were not selected for condition or value but for interest. Why were these photos selected? This photo contains one modern fake, two ancient fakes and several coins that are in some way exceptional. Regular visitors of this site might be able to explain why I placed each coin on this composite. Play the game; guess what I was thinking for each coin. Clicking on a coin will take you to a related page.

Site Highlights

Vocabulary of Ancient Coins
Start here if you are new to Collecting

Part 1 - Greek
Part 2 - Not so Greek
Part 3 - Republican
Part 4 - Early Imperial
Part 5 - 3rd Century Imperial
Part 6 - Late Imperial
Postscript

...or you may prefer to select from the 100+ pages on the MENU below.

This site is no longer being maintained by its author. New pages and updates to some of these pages are being posted at:

My new space

Please change your bookmarks. I have no idea how long this site will continue at ancinents.info. I can be reached at dougsmit (at) comcast.net

Coins shown on this site are not for sale and belong to a number of different collectors who have been so kind as to allow me to make photographs of their coins.

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It is just a fact!

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MENU
The following pages were posted over a period of years and reflect my understanding of the subjects at that time. Some need updating.

My favorites are listed first but repeated in sections below:

  • Roman Imperial Coin Denominations - A survey
  • Alexandria Denarii - Commodus, Pertinax & Albinus
  • Septimius Severus & Julia Domna An Overview of coins
  • Style Judging numismatic art
  • My Favorite Coin Revisited I bought it in 1963
  • Bride of My Favorite Coin A Numismatic Wedding
  • 3 More Gordian & Tranquillina Centration Marks
  • Officinae The workshop system on Roman coins
  • Vocabulary of Ancient Coins
  • Grading & Describing Ancient Coins - My most popular page!
  • The Coin Show - 3 ways to collect
  • The Coin Show 2011 a Sequel
  • Brockage or Clashed Dies? Which is which?
  • Fourrees - Plated Coins A multi part survey
  • Fabric Coin Structure
  • Topics addressing a Roman subject:

    Roman Republic:
  • Vocabulary of Republican coins
  • Cast Ancient Coins Roman & Greek cast coins
  • 3 Republican Denarii - Same or Different
  • Serrate Fourree Republican Denarius- No guarantee!
  • Republican Plated Denarii Fourrees

    Early Empire (12 Caesars):

  • Abbreviations on Roman Imperial Coins - SC TRP etc.
  • Ugly but Collectable Ugly and Rare
  • Tiberius: The Tribute Penny - Render Unto Caesar......
  • An Indian copy of the Tribute Penny - A barbaric coin of good silver
  • Claudius I Varieties Low cost options for a popular Caesar
  • Two Dupondii of Nero Selecting and Photographing
  • Nero Temple of Janus The doors were closed
  • Plated Denarii Second installment of a series
  • 2 Bronzes of Vespasian Same/Different series
  • Mintmarked Coins of The Flavians - Three Eastern mint denarii
  • A Denarius of Domitian Dolphin of Neptune & 4 more
  • Roman Imperial Coin Denominations - A survey

    Middle Empire (Adoptive Emperors):

  • Imperial Plated Coins More fourrees
  • Hadrian An overview of a popular ruler
  • Antoninus Pius Caesar The politics of succession
  • A Two Headed Denarius - Pius adopts Aurelius
  • Collecting Antoninus Pius
  • Antony Denarius Reissued Actium denarii 200 years later
  • The Commodus of Your Choice Each better than the other

    Severan Period:

  • Alexandria Denarii - Commodus, Pertinax & Albinus
  • A denarius of Pescennius Niger - Too rare for his own good
  • Septimius Severus & Julia Domna An Overview of coins
  • Legionary Denarii of Septimius Severus A catalog
  • Julia Domna AlexandriaTetradrachm Julia Domna Tetradrachms of Alexandria
  • Septimius Severus 'Emesa' Mint Denarii
  • Julia Domna 'Emesa' Mint Denarii
  • Barbaric Denarii of Septimius Severus Strange coins!
  • Style Judging numismatic art
  • Legion III Coins of Septimius Severus Rome and Alexandria
  • Septimius, Julia & Venus His & Hers coins
  • My Favorite Coin Revisited I bought it in 1963
  • Bride of My Favorite Coin A Numismatic Wedding
  • Minerva/Athena Unlisted Septimius denarius and more
  • Caesarea AE of Septimius Severus - Greek Imperial
  • A Fourree Mule Denarius- Septimius / Caracalla
  • Blundered legend of Septimius? - Spell check would have missed it!
  • Local Silver of Septimius from Caesarea - Greek Imperial
  • Caracalla Caesar Sestertius - A coin of fine style
  • Caracalla or Elagabalus? Rules to tell the coins apart
  • Ugly but Collectable My rarest coins but do you want them?
  • Imperial Plated Coins More fourrees
  • Geta The One Who Died
  • Macrinus A Greek Imperial of Laodocea and two denarii
  • Macrinus again A Neocorate of Nikomedia
  • Two Heads: Better than One Greek Imperial - Macrinus
  • Maesa & Elagabalus 'Unlisted' Coins Not in RIC
  • Thrace & Moesia Provincials
  • Unusual Severus Alexander Denarius from Antioch
  • 2 Bronzes of Severus Alexander Same/Different

    Military Emperors:

  • Gordian III Boy King Common coins of a young man
  • 3 More Gordian & Tranquillina Centration Marks
  • Twin Portraits of Gordian & Tranquillina - Greek Imperial
  • Philip the Arab & Family 4 coins of the First Family
  • Philip the Arab & Family An expanded look at the same material
  • 2 Philip II Marcianopolis Bronzes Same/Different
  • Officinae The workshop system on Roman coins
  • Trajan Decius: Double Your Money Profitable overstriking
  • A sestertius of Trebonianus Gallus - When a hole adds interest?
  • Agonistic Bronzes Coins of the games
  • Valerian II & Saloninus Brothers of numismatic confusion
  • Postumus , Emperor of Gaul
  • Revolt of Aureolus Coins of a ruler with no coins
  • Aurelian An overview
  • Reverse Gallic Empire Brockages Interesting artifacts
  • Florian Politics, Succession and Death
  • Antoniniani Of Probus - MANY PHOTOS - Basic Overview
  • An antoninianus of Probus - An exercise at looking closely
  • Probus EQVITI Coins A strange series!
  • Coded Antoniniani HRKOULI - IOBI
  • XXI and Other LettersThings found on the reverse
  • A silvered Antoninianus of Numerian - Why GGG?
  • MAX Coins of Maximinus, Maximianus etc.
  • Galerius A follis of Maximianus Noble Caesar
  • A Coin of John Quincy Adams - ...but its mine now!
  • Maximinus II as Filius Augustorum - Better than Caesar?

    Constantinian Period (Christianity comes to Rome):

  • Constantine IThe Road to Greatness
  • Crispus & Fausta Tabloids would love THIS one?
  • Delmatius Nepotism Roman Style
  • FEL TEMP REPARATIO A survey of a common types
  • Stirrups? on a coin of Constantius II Can you believe?
  • Bavarian Collection A great collection that no one knew
  • Campgates - a popular type
  • Constantinian Copper - Coins from junk boxes
  • "By This Sign, You Shall Be Victorius" - Milvian Bridge
  • Follis of Constantine - A $5 coin and worth the money!
  • AE2 of Magnentius A Chi-Rho coin of a pagan ruler
  • Identifying Late Roman Coins using RIC and other References
  • Common Uncleaned Coins (Coins commonly found in ACE uncleaned lots)

    End of the Empire (Valentinian and later):

  • 5th Century AD Roman Bronze Tiny, ugly & very popular
  • Coins of Barbarians After the fall, then what?
  • Valentinian & Theodosius - Junk box coins: Part 2
  • An AE2 of Arcadius - Inverted overstrike and the hand of God
  • An AE4 of Theodosius I - Tiny but sharp!
  • Greek & Other Ancient Coins:

    Greek:

  • Vocabulary of Greek Coins
  • Greek Plated Coins More fourrees
  • Greek Tiny Treasures Obols and smaller silver
  • Microcopic Coin Photos More small coins
  • A Coin from Spain Castulo AE
  • Taras, the Boy on a Dolphin A popular Greek silver coin
  • Countermarked Greek Coins
  • An Owl of Athens A fourree 4dr and solid obol
  • Istros Two heads, one inverted
  • Thrace An overview of the region
  • Thrace & Moesia Provincials
  • Rhodes A Colossal type
  • Widow's Mites A popular Biblical coin
  • Alexander the Great Coins to finance conquest
  • Coins of the Ptolemies Most Greek of the Egyptians
  • Cast Ancient Coins Greek & Roman cast coins
  • Medusa - Still more looking closely
  • Greek Bronze Coins- An Overview for Beginners
  • Greek Imperials - An Overview for Beginners
  • Trihemiobol of Corinth - A heavily reticulated silver coin
  • Larissa Drachm - Horse 'ready to roll'
  • A test cut coin - Stater of Tarsos, Cilicia

    Eastern Empires:

  • Persian Imperial Silver Coins Running kings
  • Parthian Coins An overview of coins
  • A Parthian Fourree Overstruck on Roman???
  • Month Dated Parthian Tetradrachm - Struck for Greek tastes
  • Baktrian Nickel & Other Eastern Coins Pre-1800 nickel!
  • Elymais A side trip on the tour of history

    Byzantine:

  • Byzantine Overstrikes Recycling before it was popular
  • Jesus Portraits - on Byzantine Coins
  • Byzantine Bronzes Marked Denominations
  • Technical and General Topics:

  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Vocabulary of Ancient Coins
  • Ancient Greek & Roman Coins: Overview for Beginners
  • Selecting A Specialty - You can't buy them all!
  • Caesar - Emperor Junior Grade (ACM)
  • Grading & Describing Ancient Coins - My most popular page!
  • The Coin Show - 3 ways to collect
  • Size Scales - When Denominations are unknown
  • Choosing Ancient Coins - Why do you like this coin?
  • Abbreviations on Ancient Coins
  • Stereoscopic Microscope Tool for numismatists
  • Microcopic Coin Photos More small coins
  • Microscope Photo Quiz Whatzits?
  • A Fourree Brockage of Hadrian A rare combination
  • The Earliest Coin Photograph? Tell me I'm wrong?
  • Brockage or Clashed Dies? Which is which?
  • Fourrees - Plated Coins A multi part survey
  • Photography of Ancient Coins How to - if you like my photos
  • Digital Camera Photography of Ancient Coins
  • Digital Coin Photography - 2002 Update
  • Photographing a Nero Dupondius - a difficult subject
  • Direct Scanning Ancient Coins Flat Bed Scanner
  • Photographing Ancient Coins - 2003 Update (Minolta)
  • Photographing Ancient Coins - 2004 Update (Canon)
  • Photographing Ancient Coins - 2008 Update (Canon)
  • Die Links A tool for numismatists
  • Lions on Coins Miletos, Septimius, Gallienus, Leo
  • Apollo Statues on Coins
  • Centration Dimples Gordian & Tranquillina Imperials
  • Ancient Coin Book Reviews Buy the book before the coin
  • Encyclopedia of Roman Coins (book review)
  • Worth? Purchasing Power of Roman coins
  • Style Judging numismatic art
  • Fabric Coin Structure
  • Questions I have for you PLEASE!
  • Fakes! - A survey of 'modern' ancients
  • Illustrated Glossary of Terms - other - Exergue etc.
  • Illustrated Glossary of Terms: Heads - Laureate, radiate etc.
  • Gods & Goddesses of the Roman Pantheon - Illustrated list
  • Personifications on Roman Coins - Illustrated list
  • Buy the Book Before the Coin!:

    A message from the owner of this page:

    This page is very much a 'fast food' or 'pop culture' approach to the subject of ancient numismatics. I am an amateur collector and offer no guarantee of completeness or accuracy on any material on this site. I recommend that you research your questions rather than accepting blindly anything posted here. I also recommend you apply this same degree of care in using any other source material online or in hard copy. This site was intended to expose new collectors to an enjoyable hobby. No claim is made to serious scholarship. Serious numismatists are also welcomed here while they await publication of more proper and scholarly coverage of this material. Images posted on this site are taken from a variety of sources including my personal collection and several other private collections.

    Links to other sites on the Web have been removed. I proved too lazy to keep up.

    © 1997-2011 Doug Smith - All materials may be copied and used by any teachers or students participating in the Ancient Coins for Education programs.

    .

    This site began 27 Feb 97.

    This site is dedicated to the memory of two men who were most influential in my studies.
    Dr. John F. Charles of Wabash College (Crawfordsville, Indiana) taught me: "It's more fun to know than not to know."
    Roger A. Bickford-Smith was my friend and the source of most of what I know about the Eastern mints of Septimius Severus.
    Both are missed.