Trusted websites:
| Denomination | Introduced | Metal Constitution | Worth | Typical Purchases |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quadrans | 3rd Century BC | Copper or Bronze | 1/4 As | A small loaf of bread |
| Semis | 3rd Century BC | Copper or Bronze | 1/2 As | A cheap vegetable |
| As | 3rd Century BC | Copper or Bronze | 1 As | A liter of wine |
| Dupondius | 23 BC | Bronze | 2 Asses | A simple meal |
| Quinarius | 211 BC | Silver or Gold | 1/2 Denarius or Aureus | A modest meal |
| Sestertius | 211 BC | Brass | 4 Asses | A day’s labor for a laborer |
| Denarius | 211 BC | Silver | 16 Asses | A pair of shoes or a day’s wages |
| Antoninianus | AD 215 | Silver, later Billon | 2 Denarii | A good quality tunic |
| Follis | AD 294 | Bronze, later Billon | Varies | A loaf of fine bread |
| Argenteus | AD 294 | Silver | 1/96 lb of Silver | Several days’ wages |
| Aureus | 1st Century BC | Gold | 25 Denarii | A small piece of land |
| Solidus | AD 309 | Gold | 1/72 lb of Gold | A high-quality toga or armor |
Where billion is the alloy of copper and silver with more than 50% copper, and was used to debase the currency, either deliberately or by silver shortage. Brass is the alloy of copper and zinc. There are actually later Roman coins that are made of leaded bronze, which consists of copper, tin, and lead, however it is usually just referred to as bronze for simplicity. Bronze coins react easier with its environment than purer metals, e.g., silver, this results in many bronze coins developing what is called “patinas”. This means that the bronze coins can have coloring of black, brown, green, and so on.
The copper and bronze coins of smaller values does not have the intrinsic value to support its monetary value. Instead it holds fiduciary value, meaning that it is determined by the state to make trade easier.
The observe of the coin usually tells who the emperor is and the reverse usually tells a story. Coins in ancient Rome were used as propaganda and to deliver messages throughout the empire. Abbreviations are very common on Roman coins as they wanted to put as much information as possible on it.
Here is a table of common abbreviations and their meaning,
| Abbreviation | Meaning | Context |
|---|---|---|
| AVG | Augustus | Title for Roman Emperor |
| CAES | Caesar | Title for Roman Emperor or heir apparent |
| COS | Consul | Roman political office |
| IMP | Imperator | Commander, often referring to the Emperor |
| IVL | Julia | Pertaining to the Julian family |
| MAX | Maximus | Often part of a longer name or title (e.g., PONTIF MAX) |
| P M | Pontifex Maximus | High Priest of Roman religion |
| PP | Pater Patriae | Father of the Country |
| S C | Senatus Consulto | By Decree of the Senate |
| TR P | Tribunicia Potestas | Tribunician Power |
| VICT | Victoria | Victory |
| DN | Dominus Noster | Our Lord |
| FEL | Felicitas | Good fortune or happiness |
| PF | Pius Felix | Pious and Fortunate |
| PR | Princeps | First citizen or Emperor |
| INV | Invictus | Unconquered |
| SPQR | Senatus Populusque Romanus | The Roman Senate and People |
| AET | Aeternitas | Eternity |
| CON | Constantinus | Pertaining to the Constantine family |
| EXER | Exercitus | Army |
| SAC | Sacra | Sacred |
| D D | Deo Dato | Given by God |
For example, COS III means three times consul.
RIC stands for Roman Imperial Coinage and gives each ancient Roman coin an identification number. If you buy a coin without knowing the RIC number, you can identify your coin through various websites, one popular one is OCRE and another is Wildwinds. Roman coins are in general one of the easier ancient coin categories to identify as they are written in Latin and quite easy to read.