Roman Bronze Coins

Antoninus Pius, AD 138-161, AE Sestertius. Obv. Laureate head right. Rev. TR POT XIX COS IIII, S-C in field. Pax Standing left holding olive-branch and cornucopiae. [Sear 4249] Good Very fine with strong portrait.

Antoninus Pius. A.D. 138-161. Rome - A.D. 153. Æ Sestertius. Laureate head right / 'COS IIII' Salus standing left, holding sceptre and feeding arising from altar, 'S-C' in fields. Extremely Fine and scarce in this grade with a pleasing patina and wonderful bold portrait.

Marcus Claudius Tacitus (A.D. 275 - A.D. 276) apparently claimed descent from Tacitus, the famous Roman historian, reputedly giving out copies of his works. The records from the time are unreliable but what we do know is that after the chaos of Aurelian’s assassination he was eventually elevated by the Senate, from the Senate, temporarily ending the run of soldier emperors. Defeating the plundering ‘barbarian’ tribes in the east of the empire he earned the title ‘Gothicus Maximus’ but died on the return journey. A 6-month reign means his coins are scarce, especially in a high grade! We offer Billon Antoninianus of Tacitus in Extremely Fine condition with various reverses, most also still show traces of silvering. This short-lived emperor will be a gap in many collections so fill it with this high grade coin

On the 30th of October 1873, two large pear-shaped pots containing 29,802 Roman coins were dug up in Blackmoor Park in the parish of Selborne, Hampshire, halfway between Alton and Petersfield. The coins were closely packed and caked together with dirt so had to be carefully excavated, cleaned, and studied. The hoard consisted of coins dating up to around A.D. 296, the year of a battle near Woolmer, where the troops under the Emperor Constantius Chlorus defeated the army of the famous usurper Allectus to retake control of Britain. The hoard could be the unrecovered pay chest for the defeated armies of Allectus. Close to the location of the main coin find several other items have been found including bronze swords, spearheads, axe-heads, pottery, and other articles in metal including more coins. In 1975, the 4th Earl of Selborne decided to sell what he still had left of the hoard when it was auctioned by Christie’s on 9 December 1975. These coins have been tucked away since then and we are able to offer you a very limited quantity that we were able to purchase. The coins are billon Antoninianus of the emperors Victorinus and Tetricus and grade About Very Fine. The selection of coins from this hoard will be of our choice, but if you order more than one coin, we will try to provide you with different coins featuring the portraits of different emperors.

This hoard of 47,912 Third century A.D. bronze Antoniniani is one of the largest ever found in Britain. It was discovered by a metal detectorist in December 1985 in the parish of Normanby, about twelve miles north of Lincoln. The hoard was delivered to the British Museum for cleaning and study and was the subject of a Treasure Inquest on 19 May 1987, where it was found not to be Treasure Trove, in view of the low silver content of the coins, and consequently became the property of the land owner. The hoard was immediately sold by the owner to a coin dealer and has been gradually dispersed in the trade. We have been fortunate to acquire a small number of coins from this hoard. The coins were largely struck between A.D. 253 and 287 and are mostly of the emperors Gallienus, Claudius, Victorinus, and Tetricus I and II and grade Very Fine. The selection of coins from this hoard will be of our choice, but if you order more than one coin, we will try to provide you with different coins featuring the portraits of different emperors.

Before the Crisis of the Third Century most cities in the Roman Empire did not have walls, dried fruit from Syria could be bought in Britain and copper from Cornwall was traded in Egypt! Carinus was in his early thirties when he was made Caesar by Carus, his father, in A.D. 282. More competent than his brother, Numerian, he quelled disturbances in Gaul & Germania. He returned to Rome in charge of the West while his father and brother went to war in the East in A.D. 283. Bias sources have him marrying then divorcing nine women, forcing others into affairs and murdering people he deemed disrespectful. Regardless, he never saw Carus or Numerian again but in their place returned Diocletian at the head of the victorious eastern army. In July A.D. 285 they met at the Battle of the Margus River (the modern Morava River) in Moesia. Legends state Carinus was winning when he was betrayed and stabbed in the back for forcing himself on that person’s wife. Some name them as his Praetorian Prefect and joint Consul, Aristobulus, which appears to have some truth as Diocletian kept Aristobulus in service and later made him governor of multiple provinces. So maybe some of those rumours were right! But judging by the two year run of coins for his wife, Magnia Urbica, the marrying rumour isn’t. This ended what we call ‘The Crisis of the Third Century’ as Diocletian stabilised the Roman Empire with the Tetrarchy system. We offer you Antoninianus of Carinus, the last emperor of the Crisis, in Very Fine Condition with a variety of reverses. After his death what we call a ‘Damnatio Memoriae’ was enacted, Diocletian destroyed his inscriptions and coins, trying to wipe him from the record. This means he is Scarce and a difficult coin to find. Don’t miss out on your chance to get one of these coins!

Maximian was born around 250 A.D. near Sirmium, a man of humble origins who rose fast through a military career to high rank. He was later chosen by the emperor Diocletian as his colleague and co-emperor. When the Tetrarchy was proposed by Diocletian, Maximian chose Constantius (father of Constantine the Great) as his deputy, Caesar, and successor. Maximian campaigned with Diocletian against Rome’s enemies on the Rhine and Danube frontiers. But he was unsuccessful in his attempts to beat the rebel North Sea Fleet commander Carausius who had seized Britain. This was not achieved for another 10 years and then by Constantius. He later fought with success against a revolt in North Africa. When the senior emperor Diocletian abdicated in 305 A.D. Maximian also abdicated at his order, but with great reluctance. But in 307 A.D. Maxentius, the son of Maximian, rebelled against the legitimate emperor Galerius and proclaimed himself emperor in Rome, at the same time luring Maximian out of retirement to aid him. But Maximian had other plans and when he tried to usurp Maxentius’ authority he was forced to take refuge in Gaul with his son-in-law Constantine. Then in 310 A.D. while Constantine was away fighting the Franks, Maximian announced Constantine was dead and had himself proclaimed emperor at Arles. Constantine hearing of the trouble returned. Maximian fled to Marseilles where he was besieged and defeated, either being murdered or forced committed suicide. The coins we offer here are Billon Antoninianus in Extremely Fine condition showing his radiate bust on the obverse and with various reverses.

Probus became emperor in AD 276 after overthrowing the emperor Florianus. A native of the city of Sirmium in what is now Serbia, he rose to prominence and proved himself a capable administrator and commander and is recognised as an emperor who contributed to the revival of the Roman Empire at a time of severe turmoil and crisis. In AD 277/8 his armies defeated the Goths, Alamanni, Longiones, Franks, and Burgundians. He realised that the best way to keep his soldiers out of trouble was to keep them busy so, with the frontiers of the empire stabilised, he set his men to the task of rebuilding the shattered infrastructure of key provinces that had crumbled under previous emperors by building roads, bridges and fortifications, draining marshes, digging canals and, interestingly, planting extensive vineyards. New plantations sprang up across Europe and there is mention in some records of Probus authorising the planting of vineyards in Britain too so we may still be enjoying the fruits of his labours today! These Antoninianus, or ‘Ants’ as we call them, are as good as they come, virtually as struck and with original lustre. The reverses will be of our choice, and there are a variety of reverse types available most with standing figures but a limited number available in this grade.

Constantine the Great 307-337 AD - treasure trove roman bronze coin with London Mint Mark.

Before the Crisis of the Third Century, most cities in the Roman Empire did not have walls, dried fruit from Syria could be bought in Britain and copper from Cornwall was traded in Egypt! Sadly this did not last and continuing with our series we offer one of the harder major Emperors to get from the Crisis, Claudius II Gothicus. Born around A.D. 214 he had held several important military commands during the reigns of Valerian I and Gallienus. When Gallienus was murdered at the siege of Milan, Claudius was swiftly proclaimed emperor by the troops and approved by the Senate. He took the city of Milan and suppressed the rebellion. He quickly defeated the invading Alemanni tribe, then the invading Goths in A.D. 269, winning the title ‘Gothicus Maximus’. Next year the Goths attacked again in Thrace, but an outbreak of plague left them so weak they were again defeated by Claudius. But the plague spread from the captured Goths to the Roman army. Claudius himself fell victim and died of plague at Sirmium in August A.D. 269. He was the turning point in the fortunes of the Roman Empire, the beginning of a long struggle back to stability after The Crisis. We offer Billon Antoninianus with various reverses in an About Very Fine grade with various reverses. As is typical with these coins from The Crisis some will have weaker sections and the first to order will get the best! Claudius Gothicus is one of the hardest Crisis emperors to get so these will run out fast.

Continuing our series of the famous Constantinian Dynasty we offer Constans, the only son who certainly visited Britain. Born around A.D. 320, Constans was the youngest son of Constantine the Great. Following a short war with his brother, Constantine II, he survived and ruled the Western empire with Constantius II in the East. Constans even visited Britain in A.D. 343 by enduring the very dangerous crossing of the channel in mid-winter, campaigning against the Picts and Scots. This means Constans was the last legitimate Roman Emperor we know visited our shores. In A.D. 350 he was killed while on a hunting trip in Gaul by followers of the usurper Magnentius who went on to rule. We offer bronze coins struck between A.D. 342-348 with his bust on the obverse. The two Victories facing each other on the reverse symbolise military success for both Constans and his surviving brother, Constantius II. Here we offer them in Fine, we suspect it will sell out fast like the others in this series.

Continuing our series of the famous Constantinian Dynasty we offer Constans, the only son who certainly visited Britain. Born around A.D. 320, Constans was the youngest son of Constantine the Great. Following a short war with his brother, Constantine II, he survived and ruled the Western empire with Constantius II in the East. Constans even visited Britain in A.D. 343 by enduring the very dangerous crossing of the channel in mid-winter, campaigning against the Picts and Scots. This means Constans was the last legitimate Roman Emperor we know visited our shores. In A.D. 350 he was killed while on a hunting trip in Gaul by followers of the usurper Magnentius who went on to rule. We offer bronze coins struck between A.D. 342-348 with his bust on the obverse. The two Victories facing each other on the reverse symbolise military success for both Constans and his surviving brother, Constantius II. Here we offer them in Very Fine, we suspect they will sell out fast...

Our recent offering of the Roman Starter Collection was so well received we thought we would help our collectors add to it by offering coins of the famous Constantinian Dynasty. This important dynasty, named for its founder, stewarded the pagan-dominated empire from a Tetrarchy of four military men to a heavily Christianised one under one family. But this was by no means a smooth transition! Constantine I is the only Roman emperor called ‘the Great’. Born around A.D. 272 at Naissus (in modern Serbia) his father was Constantius I, one of the soldier emperors in the Tetrarchic system. On campaign in Britain the sick Constantius I died at York in A.D. 306 so the army proclaimed Constantine emperor. From A.D. 307 Constantine styled himself as ‘Augustus’ and slowly but surely became the sole ruler of the empire. Notably, at the Milvian Bridge in A.D. 312, he defeated Maxentius with a Christian symbol on his soldier’s shields, apparently given by God in a dream. As he aged Constantine left the old gods behind, becoming Christian, and this support shaped our modern world as Christianity in the medieval era was the common cause that united the West. He was baptised just before his death in A.D. 337 at roughly 65. Importantly for Britain, he struck the gold Solidus at 72 to the Roman pound, called a Libra. Librae, solidi, and the defunct denarii became pounds, shillings, and pence (£.s.d.). The coin presented here was made after A.D. 320 when Constantine moved away from pagan imagery. It shows a wreath and grades Very Fine. You can now add one of the most important Roman emperors to your collection! And if you already have a coin of him you might not have this type…

Constantine I is the only Roman emperor called ‘the Great’. His father was Constantius I who died in York in A.D. 306 so the army proclaimed Constantine emperor. From A.D. 307 Constantine pronounced himself ‘Augustus’ and slowly but surely became the sole ruler of the empire. Notably, at the Milvian Bridge in A.D. 312, he defeated Maxentius with a Christian symbol on his soldier’s shields given by God in a dream. As he aged Constantine left the old gods behind, becoming Christian, and this support shaped our modern world as Christianity in the medieval era was the common cause that united the West. He was baptised just before his death in A.D. 337 at roughly 65. We offer you this bronze coin minted before his conversion to Christianity. It grades in About Very Fine condition with a pagan reverse of Sol Invictus the sun god, made before A.D. 320. If you already have the 'Wreath' reverse (offered below), a coin made after Constantine moved away from pagan imagery, you can pair it with this coin and display in your collection coinage of the first Roman emperor to convert to Christianity both 'before and after' this important event, that would alter the course of history!

From the series of the famous Constantinian Dynasty, we are now offering Constantine II, the son who thought that he should have ruled alone as the eldest. Probably born in A.D. 316 to Constantine the Great, Constantine Junior was raised to the rank of Caesar very young in A.D. 317, showing some military prowess in the next 20 years. On the death of his father in A.D. 337, he was made Senior Augustus and given Spain, Gaul, and Britain to rule. He thought he deserved more so set out to take from his younger brother, Constans, in Italy. But Constantine was ambushed by his brother’s troops and killed in A.D. 340, lasting only three years. We offer bronze coins struck A.D. 330-337 with the reverse ‘GLORIAEXERCITVS’ or ‘Glory to the Army'. Here we offer the coin in Fine, very reasonable for a coin almost 2,000 years old. Get it now, so you won't feel jealous later...

Josh bought an incredible group of Roman bronze coins. What is outstanding about this group is their condition. They are in a splendid mint state, really outstanding condition. Josh has been selling Fine and Very Fine examples in the past but these coins are Mint State, even he was amazed! Even if you don’t collect Roman coins, at our special price and the fantastic condition the coins are in, you should't really miss out on the offer. Each coin comes with a history of that Emperor and a certificate of authenticity. We have three different Emperors on offer, here we present Constantine II. These bronze coins are about 1,700 years old and in Mint condition! The quality is most impressive, as are our prices all things considered. The denomination is Centenionalis, we sometimes call them ‘Cent’ for short. Please don’t miss out on this Special Offer, we highly recommend it and supplies are limited...

From the series of the famous Constantinian Dynasty, we are now offering Constantine II, the son who thought that he should have ruled alone as the eldest. Probably born in A.D. 316 to Constantine the Great, Constantine Junior was raised to the rank of Caesar very young in A.D. 317, showing some military prowess in the next 20 years. On the death of his father in A.D. 337, he was made Senior Augustus and given Spain, Gaul, and Britain to rule. He thought he deserved more so set out to take from his younger brother, Constans, in Italy. But Constantine was ambushed by his brother’s troops and killed in A.D. 340, lasting only three years. We offer bronze coins struck A.D. 330-337 with the reverse ‘GLORIA EXERCITVS’ or ‘Glory to the Army’. Here we offer the coin in Very Fine, very reasonable for a coin almost 2,000 years old. Get it now, so you won't feel jealous later...

This is one of a handful of very interesting commemorative issues struck by Constantine the Great. The type offered here is one of the more a affordable types and was made for the founding of Constantinople in A.D. 330. They are made from bronze and show the bust of Goddess of the city, ‘Constantinopolis’, in a helmet and war gear on the obverse. The reverse shows the goddess of Victory on the prow of a ship holding a sceptre and shield. This is to symbolise the port being captured using ships by Constantine’s son, Crispus. But what makes these coins so interesting is how well they have survived! At this time bronze coins would circulate so heavily that it is very hard to find them in a good grade. We have a small collection of this commemorative from 1400 years ago in this exceptional About Extremely Fine grade. They are yours for just £69.50.

Josh bought an incredible group of Roman bronze coins. What is outstanding about this group is their condition. They are in a splendid mint state, really outstanding condition. Josh has been selling Fine and Very Fine examples in the past but these coins are Mint State, even he was amazed! Even if you don’t collect Roman coins, at our special price and the fantastic condition the coins are in, you shouldn't really miss out on the offer. Each coin comes with a history of that Emperor and a certificate of authenticity. We have three different Emperors on offer, here we present Constantine the Great. These bronze coins are about 1,700 years old and in Mint condition! The quality is most impressive, as are our prices all things considered. The denomination is Centenionalis, we sometimes call them ‘Cent’ for short. Please don’t miss out on this Special Offer, we highly recommend it and supplies are limited...

This is a very interesting Ancient Roman commemorative coin of Constantine the Great. It was issued to commemorate the founding of Constantinople. You have the bust of Constantine the Great on one side and a standing goddess with wings on the other. Roman commemorative coins tend to be scarce and expensive. This is one of only two commemoratives that is both reasonable and available. They are struck in copper and we have them in Fine, they represent a very important historic event.

Born in Etruria around A.D. 325 Gallus was a sickly child, saving him in A.D. 337 from the purges by the sons of Constantine I. By A.D. 351 Constantius II was ruling alone and needed support. He raised his cousin Gallus to the rank of Caesar, gave him the name Constantius and appointed him governor over the Eastern provinces of the Roman Empire. But Gallus was not fit for the job. He was so tyrannical and brutal that the local citizens were forced to complain directly to Constantius II to avoid retribution. Constantius recalled Gallus to Italy, had him arrested on the journey, tried and executed in A.D 354! As he only reigned three years Gallus is the hardest to find of all the Constantinian ruling dynasty. These coins, in Fine and Very Fine, show a soldier spearing a fallen horseman on the reverse with a profile bust of Constantius Gallus on the obverse. Gallus will be missing from many collections and our supplies are limited, do not miss out.

Continuing our series of the famous Constantinian Dynasty we offer Constantius II, the last surviving son of Constantine the Great. Constantius II was born in A.D. 317 and named after his grandfather, the Tetrach Constantius I, who came to Britain and died at York. After Constantine the Great died in A.D. 337 Constantius II shared the rule of the empire with his two brothers. After a 13 years of tension Constantius II emerged as the sole ruler of the Roman Empire. He was involved in many wars throughout his reign, putting down rebellions and defending the empire against invaders. He died in A.D. 361 on the way to fight another rival, who became his successor, Julian II. These bronze coins offered here in Fine have the reverse design of a Roman soldier spearing a fallen horseman with the obverse showing a profile bust of Constantius II. We have offered different types of Constantius II before, check your collection as we suspect you will not have this reverse from this interesting and successful ruler.

Continuing our series of the famous Constantinian Dynasty we offer Constantius II, the last surviving son of Constantine the Great. Constantius II was born in A.D. 317 and named after his grandfather, the Tetrach Constantius I, who came to Britain and died at York. After Constantine the Great died in A.D. 337 Constantius II shared the rule of the empire with his two brothers. After a 13 years of tension Constantius II emerged as the sole ruler of the Roman Empire. He was involved in many wars throughout his reign, putting down rebellions and defending the empire against invaders. He died in A.D. 361 on the way to fight another rival, who became his successor, Julian II. These bronze coins offered here in Very Fine have the reverse design of a Roman soldier spearing a fallen horseman with the obverse showing a profile bust of Constantius II. We have offered different types of Constantius II before, check your collection as we suspect you will not have this reverse from this interesting and successful ruler.

Continuing our series of the famous Constantinian Dynasty we offer Crispus, the son who was second only to Constantine before being executed. A 1700-year-old mystery that will likely never be solved. Flavius Julius Crispus was born around A.D. 300, the son of Constantine the Great by his first wife Minervina. Made Caesar in A.D. 317 Crispus had a very successful military career, even helping his father to overcome and defeat the rival emperor Licinius in A.D. 324. He was all but heir to the throne but in A.D. 326 he was mysteriously executed on the orders of his father, Constantine the Great. The best theory we have is that his stepmother, the Empress Fausta, engineered it for her own son’s advancement as shortly after Fausta herself was dead on the orders of her devastated and furious husband. These bronze coins were struck in the early A.D. 320s and have various reverses. Crispus does not reign long and after his death, a ‘Damnatio Memoriae’ was enacted meaning his coins are Scarce, and we have limited stock available for this coin. These coins remain some of the best sources of information for him being Caesar. We offer them here in Fine, do not miss out.

Flavius Julius Crispus was born around A.D. 300, the eldest son of Constantine the Great by his first wife Minervina. Made Caesar in A.D. 317 he ruled from Augusta Treverorum (Trier) in Roman Gaul between 318 and 323. Crispus had a very successful military career, his greatest achievement was perhaps defeating the navy of Licinius I at the Battle of the Hellespont in A.D. 324. His victory in battle, together with the victory achieved by his father on land at the Battle of Chrysopolis, forced the resignation of Licinius and his son. At this point in time Crispus was all but heir to the throne. But in A.D. 326 while accompanying Constantine to Rome to celebrate the 20th anniversary of his ascension, Crispus was mysteriously executed on the orders of his father… One theory is that his stepmother, the Empress Fausta, engineered it for her own son’s (Constantine II) advancement. The other theory was put forward by the Late Greek historian Zosimus, and the Byzantine Greek writer Joannes Zonaras, who wrote that Constantine had accused Crispus of incest with his stepmother and had him executed. Regardless of the reasons that lead Constantine the Great to condemn his own son to death, two things we know to be historical facts: Empress Fausta was executed shortly after on the orders of her husband, and a “Damnatio Memoriae” was then performed for Cripsus. ''Damnation Memoriae'' is a modern name as we don't know what the Romans called this action. But we know it was effectively a condemnation of one’s memory, meaning that a person is to be excluded from official accounts. This means his coins are quite Scarce and remain some of the best sources of information for him being Caesar. The coin on offer here is a Centenionalis of Crispus in mint state and is a part of a group of mint state coins that Josh bought, which also includes Constantine the Great and Constantine II Centenionalis. These Crispus coins are an incredible find considering what happened after the execution…