Ancient Roman Coins: Names, Values and How to Identify

Ancient Roman coins are the gold, silver and bronze money of Rome, struck from about 300 BC under the Republic until the fall of the Western Empire in AD 476 (Wikipedia, Roman currency). They are one of the most collected areas of ancient coinage, and common pieces are affordable: Austin Rare Coins says circulated common coins start around $100, while rare high-quality specimens reach five or six figures.

Most imperial coins show an emperor or family member on the front and a god, goddess or message on the back, such as Mars or Venus (Austin Rare Coins). Julius Caesar's portrait on the denarius in 44 BC is often seen as a turning point, because it put a living ruler on the coinage (Wikipedia).

• Aureus (gold): from the 1st century BC to AD 312, when Constantine replaced it with the solidus of about 4.5 g. An aureus weighed 8.18 g under Caesar, 7.28 g after Nero's reform and as little as 3.40 g under Valerian in AD 260, but its gold stayed nearly pure (Wikipedia, Aureus).
• Denarius (silver): introduced around 211 BC at 4.55 g and 95–98% silver; 3.41 g and 93.5% silver after Nero in AD 64; about 5% silver by AD 300 (Wikipedia, Denarius). It was roughly a day's pay for a soldier or laborer, and the 'd' in the old British £sd for pence comes from it.
• Antoninianus (double denarius): introduced AD 215; by the mid-3rd century it held only about 2% silver (Wikipedia, Roman currency).
• Sestertius (brass): orichalcum, 32–34 mm and 25–28 g, a quarter of a denarius; its large size gave engravers room for detailed portraits, which is why collectors like it (Wikipedia, Sestertius).
• Dupondius, as, semis, quadrans: smaller bronze and brass fractions.
• Follis and nummus: bronze coins of the late Empire after Diocletian's reform of AD 301.

Yes, but most are worth tens to hundreds of dollars, not thousands. Asking prices at one U.S. dealer, Austin Rare Coins, checked September 25, 2026:

• Geta silver denarius, Choice Very Fine: $160.71
• Julia Domna denarius, NGC Choice XF: $188.65
• Gordian III denarius, NGC Choice XF: $235.81
• Augustus denarius (Gaius and Lucius), NGC XF: $1,203.13
• Nero denarius, NGC VF: $1,585.24
• Galba denarius, NGC Choice VF: $2,642.06
• Claudius gold aureus, NGC Choice XF: $21,054.69

Wikipedia adds that aurei of emperors such as Trajan fetch about $15,000 at auction. Retail asking prices are higher than what a dealer pays when buying from you.

The dealer list above shows the pattern:

• Metal: the one gold aureus on the list costs 8 to 13 times the priciest silver denarii.
• Whose portrait: famous or short-reigning rulers cost more. Galba ruled from AD 68 to 69, and his denarius is priced above those of long-reigning emperors in similar grade.
• Condition and certification: the same Gordian III denarius is $235.81 in NGC Choice XF and $370.56 in Choice About Uncirculated.
• Historical story: coins tied to a known event, like Brutus's EID MAR, command the highest prices.
• Silver content: late 3rd-century 'silver' coins with 2–5% silver are generally cheaper than early, fine-silver denarii of the same size.

The EID MAR coin of Marcus Junius Brutus, struck in 43–42 BC to mark Caesar's assassination on the Ides of March, 44 BC. It shows Brutus on the front and a freedman's cap between two daggers on the back. About 100 silver denarii and only three gold aurei are known. A gold example sold at Roma Numismatics in London on October 29, 2020 for £3,240,000 (US$4,190,000); in 2023 it was returned to Greece after authorities found it had been looted from a field near Brutus's camp (Wikipedia). Harlan Berk's 2019 book 100 Greatest Ancient Coins ranks it first.

That case is a reminder that provenance matters: a coin with no documented history can be seized even after a sale.

In the United States the main legal limit is on importing, not on collecting. The Convention on Cultural Property Implementation Act of 1983 lets the U.S. restrict imports of archaeological material from countries that have signed agreements; Wikipedia names ancient coins from Cyprus and China as covered, and an importer may need to show documentation that a restricted coin left its source country legally.

In England and Wales, finders must report treasure to the local coroner within 14 days; a find of two or more coins at least 300 years old counts as treasure, with at least 10 coins needed when they contain under 10% gold or silver (Wikipedia, Treasure Act 1996). Other finds can be recorded with the Portable Antiquities Scheme. Rules differ by country, so check local law before buying abroad or metal detecting.

• Read the legend. Imperial coins name the emperor around the portrait, usually abbreviated. The name dates the coin to a reign.
• Measure and weigh it. A 32–34 mm, 25–28 g brass coin is likely a sestertius; a small silver coin of about 3.4 g is likely a denarius; a coppery 'silver' coin from the 3rd century may be a debased antoninianus.
• Check the metal honestly. Grayish, coppery 'silver' points to the 3rd-century debasement, not to a fake.
• Look at the reverse figure. A god, goddess or personification helps narrow the type.
• Photograph both sides in the app to match the portrait, legend and reverse, then confirm with a specialist dealer before paying real money. See the counterfeit guide for general warning signs.

Research and drafting for this page were assisted by AI and checked line by line against the sources listed below. Prices are copied from the named price guide, dealer listing or auction report with its date; where a figure could not be confirmed we say so rather than estimate. If you find an error, tell us and we will correct it.