Roman Bronze Coins

Antoninus Pius. A.D. 138-161. Rome - A.D. 144. Æ Sestertius. Laureate head right / 'IMPERATOR II' Victory flying right holding trophy in both hands. About Very Fine & Very Scarce. Imperator a second time for Lollius Urbicus' fighting in Britain!

Antoninus Pius. A.D. 138-161., Rome - A.D. 146. Æ Sestertius. Laureate head right / 'COS IIII' Antoninus with radiate nimbus standing left holding branch & spear, 'S-C' in fields. Pleasing Very Fine & Scarce.

Arcadius was born in A.D. 377 to Theodosius I who became the emperor of the eastern half of the Empire in A.D. 383. Arcadius was immediately made joint emperor in the east and when Theodosius died in A.D. 395 he left his other son, Honorius, emperor in the west, creating a family dynasty. Sadly, both weak rulers were dominated by others; but, this weakness had an advantage. They were so weak no one ever deposed them, meaning they survived those who dominated them as most killed each other in the bid for sole control of the emperor. Arcadius died of natural causes in A.D. 408 and was succeeded by his son, Theodosius II. The coins of Arcadius are becoming increasingly hard to find, this is the first group we have been able to offer in a long time. The coins are an intriguing, small denomination called a Half-Centenionalis. They are about 1cm across and weighing roughly 1 gram, they are some of the smallest Roman coins ever struck! They are in Good Fine grade, show the emperor’s bust and name on the obverse with various reverses. This will be a gap for many collectors, don’t miss out on one of the smallest Roman coins…

After a long and successful career in the army Aurelian was declared emperor by his troops on the death of Claudius II Gothicus in A.D. 270. His reputation alone defeated his rival Quintillus who committed suicide after his troops deserted. His short, violent five year reign saw the defeat of the rebellious ‘Palmyrene Empire’ in the East and the breakaway ‘Gallic Empire’ in the west, restoring the fractured Roman Empire to its largest size in 15 years. He also began the construction of a great defensive wall around the city of Rome, large sections of which are still standing today. As was common at the time, he died at the hands of his own men in A.D. 275. We offer Billon Antoninianus of Aurelian in Good Very Fine condition showing his radiate bust on the obverse and with various reverses. As always with coins of this period some will have weaker reverses, the first to order will get the best!

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

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 group of coins from this hoard. The coins were struck between A.D. 260 and 287 and are mostly of Victorinus, Tetricus I, and II. You can have a choice of grades, Fine, Very Fine, or Extremely Fine with prices to please. These Roman coins will be over 1,700 years old soon, they were found in Britain and we will provide you with a certificate of authenticity. Get one for your collection today!

Bronze Antoninianus in Extremely Fine condition

Bronze Antoninianus in Fine condition

Bronze Antoninianus in Very Fine condition

Lucania, Metapontion. Ca. 330-290 B.C., Ly-, magistrate. AR Stater. Wreathed head of Demeter R. wearing triple-pendant earring & necklace; 'EY' below chin / Ear of barley with leaf R.; 'META' upwards L., star above leaf, 'EY' in lower L. field. Flan flaw on obverse cheek, Good Very Fine & Scarce.

Carinus. A.D. 283-285., Rome - A.D. 285. Billon Antoninianus. Radiate bust right / 'PIETAS AVG' Mercury standing left holding purse & caduceus. Good Very Fine & Scarce. Mercury is rare on Imperial Roman coins.

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. On the 22nd of March 1970, a hoard of choice Constantinian Roman bronze coins was found in a field adjoining the Fosse Way, near Bourton-on-the-Water. The locals called the area the ‘Money Ground’ because so many Roman coins were found there over the years. This time they found the ultimate source, what had been an original sack of coins hidden almost 1,700 years ago. Correctly, the hoard was handed in and declared as Treasure Trove. We are thankful to David W. Burge for his excellent article about this hoard, in the Numismatic Chronicle of 1973. It tells you everything you would want to know about the hoard. There were 3,292 coins, all bronze, of which 1,802 were struck in London.

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...

Constantine I is the only Roman emperor called ‘the Great’. His father was Constantius I who died at York in A.D. 306 so the army proclaimed Constantine emperor. From A.D. 307 Constantine pronounced himself ‘Augustus’ and slowly but surely rose to become the sole ruler of the empire. During Constantine’s rise, he needed to link himself to past rulers to show he was the rightful emperor. He had inherited from his father, Constantius I, and he married the old emperor Maximian’s daughter, Fausta, in A.D. 307. In A.D. 310 a dubious family link was ‘discovered’ with Claudius II Gothicus (a popular emperor from A.D. 268-270), emphasising his hereditary right to rule. Between A.D. 316-318 Constantine minted intriguing coins commemorating these dead emperors. Searching through old storage we found a group of these Scarce, small bronze coins he struck for Claudius II. They have the veiled head of Claudius II on the obverse with him seated on the reverse in a full toga & veil. The legend on the obverse shows ‘DIVO CLAVDIO’ & they grade About Very Fine. Own this Scarce piece of ancient propaganda from Constantine the Great!

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...

Constantine II was the eldest son of Constantine the Great, he was Roman Emperor from 337 until his death in 340 AD. After his father’s death, the empire was divided among Constantine II and his brothers, Constantius II and Constans. Constantine II ruled over Gaul, Britannia, and Hispania. His reign was marked by tensions with his brothers, culminating in a failed attempt to assert dominance over Constans’ territories. In 340 AD, Constantine II invaded Italy but was ambushed and killed near Aquileia. His rule was relatively short and tumultuous, overshadowed by the internal strife that characterised the early years of the post-Constantinian empire. Here we are offering his Follis in mint state, a grade which a very difficult grade to find when it comes to 4th century coinage. You can see every bit of detail on these beautiful coins.

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.

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.

Continuing our series of the famous Constantinian Dynasty we offer Constantius Gallus, the tyrannical nephew of Constantine I. Born in Etruria around A.D. 325 Gallus was sickly, 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 AD 354! As he only reigned three years Gallus is the hardest to find of all the Constantinian ruling dynasty. These coins offered here in 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 very limited, do not miss out! PLEASE NOTE: PHOTOGRAPHY IS REPRESENTATIVE OF THE COIN SUPPLIED

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.

Constantius I as Caesar. A.D. 293-305., Antioch - A.D. 297. Æ Ant. Radiate head right / 'CONCORDIA MILITVM' Constantius receiving Victory on globe from Jupiter. Good Fine.